Small-Scale Retailers and Social Innovation
In Latin America, the tendero, or small neighborhood shop, is a vital community element in small towns and cities; and for many companies, it’s an important distribution channel for consumer goods. In some cases, tenderos represent 50% of companies’ total sales. If you have ever visited one of these small shops, you will find virtually […]
Partnering to Finance Small-Scale Retailers
Banco Agrícola, founded in San Salvador in 1955 and now part of Colombia’s Bancolombia, is El Salvador’s largest bank. Banco Agrícola provides financial services to individuals, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), large companies, and government agencies. We have 2,500 employees and have been named Best Bank in El Salvador by a variety of finance […]
Meet a 4e Camino al Progreso Program Graduate
An Interview Edy Ramos Torres, Owner of Bodega San Juan in San Juan de Lurigancho, Lima, Peru Please tell us a little bit about your store. Edy: I opened my store 28 years ago. It was an idea that came to me, I always saw myself opening a business and serving people – even dreaming […]
Helping Small Businesses Thrive in Africa
I recently had the pleasure of meeting a group of small retailers in Colombia, women and men from among the 780,000 “tenderos” in SABMiller’s value chain in Latin America. The purpose of the visit was to learn more about the “4e Camino al Progreso” (4e) programme developed by my Latin American colleagues together with their […]
Putting Enterprise at the Heart of the Post-2015 Agenda
The international community is busy defining a new set of “Sustainable Development Goals” that will shape the agenda when the current Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) expire later this year. One striking improvement is the emphasis being placed on inclusive growth, jobs and enterprise. And in that context it is encouraging to see the draft SDGs […]
Empowering Small Retailers at Scale
Latin America is an important region for SABMiller’s growth strategy. Small-scale retailers, called “tenderos,” are critical to our business there. These retailers are located close to their customers in environments that are difficult for “big box” stores to serve. They let customers with low and unpredictable incomes, no transportation, and no storage space at home […]
SABMiller Supporting Shopkeepers in Latin America
How can big corporations use their power to engage in social inclusion and impact? To discover how the world’s second-largest brewery is making it happen, download this SABMiller case study which I wrote based on my work with them. The case gives insight into SABMiller’s strategic move to incorporate thousands of small business into its […]
Lessons from a Small Business Program in Latin America
In 2012, multinational brewer SABMiller took stock of all of the corporate social investment programs in its portfolio in the six Latin American countries in which it is the market leader: Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, Honduras, and El Salvador. What they found—42 separate, often small-scale initiatives—was perhaps not surprising, given that SABMiller’s subsidiaries in those […]
Shopkeepers with Business and Social Focus
SABMiller is the world’s second-largest brewer with more than 200 beer brands and some 70,000 employees in over 75 countries. The company’s approach to sustainable development is a key element of SABMiller’s business strategy. Its success is based on solid share value strategies: supporting the role that small businesses play in generating economic growth and […]
The Best Social Innovations of 2013
The SAB Foundation has announced the finalists of its 3rd Annual Social Innovation Awards 2013. A total of 26 finalists will vie for the R1-million first place prize, which will be used to grow and commercialise their product or service. The SAB Foundation Social Innovations Awards was first launched in 2011 by its chairperson, Cyril […]
Strengthening Micro-Enterprise in Peru
Alfredo Peña Rojas owns a local mini-market and delivery service in Iquitos, Peru. He has built himself a strong business thanks to his boundless personal enthusiasm, and established a good trade despite the location’s poor roads and consequent access difficulties. But basic efficiency problems were evident in day-to-day operations. For example, some customers were no […]
Microfinance: Helping Shopkeepers in Colombia
Politicians and executives alike know the force of change that lies in the hands of small business owners in Colombia. Many of these are micro-business proprietors, often undervalued entrepreneurs who have established business to help ends meet. People in low socio-economic groups frequently opt to create their own small business in Colombia due to a […]
Improving the Entrepreneurial Value Chain in Panama
When Aurora Escalante’s son was diagnosed with meningoencephalitis in 2007 she was forced to leave her job and devote herself full-time to his treatment and recovery. The disease left him with hemiparesis, a weakness on one side of the body, and attention-deficit disorder requiring Aurora to become his full-time carer for several years. Last year, […]
Supporting Entrepreneurs in Latin America
SABMiller, has announced the launch of ‘4e, Camino al Progreso’, a major five-year initiative that will benefit over 40,000 entrepreneurs throughout Latin America.The program will provide selected shop owners – or ‘tenderos’ – in six countries (Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras and Peru) with professional training, advice and assistance to support the growth of […]
Enterprise-Driven Innovation in South Africa
Encouraging and fostering entrepreneurship is increasingly viewed as the best way to empower communities and bring about social change. Large corporations are joining in cross-sector collaborations with public bodies to support impact investment projects that accelerate social and environmental improvements. SABMiller has long placed Enterprise Development at the core of its long-term Sustainable Development strategy. […]
Celebrating Successful Impact Investment in South Africa
Enterprise Development is at the core of SABMiller’s long-term Sustainable Development strategy, helping create jobs and develop entrepreneurial skills in poor communities around the world. Encouraging Enterprise Development is a key SABMiller sustainable development priority – and well integrated into day-to-day business – for it is enterprise-driven innovation that can act as a change-maker for […]
Miller Lite Helps America’s Entrepreneurs Tap the Future
For 13 years, MillerCoors invested more than $1.9 million in the businesses and dreams of entrepreneurs through its MillerCoors Urban Entrepreneurs Series business competition, also known as MUES. Now, Miller Lite has launched a new programme to continue the company’s commitment to social investment. ‘Tap the Future’ picks up the torch with a bold new […]
Business Incubation in Ghana
Mabel Simpson is the creative director of her own design house, mSimps. It’s a prestigious job for a young woman in Ghana. “At mSimps we make hand-made hand bags, clutch purses, men’s slippers, laptop sleeves,” she says proudly. “All mSimps bags are one-offs. Two people do not own the same bag. Our designs are inspired […]
Social Innovation in South Africa
Enterprise development is at the core of SAB’s long term sustainability strategy, helping create jobs and develop entrepreneurial skills in the communities in which we operate. Encouraging enterprise development is a key sustainable development priority and well integrated into our day-to-day business. Depending on the stage that the entrepreneur’s business idea or Project is at, […]
Wheels for Fortune
It is difficult for people with disabilities to access mobility equipment in remote areas of Africa. Statistics from the UN Development Programme show that less than 1 percent of the need for wheelchairs in developing countries can be met by the limited local production, and those wheelchairs that are available are often unsuitable for the […]