Unleashing the potential of entrepreneurs
The starting point for development may be different for each country, but the journey taken is often the same. As I have seen, time and again it is wealth creation, jobs and livelihoods, above all else, which help poor people to lift themselves out of poverty. In the developing world, small and medium enterprises hold […]
Generating Evidence of Impact at the Bottom of the Pyramid
The May 3 debate on Bottom of the Pyramid: Responsible Capitalism or Business as Usual ended with a rousing call for more evidence on what works. But how do we generate that evidence? There are a number of methodologies (BCtA, INSEAD Economic Footprint, Oxfam Poverty Footprint, BIF, IRIS,WBCSD and so on) and a few well-known […]
Sharing knowledge and experiences to deliver effective nutrition solutions to the base of the pyramid
Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) has been partnering with public and private sector organizations to deliver nutrition solutions to populations in need for 10 years. GAIN is now reaching more than 600 million people with nutritious foods which help them reach their full potential. Today GAIN is […]
Investing in Africa’s Entrepreneurs
Jacana recently completed an investment in Reltex Tarpaulins Africa in Kenya, where workers manufacture emergency relief materials for the humanitarian sector There is no denying that Africa is enjoying a period of unprecedented growth. Its economies are developing faster than anywhere in the world, its population is set to double by 2050 and an emerging […]
Mobile Services for Women Entrepreneurs
In Indonesia, Amisha makes and sells made-to-measure wedding dresses. In Lagos, Elizabeth and three other employees make traditional Nigerian children’s toys. A world apart, both Amisha and Elizabeth are examples of thriving and enterprising women entrepreneurs who make their living producing valued local goods. They both also face limitations to their business growth due to […]
Unleashing The Potential Of Entrepreneurs In The Fight Against Poverty
The starting point for development may be different for each country, but the journey taken is often the same. As I have seen, time and again it is wealth creation, jobs and livelihoods, above all else, which help poor people to lift themselves out of poverty. In the developing world, small and medium enterprises hold […]
Expand the Evidence Base at the Bottom of the Pyramid
Photo credit: CARE/Kathryn Richards If we want to differentiate between responsible capitalism and business as usual in market based approaches to international development we need to expand the evidence base at the bottom of the pyramid. This was one of the conclusions drawn by seven panelists from the world of business, strategic management and development […]
The ‘Bottom of the Pyramid’ Approach: Responsible Capitalism or Business as Usual?
Yesterday evening I took part in a Public Debate at Saïd Business School, organised by the Centre for New Economies of Development – a collaboration between the Universities of Oxford, Sussex and Edinburgh. The event also saw the launch of a new website to encourage academic discussion and knowledge sharing on the BoP: responsiblebop.com Below […]
Cultivating Potential: iDE UK and the Rise of the Female Farming Entrepreneur
Since its founding iDE UK has watched its projects transform the livelihoods and income opportunities of poor rural farmers in the developing world. However it is the potential in women that iDE UK sees as the greatest game changer of rural poverty. At iDE UK we have long recognised the important role that women play […]
Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Companies: Fighting Poverty and Profit at the Same Time
From extractive companies, to financial service firms, multinationals, to small social enterprises, Business Fights Poverty’s blogs capture the trend in how business and the social sector are redefining their relationships to tackle tough social problems. Curiously, multinational pharmaceutical and medical device companies are absent from much of the conversation. Yet, it is difficult to find […]
Creating a sales force of solar entrepreneurs
Which continents have the highest number of mobile phone subscribers? The answer isn’t Europe or the Americas, where mobile phones first took off, but Asia and, as of 2011, Africa. By the end of last year there were over 600m mobile phones subscribers from Cairo to Cape Town, according to research by the GSMA. This […]
Unbeatable Tools for Small Business
As part of our new series of Editorial Specials highlighting our favourite resources on business and development, this blog looks at two excellent contrasting toolboxes for entrepreneurs. This month we have selected two excellent contrasting toolboxes for entrepreneurs. One, more conventional, covers the essentials to start and run operations: business plans, insurance, accounting and cash […]
Accion – Business Tools for Social Impact
Many people who, like me, have crossed into the social sector from a for-profit background, want to see nonprofits take advantage of business principles to generate ever better outcomes. Continuous improvement is one such tool. To oversimplify, continuous improvement involves capturing crucial performance data in ongoing feedback loops so staff can make enhancements to better […]
The BoP Approach: Sinner or Savior?
Today several of the world’s largest corporations – including Hewlett Packard, SK Johnson and Unilever – are engaging with the so-called ‘bottom of the pyramid’, becoming key players in global development by selling products to improve health, nutrition and overall well-being in the rural markets of developing countries. Meanwhile development donors like DfID champion large […]
ANDE Celebrates its Third Anniversary
Last week, the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) celebrated its third anniversary. As often happens with milestones, for me it was a time to reflect. ANDE is a network of organizations that support small and growing businesses (SGBs) and entrepreneurship in developing and emerging markets. I was first exposed to this idea in the […]
Barend van Bergen: Sustainability Fundamental to Long-Term Business Performance
Almost four years ago, while being seconded from KPMG to the WBCSD, I was involved in a series of workshops aimed at involving the capital markets in sustainability. Reflecting now on the lively conversations that took place, I genuinely believe we have made some progress. Although I never predicted events would unfold as they have, […]
Making Choices
Reach even more than 12,000 rural Bangladeshi women? Boost financial return to investors? Or operate with lower capital requirements? These were just some of the choices facing new investors in Jita, in mid 2012. Jita, launched in December as a Bangladeshi company, is one of many social enterprises demonstrating that commercial return and social impact […]
Empowering Poor Women at the Base of the Pyramid?
Base of the pyramid (BoP) approaches have been attracting a lot of attention in business and development circles lately. Although typically associated with highly publicised schemes such as Grameen’s “village phone ladies” and Hindustan Unilever’s “Project Shakti”, a number of BoP initiatives have sprung up across Africa and Asia to address a range of development […]
A Responsibility and a Market: Why Danone May Represent the Future of BoP Business
NextBillion.net, Senior Strategist Saatchi and Saatchi The “future of BOP business” is a sweeping, flashy claim. Yet Danone’s strategy appears to be different for all the right, non-flashy reasons. A strict focus on unit economics, clear understanding of the business’ role in social impact, and most of all, direct links between base of the pyramid […]
CARE Bangladesh’s Rural Sales Programme: Empowering Poor Women?
Base of the pyramid (BoP) approaches have been attracting a lot of attention in business and development circles lately. Although typically associated with highly publicised schemes such as Grameen’s “village phone ladies” and Hindustan Unilever’s “Project Shakti”, a number of BoP initiatives have sprung up across Africa and Asia to address a range of development […]