Innovative Business Models

Innovative Business Against Global Poverty

Livelihoods of workers in the poorest and most vulnerable countries are being decimated even before the coronavirus sweeps in, as supply chains grind to a halt. This is disastrous for families, triggering an alarming resurgence in poverty. It is bad news for businesses that will want to rebuild, and for consumers in developed countries who depend on robust and resilient supply chains.​
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How business responds to the Corona virus crisis matters hugely. It affects what happens to millions of lives and livelihoods now. And it affects the prospect for building back better. What we do now, will shape the pathway out of this mess. In years to come, suppliers and stakeholders will remember which businesses and brands acted responsibly during the crisis, working through problems together.
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The COVID-19 virus will soon make waves in low-income contexts in South Asia, Africa and Latin America. While these regions have a much younger population than the EU or China, both the disease itself and any measures to keep it from spreading will have a severe impact. The most vulnerable will be hit hardest.
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Join us for a live written discussion with a panel of experts to deepen understanding of the role of business in tackling the coronavirus. Taking place on Thursday, 19 March, 11am-12pm EDT (3pm-4pm GMT)
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On February 27th, Business Fights Poverty held a live written discussion to explore how we can measure, manage and get the most from our social impact. Given that this was one of our liveliest online discussions to date, with over two thousand attendees and 174 comments, writing a compact summary of the event may not do it justice.
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To date, this column has been devoted to films that provide a lens through which we might see the ways that various cultural artifacts, including business, music, sports and film, can help us see possible contributions to peace.  This month, I’m expanding beyond film to its screen cousin, television, with attention given to AppleTV’s The Morning Show. 
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Roughly 600 million people in Africa lack access to electricity. Off-grid energy solutions, such as solar home systems and mini-grids, are the most efficient way to provide energy to over half of these people. Although the impact of providing energy access on people’s lives – including through off-grid solutions – may seem obvious, it’s important to better understand and quantify exactly what this means. Because it’s through this detailed understanding of impact that we can become better investors.
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Part III of this series describes how N-Frnds has created a hybrid network of Pre-sellers serving multiple FMCG and corporate partners, enabling them to profitably serve last-mile outlets while also empowering these micro-retailers with access to finance to expand their sales and become more viable businesses, creating a win-win situation for all.
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In the build up towards Business Fights Poverty’s first Online Discussion of 2020, which focuses on Impact Measurement, learn more about the topic in this interview brought to you by Business Fights Poverty Content Partners iBAN and Business Call to Action.
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Professor Colin Mayer CBE has devoted his life, learning and career to the role of business in society – from governance and taxation to responsible and ethical business decision making. 
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Beneficial household products such as solar lights, improved cookstoves, water purifiers, nutritional supplements and agricultural inputs can play a significant role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. But these products can’t make an impact if they don’t reach the last mile customers who could benefit from them.
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While the social impact and business agenda is shaping up for 2020, we first wanted to share the most popular stories we published in 2019 with you. A huge thank you to the authors featured in this list and to all of you who made contributions. We hope these stories inspire you and welcome your submissions this year*.
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I have vivid memories, from the years I spent working on social impact in-house for big business, of scrambling for Board or Exec report around this time. ‘Please summarise the key social impact trends and the effects on business’, was the exam question. This year, I thought I would do the same for you. Feel free to borrow, comment and add your own.
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In the second part of this three-part series, which deals with challenges of digitizing indirect FMCG distribution channels in emerging markets, I explore why developing and deploying appropriate technologies to gather data has been a challenge and will provide some examples of how N-Frnds, a technology platform company focusing on digital distribution in emerging markets is addressing this challenge.
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Consumers’ expectations towards companies to act socially responsibly and take a stance on social issues have grown. A recent study showed that almost two thirds of consumers make purchasing decisions based on a company’s stand on social issues.[i] It also showed that 60 percent of consumers want to see companies’ values and stances more transparently, and 53 percent believe that companies can do more than governments to solve social issues. Through corporate advocacy, companies can show they are ready to act on issues that are important for them.
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Inequality is our era’s defining challenge. The new UNDP Human Development Report argues that we must overturn systemic drivers of inequality to narrow the human development gap for those furthest behind while addressing the risks posed by emerging inequalities. Collective action must be part of the solution, and business has a role to play.​
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Part I: Lack of data on indirect distribution networks Reaching the ‘last mile’ is imperative for consumer facing companies in emerging markets, however several constraints remain. In this three part series I will deal with some of these constraints and share some of the learnings and insights I have gained through my work at N-Frnds, a technology platform company focused on last-mile distribution in emerging markets.
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Over the past year, the UK Department for International Development, through the Inclusive Business Boost programme, has supported the development of knowledge products to help multinational corporations (MNCs) scale and replicate inclusive business initiatives. We are pleased to be sharing the full suite of resources with you here.
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“Enfin!” French CEO’s might smile at the new Statement of the Purpose of the Corporation signed by 181 American CEOs. To them, the idea that a corporation must serve the interests of all stakeholders is part of “savoir vivre” in business. It is therefore perhaps not surprising that France is leading on Corporate Impact Venturing, the practice of investing in startups with a positive social impact.
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The inclusive business cake has often failed to rise for multinational corporations, but some new recipes offer hope of better things to come
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What do we mean by "Innovative Business Models"?

Explore innovative business models to fight global poverty effectively. Our initiatives focus on practical solutions that deliver real change.

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