The economic side of the triple bottom line

Centuries ago, missionaries learned that "save a soul" is not sufficient. A human being has multiple dimensions. After a native got "saved", he continued to "live" in the world. They started to teach the natives a sustainable better living environment. This root of "doing good" emerges itself in a form of social enterprise, irrespective of religious or not.
In social enterprise, the mission of the business is to address a specific need of the society of the time, with the aim to be "profitable" for self-sustain. This is the concept of "doing good well." Well refers to excellency in business performance in terms of economics. 

永續的底線包含了「經濟」因素。我們生活在一個以財富為指標的社會,金錢原本不是萬能,但因為 dollar and cents 容易明白和毫不含糊,金錢背後便代表了資源和成就。「經濟」在這個經濟型社會成了不可或缺的一環。

從一個歷史和理論層次,我們可以這樣理解永續三底線的經濟因素:

早時宣教士被差派到一些落後地方傳福音,他們很快便明白到「救恩」不能單單弧立為靈魂的救贖,也要把這些土著帶進一個比較進步的社會生態, 即所謂「授人以漁」的觀念, 漸漸這根源發展為現今的「社會企業」, 以優良的營商理念和手法做「社會」 事工, 針對解決當今社會的需要。這個優良營商的條件當中重要一項是「經濟」,因為只有能夠超過「自負盈虧」才能確保有「永續性」的可能。