Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

SMEs Against Global Poverty

Disruptive, digital, and local: the new reality for Latin American MSMEs

So far, Latin American MSME sector recovery forecasts remain pessimistic, mostly since they have yet to face structural barriers such as informality, lack of access to markets and inclusive value chains, as well as low financial and digital inclusion rates. Consequently, some international projections remain that more than 25 million people will enter poverty levels after the crisis. Do we know what that means economically and ethically for humanity? FUNDES identifies three specific gaps that affect the development of Latin American MSMEs in the traditional economy:
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Vic Van Vuuren

This podcast interview hears from Vic Van Vuuren, the Director, of the Enterprises Department at the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva.
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Building a commercial buffalo dairy in Laos: five minutes with entrepreneur Susie Martin

The Business Partnerships Platform creates partnerships between the Australian Government and inclusive businesses for social impact. A partnership in Laos is scaling a commercial buffalo dairy – connecting with small holder farmers and promoting the benefits of buffalo milk. Hear more on the business challenges and COVID-19 pivot from founder and entrepreneur, Susie Martin.
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Peg Willingham

Peg Willingham is the Executive Director of Fairtrade America. Fairtrade’s mission to work with businesses, farmers and workers certifying products as ethically and sustainably sourced is more important than ever. Listen to this podcast to hear Peg share her insights of the compounded effects of COVID-19 on many of the world’s poorest farmers;
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Upcoming Online Event: Driving Digital Equity for the Most Vulnerable

As part of Business Fights Poverty NYC Online 2020, Business Fights Poverty and Visa are convening a webinar and online peer discussion to explore how multilateral partnerships can drive digital equity for the most vulnerable.  This article gives a brief insight into the importance of digital equity, and explains how a wide range of organisations can play a part in driving change at a systemic level. 
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Upcoming Online Event: Nature and Its Value to International Supply Chains

As part of Business Fights Poverty NYC Online 2020, Business Fights Poverty and Standard Chartered are convening a webinar and online peer discussion to explore how we can account for, invest in and enhance the value of nature present in supply chains. This article delves into nature’s benefits to international supply chains, and examines one initiative that is seeking to align commercial and environmental imperatives: the ‘Soft Commodities Compact’. 
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Supporting Women’s Wellbeing through Flexible, Digital Earning Opportunities

The WTO has recently predicted that the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic will be disproportionately felt by women, with a ‘pink collar recession’ threatening to roll back the gender equality gains of recent decades.  In the UK, there are indications that women are bearing the brunt of redundancies, mothers are more likely than fathers to have been furloughed, and women have done the greater share of domestic and caring work during lockdown.
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Going above and beyond to support women entrepreneurs

As has been observed in the Business Fights Poverty community, the coronavirus pandemic poses a specific set of threats to women. Whether in the UK or Uganda, there’s growing evidence that the pressures of lockdown and the associated economic downturn will lead to a regression in women’s rights and gender equality.
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Evaluation gaps, challenges and implications: Responsible business initiatives for sustainable supply chains?

Evidence on voluntary sustainability standards effectiveness and impact is strengthening, but little evidence exists on the efficacy of growing numbers of Responsible Business Initiatives (RBIs) which focus on entire corporate sustainability. Some are mature (e.g. corporate codes), others are more recent (e.g. sectoral multi-stakeholder initiatives, supplier capacity strengthening approaches, benchmarking initiatives, mobilizing investors). But quality evidence and rigorous synthesis is generally very thin across the board.
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How to Safeguard the Livelihoods of Women Farmers and Entrepreneurs during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Among its many impacts, the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to reverse recent gains to women’s economic empowerment. This article by TechnoServe Gender Director Cristina Manfre presents a strategy to ensure that the global community’s response to the pandemic safeguards against the risks to women’s livelihoods and enables them to help lead the economic recovery.
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Rebuild Better. Rebuild Now

The time for treating coronavirus as only or even principally a health crisis is over, says Hand in Hand International CEO Dorothea Arndt. NGOs are urgently refocusing on livelihoods – and they need the business community’s help
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Financing impact start-ups: two solutions, two challenges

Crowd funding has been a sea change for start-ups, but more work needs to be done to make it accessible to developing world entrepreneurs. In addition, large companies and development charities could do much more to use a small part of their procurement budget to support start-up ecosystems.
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Going beyond the poverty line

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Digital innovation to support African SMEs

COVID-19 may significantly hinder economic and social development across Africa. If the continent is to recover, then micro-entrepreneurs and SMEs will be the engine of growth. Local businesses will provide livelihoods for millions of people and goods and services to a growing consumer base. At the heart of this business-led recovery will be digital technology; a catalyst for inclusive growth.
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Scalability, Sustainability and Participation in Value Chain

This is the second in a three part series, published in the lead up to Standard Chartered’s Futuremakers Forum online events 2020.  Join the conversation exploring innovative ideas and tangible solutions for financing young entrepreneurs.
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Strengthening Markets through Collaboration

A guide to how business can help micro-, small- and medium sized enterprises to thrive and build high performing value chains in developing markets, through a system-level approach. Co-authored with Endeva. With AB Sugar, Bayer, Small Foundation, Visa Inc and Vitol Foundation.
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ACTION TOOLKIT: Supporting Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

A toolkit on how business can help MSMEs respond, recover and rebuild better from the pandemic. With AB InBev, CEMEX, the Corporate Responsibility Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School and UK Aid.
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Finding Innovative Ideas and Tangible Solutions for Financing Young Entrepreneurs

It is essential that young people are given the opportunity to succeed in any entrepreneurial ventures they undertake. Join the conversation to explore innovative ideas and tangible solutions for financing young entrepreneurs live on 30 July 2020.
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Put Collaboration at the Heart of Global Efforts to Re-build MSMEs Post COVID-19

New guide provides insights on how sectors can work together to remove the systemic barriers that stand in the way of MSMEs re-building from the crisis
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In Emerging Markets, Entrepreneurial Support Organizations are Key to the COVID-19 Economic Response

In emerging markets, the COVID-19 crisis presents an even greater economic challenge than in the United States. The American economy was the strongest in the world before the crisis. Even now, under widespread stay-at-home orders, US unemployment has risen to only 20%, whereas most emerging market countries started the year with formal unemployment rates well above 20%.
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What do we mean by "Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises"?

Explore how empowering micro, small, and medium enterprises (SMEs) can drive economic development and reduce poverty by fostering innovation and job creation.

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