Key Skills and Competences for Social Business Advisors: Views from Experts

The aim of the present article is to analyze the training needs as a difference between the current and desired state of knowledge, skills and qualifications of business advisors to provide the necessary consulting services to social intermediaries and social enterprises. Professional profiles of social business consultants are presented on the basis of published job requirements in organizations providing business consulting to social enterprises and by some organizations outside the country due to the poor development of these activities at national level. The research includes the results of 30 interviews with three categories of “Business advisors”, “Business advisors’ entities” and “Social entrepreneurs”. Business advisors usually provide financial and strategic advice to small and mid-sized companies, cooperatives, social enterprises and other formats of company formations. The business advisors must also have an excellent business sense and keen communication skills in order to be able to adequately support social entrepreneurs.