Festival Fete’s Holiday Market embodies the spirit of small business, as an event featuring locally grown food, art and products from talented individuals across New England. The Holiday Market will include over 100 Contemporary American Craft artists, strolling entertainment, a farmers market, and children’s crafts and entertainment. The market is a 2-day extravaganza, taking place over Thanksgiving weekend (November 25^th and 26^th) at the Rhode Island Convention Center, 11am to 6pm daily. For entrepreneurs who are participating in the fair, we’d love to have you attend our credit seminar on November 26^th just before the fair begins at 11am. Don’t worry if you can’t make it, you can find ACCION USA at booth 223 – stop by and say hello!

October 4 marked a successful “Food Labeling” workshop (part 1 of 3) from the Sam Adams Brewing the American Dream program. Held at Sam Adams HQ’s in Boston, the event was led by industry specialists from Sam Adams and ACCION USA and had a fantastic showing of 46 local food and beverage entrepreneurs. The workshop, which covered a range of food labeling topics, is part of a broader mentoring campaign to help empower small businesses around the country with capital and invaluable industry knowledge.

Elizabeth Garlow, Business Development Officer at ACCION USA, commented that many food and beverage business owners in the audience were very impressed with how relevant the training was, a small business owner remarking that “it’s impossible to get this information anywhere else.” One attendee learned that local businesses were at an advantage because it is easier to create brand loyalty, considering that today many customers want to meet the owner and know the history of the business. Another attendee learned that listing “whole peppercorn” as an individual ingredient instead of listing all spices/flavors as “spices” will mitigate risk for a company. If you want to learn the logic behind this and other industry related advice from the event, check out a blogpost about the workshop from one of the attendees, Bienne Foods.

Register for part two of the “Food Labeling” workshop series to take place on Tuesday, October 11 called “Federal Regulation and Marketing Your Product.”

 In recent months, many questions have arisen over whether microfinance is capable of achieving its goal of aiding the poor. However, in the United States microfinance has been hailed as one of the roads to economic recovery. The idea is that increased lending to small businesses and entrepreneurs will create jobs and stimulate the economy. Microfinance seems to appeal to the American Dream: If given the opportunity and if you work hard, you will be able to succeed.  Is there something different in the microfinance approach in the United States? Perhaps To Catch a Dollar may hold some answers.

 Discuss this topic and more at the Microfinance USA Conference. 

Watch a preview for the conference here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcH1Y7lxQnU

Tory Burch is a fashion designer, mother, and entrepreneur who believes that one of the most important ways to create change is to empower women.  Tory Burch was launched in 2004  and has grown to work with clients such as Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Gwyneth Paltrow, Julianne Moore, Katie Holmes, Uma Thurman, and Hilary Swank. The Tory Burch Foundation is a non-profit 501(C)3 organization that provides economic opportunity to women and their families in the United States.

Whether you’re an active Kiva, Prosper, or Microplace lender or you’ve yet to get your feet wet in peer-to-peer microfinance, you won’t want to miss Microfinance USA’s pre-conference Webinar “P2P Lending: Overcoming Barriers to Access” (March 30, 2011, 5 – 6 PM EST).

The Webinar will offer microfinance practitioners and enthusiasts and in-depth look at the business models behind three separate organizations engaged in P2P lending—Kiva, Lending Club, and People Capital, and discuss how the industry is changing everything from the way we borrow and lend to the notions of philanthropy and investing.
Senior managers from each organization will address key issues such as:

• What can be considered P2P and what are the structures needed to operate in this space?
• How is P2P lending building better access to capital and impacting the lives of small business owners and others in the United States?
• What’s in store for the future of P2P?

Those located in the New York metro area will be able to take part in some “bonus” content and attend a Webinar “watching party” and a follow-up discussion in-person at NYU Stern.

