article thumbnail

Businesses Serving the Poor Need to Get Over Their Unease About Profit

Harvard Business Review

If you've ever had anything to do with business initiatives among the world's poor — the so-called bottom of the economic pyramid — you've no doubt heard the advice that enterprises in this space need to aim for low prices, low profit margins, and high sales volumes. At a price equivalent to 10 U.S. It was laid down by C.K.

article thumbnail

Can Technology End Poverty?

Harvard Business Review

Shameran Abed, who runs BRAC's microfinance program, explains what happened: "In the first couple months, a lot of our borrowers would send the money through their mobile phones and then physically show up at the branch to check with the accountant that the money had turned up.". Immerse yourself in the details.

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 Takes a Village to Raise an Entrepreneur

Harvard Business Review

These hybrids pursue a social mission while engaging in commercial activities that generate revenues that help them sustain their operations. Frogtek and many other hybrids sell goods and services, and rely on revenues to sustain and scale their operations. Take, for example, the issue of economic development.

article thumbnail

Can Technology End Poverty?

Harvard Business Review

Shameran Abed, who runs BRAC's microfinance program, explains what happened: "In the first couple months, a lot of our borrowers would send the money through their mobile phones and then physically show up at the branch to check with the accountant that the money had turned up.". Immerse yourself in the details.

article thumbnail

The Smart Way to Make Profits While Serving the Poor

Harvard Business Review

Most companies trying to do business with the 4 billion people who make up the world's poor follow a formula long touted by bottom-of-the-pyramid experts: Offer products at extremely low prices and margins, and hope to generate decent profits by selling enormous quantities of them. The price includes the company's cement products.