Microfinance Week In Review: Week Ending October 1
Some of the week’s news in the microfinance, green business initiatives and the small business sector:
- Micro-loan Portal Kiva Celebrates 5 Year- San Francisco Chronicle
- Green Your Workplace- Green Business Network
- What Ales You: Loans, Stocks and Bocks- The Portland Press Herald
- Meaningful Marketing Start-ups- Marketing With Meaning
Telling Your Story of Microfinance From a Bike
By Elizabeth Garlow and Erica Dorn
Boston riders stop for a water break
As a “ACCIONistas” (what we ACCION employees call ourselves) we were incredibly proud to don the green “MicroBike: Pedal Against Poverty” t-shirt last Sunday along with 40 of our colleagues, friends, family, and supporters. This was the second year that ACCION USA participated in “Microbike”, but the first year for our ACCION USA New York team– and was important because it symbolizes the bond between ACCION International and ACCION USA, a relationship that’s been around since AUSA launched in 1991.
In New York, two teams enjoyed a delicious breakfast at ACCION USA client restaurants in Brooklyn and Manhattan before heading to the finish line at City Hall (read on to learn about the jungle that we rode through!). In Boston, an ACCION team rode the scenic Emerald Necklace, stopping for a water break at ACCION USA client business City Feed & Supply. Check out our photos on Facebook to see how much fun we were all having!
A huge thank you to our event sponsors for adding many special touches to the event, including raffle items from Ride Brooklyn NY (great local entrepreneurs!), front and back lights from the DOTC (Make sure to check out their bike safety programs!), and back light and other goodies from Bike New York.
ACCION USA New York team in NYC
We couldn’t have asked for a better turnout at Microbike NYC 2010. ACCION USA is proud to be listed as the #1 fundraising team so far with its 3 combined teams having raised almost $10,000 (we reached our goal!)—fundraising for microbike continues through December 31st 2010. Consider creating your own microbike team and route or make a donation to the ACCION-NY team at www.microbike.org – please know that your support brings much needed funding allowing ACCION USA and ACCION International to continue improving and expanding microfinance services to disadvantaged individuals around the world.
We are so excited for next year’s ride. Pump up your tires and dust off your helmet – it will be here before we know it!
Tags: Elizabeth Garlow, erica dorn
Beauty Salons Go Green
Entering your favorite beauty salon, the thought has probably crossed your mind: this chemical smell invading my nostrils cannot be healthy. Can products that stain, strip, and straighten hair take a toll on your body? On the other hand, can a “green” salon forgo the formaldehyde (yup, formaldehyde exists in your favorite hair straightening products) without sacrificing the quality?
By "going green," beauty salon owners are making their shops and customers healthier and standing out among competitors.
Some sure think so. On October 1st, greenSpaces announced that Fringe Hair Art of Kennebunkport Maine has completed its Green Business League Green Business Certification, making it the first Certified Green Hair Salon in the State of Maine.
What did the salon owners do to become green? They first directed attention to their space, using recycled glass and low-VOC paint to set the mood. Next, operations. The salon turned virtually paperless, and they ditched plastic cups for glass to serve water, tea, and coffee (how nice!). And then most importantly, addressing those pesky chemicals that give you a headache while you wait for your stylish highlights, Fringe Hair Art opted for ammonia- and formaldehyde -free hair styling products with a strong odorless claim.
It makes sense. In fact, www.TheBeautySchool.com blog states that “the new trend sweeping the beauty industry is going green.” But they warn that going green is not easy; you can’t skimp or try to fool your customers with faux-green products. Do your homework or hire a consultant to walk you through the greening process. To get you motivated, www.ehow.com has a list of considerations when starting a Green Beauty Salon.. And remember, it’s not just about your hair products: start simple with a commitment to reusing and recycling your business waste. Your world, and your customers, will thank you.
Not a business owner? As a consumer, check out green business directories like www.greenamericatoday.org and talk to your friends about greener options.
If you are a regular at the beauty salon, would green make a difference in your choice of salons? Let us – and beauty salon owners – know what you think!
Tags: accion usa, green, Green Business, small business
Why are the recession and ACCION USA a good match?
Working on my MA in Cambodia - a little different than New York City
This recession has been particularly hard on recent graduates. Ironically, those with higher education degrees have been the hardest hit. Many of my classmates and friends are back at home with their parents, applying daily to job markets that they cannot seem to penetrate. The degree itself is no longer enough, in fact, the degree without the experience is seen as more of a hindrance than a positive.
For the past year the term ‘recessionista‘ has been in vogue to describe those who remain fashionable despite having lost their income or status. I would add a definition to this list: those who recognize that the traditional roads of income and success are now extremely competitive or non-existent due to the recession and who compensate by traveling the by-ways or forging new paths altogether.
I completed my MA in 2009 abroad and returned to the U.S., moving everything I owned to a city I had visited once and knew almost nothing about.
