Entrepreneurship has been a driving force behind the rapid expansion of the voluntary sector as well as the engine propelling much of the growth of the business sector. This paper examines the extent to which elements that contribute to successful business entrepreneurship can be adapted and applied to successful social entrepreneurship. This paper offers a comparative analysis of commercial and social entrepreneurship based on a prevailing analytical model from commercial entrepreneurship. The analysis highlights key similarities and differences between these two forms of entrepreneurship and presents a framework for how to approach the social entrepreneurial process more systematically and effectively.