Making the right structuring decision at the right time can be the difference between success and failure for social enterprises.
If social enterprises choose the wrong structure at the start they may run into serious issues, but thanks to an authoritative new guide, covering 8 ASEAN countries, they can better understand their legal, regulatory and tax obligations and select a business structure that will support their mission and growth plans.
Legal advice is prohibitively expensive for most social enterprises so many social entrepreneurs struggle to access reliable advice and information on the options they have when picking an organisational structure and being aware of, and in compliance with, legislation. To solve this, a free legal guide was created, full of practical advice on navigating the complexities of setting up a social enterprise. It covers the pros and cons of different legal forms, regulatory and tax obligations, registration, permits and more.
The British Council has worked with Trustlaw, part of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, Tilleke & Gibbins and United Nations ESCAP to develop the guide. It also helps policymaker understand the challenges that social entrepreneurs face and helps disseminate information about the regulatory environment for social enterprise in eight different ASEAN markets.