Welcome to New York City:
My first job was selling off-Broadway tickets in Times Square. I needed something to keep me afloat while I searched for a ‘real’ job. My fourth job was as a personal trainer in training. I commuted down and across town to close in the evening and then open the following morning. After two months my head and heart nearly exploded and in an attempt to salvage whatever was left of my dreams, I called ACCION. “I am desperately looking for a job I can love,” was the best explanation I could offer to Erica Dorn, the volunteer coordinator I got on the line.
I was on my twelfth job, sneaking a look at my e-mail while working the second half of a double shift when I received an e-mail from Erica about an internship with ACCION. I didn’t even read the subject line: even a janitor would have been fine. I ran around the restaurant hugging everyone who didn’t have the wiles to escape me. My father, however, was less than pleased with the situation. “You’ve got a job,” he said, “and they don’t PAY you???” He was convinced that I was being swindled until I explained it this way.
An internship with ACCION USA is like going to college classes that you don’t have to pay for. Rather than learning theory, you are learning how to do the work itself. Best of all, there’s no homework!
I highly recommend interning in your field of interest for several reasons…
1. You might find out you don’t actually like it: Why expend energy in a fight to attain a job type that you end up hating? Internships are like window shopping for jobs.
2. It is free schooling: This is better than a grant, a loan, or subsidized tuition, this is really and truly FREE! Also, better than a class, it provides you with connections to move laterally within the field or organization that you find you have interest in.
3. It keeps your resume current: In keeping your resume ever-growing and in-motion you have more possibilities opening up to you all the time.
If you think microfinance might be your gig I encourage you to contact Erica Dorn yourself. Or, you can join ACCION USA’s LinkedIn page where regular internship (and job!) postings are made.
5 Reasons Why Students Should Get Involved with Microfinance!
School has officially started. And for most students it feels like their life is over. “I have a paper to write”, “You won’t believe how much I have to read”, or “Just let me sleep two more minutes” are all common excuses to avoid friends, homework and sometimes class. And to all these students I say get out there and get involved with microfinance! Here are some great reasons why:
- You do have free time… I know you do and you know you do.
- College is the best time to find the things you’re passionate about and volunteer your time to them. A great way to do this AND get your friends involved is to create a student group. ACCION USA has campus initiatives around the country bring microfinance to the student population. They provide access to amazing resources to help you educate yourself and your friends about ACCION USA and US microfinance. Or you can just come volunteer with us!
- It’s a great way to meet people with similar interest. Sitting in your dorm room you get to know your roommate… and while I’m sure they are a great person, you need to meet other people. Plus the people you meet through volunteering will stick with you and I can not describe to you some of the amazing, zany and generally wonderful people I have met while volunteering and the impact they have had on my life. Besides microfinance folks are great connections to have for the future, especially if is something you want to do professionally.
- Because it’s fun! Being young is about enjoying life and there is no reason why fun and giving back should not be synonymous. Need some inspiration? Check out Microbike. This event is a bike ride that supports microfinance. This year’s event is on October 3rd so you still have time to register and convince all of your friends they need to break out their bikes too.
- Finally, there’s nothing stopping you. It’s really that simple. School is important and your lives are busy but life will only get busier after college. Make volunteerism, giving back and helping your community a habit now because it’s a habit worth having.
Microfinance Week In Review- Week Ending September 24
Some of the week’s news in the microfinance, green business initiatives and the small business sector:
- Business Networking Events -Bloomberg Business Week
- Obama Among “Small Businesses” Facing Higher Tax Rate- Bloomberg Business Week
- A PHD Dropout Shakes Up the Beauty Biz- Time Magazine
- Federal Microloans Big With Small Businesses- San Diego Union Tribune
- Don’t Cap Microfinance Lending Rates- The Economic Times
The Diversity of Green Business
- Today’s green businesses include much more than just organic farms and alternative energy. Image via Wikipedia
What do you think when you hear “green business”? Is your imagination stuck in the same old stereotype? A solar energy company, an organic farm? Yes, we love solar and organic as much as the next guy, but I’m always reminded by our entrepreneurs that green colors every industry.
Case in point, check out Triple Pundit’s yearly “Green Business of the Year” nominees. The industries on the voting block range from a chocolatier, organic clothing, biodegradable diapers, to professional printing!
A quick web search brings up a number of green business directories. My favorite is Green America’s with 194 separate and distinct green business categories for you to search.
So when ACCION USA announces the dates for our Green Webinars this fall – don’t be shy. Any business can be a greener business. Make sure you’re following us on Twitter and Facebook to get all the updates and visit www.accionusa/green for in depth tips and information.
Tags: Green Business
ACCION USA Partners Up with Count Me In!