WHEN:

March 30, 2011 5-6 PM EST

WHERE:

• Online (Register Now)
• NYU Stern’s Kaufmann Management Center M3-110. Registration is mandatory, in order to be added to the building security list (Register Now)

However, Denise Hamler, director of Green America’s Green Business Network, says that “financing is the number one challenge facing green businesses today. Many of the small businesses we work with have strong market opportunities, but are not capitalized enough to really reach their potential.”

ACCION USA hears this story every day – from our own small business clients, as well as our focus groups.  The verdict is unanimous: small business owners “strongly believe in green,” but at the same time, think that “going green” is not economically viable.

We can’t ignore the data. “Going green” can bring green ($)…but only if you have green ($).

Fortunately, microfinance organizations are perfectly poised to pull small businesses out of the same old “I can’t, it’s too expensive” mentality. With the right loan product and support services, small business will see a return on their investment and, at the same time, make the planet a more hospitable place to live.

For this reason, ACCION USA launched a Green Small Business Loan program that provides financing and consulting to green enterprises.  Want to learn more?  On November 15th at 2 PM EST you can speak directly with Renzo Mendoza, an ACCION USA Loan Consultant, about how to apply for a Green Loan.  The “Green Cash for Green Business” webinar is free and will cover all you want to know about ACCION USA’s green loan program.

And ACCION USA will waive the $30 loan application fee for all “Green Cash for Green Business” webinar participants!*

So, if you are a small business with green principles and need working capital or want to invest in energy efficient equipment or upgrades, look no further.  ACCION USA and Green America are bringing you an exclusive look into ACCION USA’s lending process.

Don’t miss this free opportunity – space is limited so REGISTER TODAY!

What will you take away from the webinar?

• A waived loan application fee* (a $30 value)
• The definition and benefit of an ACCION USA Green loan
• Information about credit, financial, and collateral requirements for loans up to $50,000
• An understanding of loan rates, fees, and terms
• Training and educational benefits
• Direct connection with an ACCION USA loan consultant

Not able to make the webinar, but have green loan questions?  Search #GreenMyBusiness on www.Twitter.com at 3 PM EST on November 11^th to join the twitter party and engage in good green conver sation.

We look forward to seeing you on Monday!

* Must apply within one week of “Green Cash for Green Business” webinar

 1. Microfinance USA conference (MFUSA)

The conference takes place in San Francisco from May 20-21, and includes keynote speakers Maria Shriver and Gavin Newsom. “A Living History: U.S. Microfinance Past, Present and Future” and “Leveraging Partnerships to Reach Millions” are two of the panels to which I am most looking forward.  I also can’t wait to meet some of the 200 students that will be in attendance at the conference. I’ll be moderating a panel on student-led microfinance to talk with various stakeholders in microfinance initiatives on campuses across the U.S. and discuss their strengths, challenges, and impact. I hope to see you there!

2. A video about a lemonade stand

Recently ACCION USA ran a “Twitition” (A competition on Twitter) in which three student groups competed to win two trips to the Microfinance USA conference. In addition to tweeting in support of ACCION USA, the students held events on their campus to raise awareness about U.S. microfinance. I’d like to congratulate Global Youth Connection from the College of Wooster (Ohio), which won the Twitition and will be attending the conference next week. Because most students are more familiar with international microfinance, Global Youth Connection became an important voice for U.S. microfinance. Check out the video about their lemonade stand!

3. Tonight’s meeting with the Microfinance Council (MFC)

ACCION USA has a core group of volunteers called the Microfinance Council that is nearly 300 members strong. Tonight I will be meeting with them to discuss ACCION USA’s initiatives with campus microfinance clubs. The MFC will be heading up a project to manage partnerships between ACCION USA and student groups that are interested building awareness, fundraising, and bringing access to microloans in their communities. The MFC is essential in spearheading research into new products and partnerships at ACCION USA.  We look forward to sharing with you the fruits of our work!

