Combining international scope with consolidated and comprehensive coverage, this magazine is a resource whether you are a practitioner, investor, consultant, researcher, student or sector leader. Microfinance Insights provides new ways of thinking about the microfinance space.

The objective of the Expanding Microfinance Outreach and Improving Sustainability Project is to achieve operational sustainability for most microfinance service providers and help them scale up outreach of financial services to meet the needs and demands of many poor Afghans, especially women. This project only has one component; all the funding will be provided by Microfinance Investment Support Facility for Afghanistan (MISFA) to the microfinance service provider organizations as loan funds fo more...

The World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) and USAID joined hands to bring in three new investment and finance co-operatives. Despite the tense situation in the country, members and government officials are very optimistic about the initiative. At each of the three centers, one the opening ceremony, members representing the farming and business sectors invested in the withdrawable shares and received loans ranging from $300 to $500.

This brief discusses innovative rural finance products that the USAID funded Agriculture Rural Investment and Enterprise Strengthening (ARIES) project in Afghanistan offers to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The brief describes the satisfaction expressed by:
1. Abdul, a 33-year-old Afghan, who revived his rickshaw accessories business with a 50,000 Afghani (US $ 1000) Business Murabaha Agreement that he received through ARIES.
2. Shukria, a widow, who received a Women’s Murabaha A more...

Small businesses account for more than half of all economic activities in developing economies and are a major source of non-farm income and employment. The continued growth of small businesses is essential to sustain over-all economic development. This new publication by Exchange’s knowledge exchange program analyses some of the strategies adopted by financial institutions that have achieved profitable and sizeable small business lending portfolios characterized by significant market coverag more...

Mercy Corps is committed to exploring cutting-edge ideas and making an even broader array of financial services accessible to the world's poor. They envision creating a seamless web of products that serve everyone, from the poorest borrower to the richest, with the full range of financial services that signal equal access to economic opportunity.

'This independent evaluation of the DB indicators assesses the methods and processes underlying the construction of the indicators; the relevance of the indicators to desired intermediate outcomes; and their use by World Bank Group staff, policy makers, and other stakeholders. It finds that the indicators have been highly effective in drawing attention to the burdens of business regulation, but cannot by themselves capture other key dimensions of a country’s business climate, the benefits of r more...

We are interested in applying the franchise model (think—McDonald’s, Bembo’s, Martinizing Dry Cleaning, etc.) to micro-enterprise (pymes) in Peru. We believe that the best way to solve poverty is through the creation of networks of replicable, locally-owned businesses, using the franchise model.

Microfranchise Solutions is looking for a local, experienced taxi company owner who is interested in growing their business and helping the poor of Peru, at the same time. We want to invest in a more...

Making Cents International is committed to creating a legacy of improved skills and economic opportunities at the individual, community and global levels. It is a specialized consulting and training firm based in Washington, D.C. that equips youth and adults with the vision, confidence, and skills to create and grow their own businesses.

Making Cents is also a leader in building the youth microenterprise sector. Through the organization of learning opportunities and networks, Making Cents ins more...

ANF mission is to support the neediest sectors in Nicaragua by forging strategic alliances to procure quality goods and products, which are distributed to social service organizations that have been selected based on their effectiveness, transparency and spirit of service in an effort to achieve sustainable development through self sufficiency and the eradication of poverty.