Remove Entrepreneur Remove Marketing Remove Mentor Remove Microfinance
article thumbnail

Microfinance Is Good for Women, but It's Only Part of the Solution

Harvard Business Review

Career paths are not one-size-fits-all, yet in emerging markets, it's often assumed that microfinance — the use of small loans to foster self-reliant small businesses in a community setting — is the only path for women seeking economic opportunity. Microfinance was one issue that we considered.

article thumbnail

How Social Entrepreneurs Can Have the Most Impact

Harvard Business Review

All to say, the sector is hot, which brings me to the second question: Are social entrepreneurs stoking the right kind of growth? With so many small start-ups, are social entrepreneurs at risk of creating well-intentioned, but fragmented efforts that won’t ultimately change much? million young people out of school and out of work.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

It's Not All About Growth for Social Enterprises

Harvard Business Review

If you ask venture capitalists in Silicon Valley how they measure the success of business entrepreneurs, they would no doubt list off metrics having to do with fast growth: funding raised, people hired, customers acquired, revenue produced. The assumption is that company growth is good. But, so what? I'm not sure either frame is right.

article thumbnail

Entrepreneurs: You're More Important Than Your Business Plan

Harvard Business Review

And we are often happy to review these start-up plans — which include the typical elements such as a product description, competitive analysis, estimate of market size, and projected financials. Instead, we look at eight broad rules for success, half of which are about the entrepreneur herself (not her business plan). Importance.