Working with students over the past few months, I have learned a great deal about their creativity and dedication to a cause. ACCION USA plans to continue expanding our connection with campus microfinance clubs. In the meantime, I am looking  forward to learning about “Leveraging Partnerships to Reach Millions” at MFUSA and seeing how students can play a role in strengthening their communities.

Date: Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EDT
Registration

This webinar is designed for bankers, small business consultants, and anyone else that works with small businesses.  It will show you how to help small business get the money they need to go green with an ACCION USA Green Loan for Small Businesses.

Green loan products include:

• Energy Efficiency Loans: Saving energy = saving money and increasing profits
• Grow Your Green Business: Loans for small businesses that provide green products or services

If you know a small business that is struggling to find ways to cut costs and access new, green-conscious consumers,  sign up for this “partners only” webinar today. Space is limited!

Register today!

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar. “See” you on the 13th!

However, ACCION USA loan consultant Rachel Hynes will soon be on the road in Philadelphia and Washington, DC—two markets that we have set in our sights to grow our presence and serve more microentrepreneurs— meeting and greeting clients, potential borrowers, and community partners.

As a member of ACCION USA’s internet lending team, Rachel specializes in working with clients and partners nationwide to bring microloan services to small business owners who need them. Usually this means working with people over the phone, but for three weeks Rachel will be on the road to meet with YOU in person. She loves shaking the hand of the entrepreneurs she helps, and meeting in person with community referral partners.

Make Rachel’s Day

We know that bankers want to help their clients, but it’s not always possible to offer every entrepreneur a small business loan. You can talk with Rachel about how we can build a referral relationship with your bank to mutually benefit our companies and our clients. And we don’t only partner with banks. If you are part of an organization with a mission to help small business owners thrive then Rachel wants to meet you, too! She will speak with you about your organization’s work and how ACCION USA can offer important value add-ins for your clients. Find out why companies from Bank of America to the Small Business Administration to the Hispanic Business Exchange work with us, and why you should as well.
Rachel’s schedule is the following:

November 23-25: Washington, DC
November 30-December 4: Philadelphia
December 7-8: TBA (Philadelphia or Washington, DC)
December 9-10: Washington, DC

Leave a comment or email rhynes@accionusa.org to schedule a meeting with Rachel, and help increase microloan services in your community!

What is SOCAP 09?

SOCAP (Social Capital Markets) “brings together a unique mix of the world’s top social innovators, investors, donors, entrepreneurs, and thought-leaders, today’s leading catalysts of change from across the globe. [to] celebrate the renewed will and determination of these pioneers investing for social impact.”

The top four reasons why I’m attending…

1. YOLA.com ACCION USA is partnering with Yola.com, a company that provides free web building and hosting tools. We are excited to bring technology and marketing tools to the microentrepreneurs that we serve. SOCAP is a chance to discuss this exciting new partnership.
2. KIVA.org ACCION USA is in its third month of its pioneering partnership with Kiva.org, which speaks to the innovation that ACCION USA is bringing to the domestic microfinance industry. As the former Kiva fellow and current Kiva coordinator at ACCION USA, I am excited to hear Premal Shah speak about the future of social innovation on the web and Chelsa Bocci discuss Kiva’s community outreach initiatives.
3. Sonal Shah from the White House’s office on Social Innovation is the keynote speaker and will be addressing the government’s new socially minded strategy to “effectively streamline government towards investing in what works.” This one speaks for itself.
4. Day 3 Keynote: “An aspirational look at the future of our economy and society at large. Focusing on lessons learned outside of western society and the holistic nature of blended value ventures.” Bringing blended values to socially minded business sounds like a song to me and is a perspective that deserves considerable discussion.

I am looking forward to the opportunity to engage and learn from the list of over 100 speakers on panel discussions ranging from “Social Media That Moves People to Action” to “Alternative Financial Services for the Unbanked.” Check out the complete list. I look forward to my return to NYC after the conference as ACCION USA continues to expand and grow, generating innovative ideas and continuing to provide fresh products and services to our clients.