By: Rachel Hynes and Elizabeth Garlow
Those that know ACCION USA know that we love to partner! Strong partnerships are critical to advancing our mission of lending, supporting and inspiring small business owners. Recently, we announced a new great partnership with Count Me In, a not-for-profit organization that aims to promote economic independence and the growth of women-owned businesses. Count Me In, like ACCION USA believes that entrepreneurs thrive with a combination of access to financial resources, education and support.
Exactly what does this partnership mean? Because of the strong support system that Count Me In provides entrepreneurs, many of their clients are in a growth period and looking for capital to take their businesses to the next level. ACCION USA is proud to partner with Count Me In to provide that capital to entrepreneurs across the country.
Furthermore, both ACCION USA and Count Me In are committed to the belief that knowledge is power for small business owners. Count Me In’s M3 Network builds confidence through coaching and networking opportunities. Both ACCION USA and Count Me In provide entrepreneurs with access to expertise through online webinars, online resources on growing a business, and advice on credit management and the fundamentals of running a small business. In fact, ACCION USA and Count Me In have already worked together to provide workshops for Count Me In meet up groups and lead online webinars on Credit Management and Business Survival Strategies for a Slow Economy.
It’s collaborations like this that give hard-working entrepreneurs the combined resources needed to build their businesses, better provide for their families and strengthen their communities.
Microfinance’s Android v.s. Pawn Shop’s Apple
was convinced she would climb into at any moment and float out of the subway door like a hovercraft. A middle school child across from me was operating Angry Birds with such speed and dexterity as to shame my similar attempts even gaming with a computer! Diversity of ability, of style, of language, of ethnicity, of origin, of purse size and of gaming ability all packed into one subway car.Can they all be served by the same financial institution?
Microfinance too has a personality. In a world of behemoth financial institutions, there exists a “new kid on the block”, or at least this is the perspective that microfinance in the U.S. takes of itself. Finally, an institution that can provide a giant purse AND the education to inform you that, maybe you don’t need that purse to be giant after all! Microfinance fills a gap in the market. The most common parallel I’ve heard explaining Microfinance’s place in the market is one with pawn shops and check cashing locations. However, the idea is that, because microfinance in the U.S. is a non-profit, it removes the possibility of usury from the equation. Yet microfinance has not displaced these previous institutions. Check cashing locations are still springing up everywhere, especially in the neighborhoods that can stand to gain the most from microfinance.
Microfinance, at the moment, seems best tagged as “a valuable option” rather than an answer to economic and financial woes. It does seem that pawn shops, check cashing locations and traditional banks all hold a particular and useful market share. Microfinance cannot cover these bases, nor should it necessarily try.
Why did the tall woman choose massive spike heels rather than flats or the petite woman a purse larger than her entire person (that did not even have hovercraft functionalities) rather than a backpack? Why was the middle school child using an Apple software phone rather than Android? As much as each company attempts to supplant its rival, it is in the competition that we, the consumer, are brought the best product.
Because of the existence of check cashing and pawn shops, microfinance has the opportunity to define itself differently. Microfinance offers a choice, an alternative to these more common and longstanding options. In keeping with the individuality, personality and needs of each individual, it is their choice by which institution they are best served.
Climate Change Bill Good for Small Business
Small businesses play a critical role in driving job creation and environmental security. With a struggling economy and high unemployment rate, it’s noteworthy that the number of jobs in America’s emerging clean energy economy grew nearly two and a half times faster than overall jobs between 1998 and 2007, according to a report (PDF) released in 2009 by The Pew
- Image via Wikipedia
Charitable Trusts. According to the study, the definition of “clean energy” includes five categories: “(1) Clean Energy, (2) Energy Efficiency, (3) Environmentally Friendly Production, (4) Conservation and Pollution Mitigation, and (5) Training and Support. The definition provides a groundbreaking framework for tracking jobs, investments and economic growth over time and allowing the public and private sector to evaluate the effectiveness of policy choices and investments.”
To accelerate the growth of clean energy and energy efficiency job growth, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included over $80 billion for energy efficiency and clean energy programs. Across the country, the Recovery Act is creating thousands of jobs to weatherize about low-income homes.
Today, Congress is working on an energy and climate bill that will create an environment for small businesses to drive innovation and create even more jobs with staying power. Putting this bill on hold will send a “terrible message” to small businesses, as EPA official Jared Blumenfeld said earlier this month with regard to California Proposition 23, a measure that would roll back climate change legislation in California until the state’s unemployment rate stays at or below 5.5 percent for a year. We must join other nations in our commitment to reduce our energy use and find new, cleaner source of energy. Passing the Climate and Energy bill will send a signal to the innovators within our small business community – energy efficiency and clean energy are the future.
And while our small business community has lead the way in this field, comprehensive energy legislation passed by Congress will allow them to achieve even more, providing the tools and incentives necessary for success. The Climate and Energy Bill is our chance to ride this wave of small business innovation to its full potential, create lasting 21st century jobs all the while securing our planet for future generations.
Tags: green