Photo: Geoff Crawford/Tearfund
MICRO-ENTERPRISE
Many people dream of new ways to earn a living or make more money. Maybe you think that you have a skill that you could share with others – this could be a product you can make or a service you can provide. How can you convert a good idea into a successful business?
Each year many good ideas fail because people do not take time to plan before they begin. The key to a successful business is getting the basics right. It is not difficult to learn the basics but people need to be taught them. Training and advice can help people avoid simple, but time-consuming mistakes.
Micro-enterprise is important in reducing global poverty; lifting individuals out of poverty and enabling them to improve the life of their family, while also improving the economy of their country.
The centre pages give valuable guidelines on how to plan before setting up your business. There are articles about using profits (page 10), the place of microfinance (page 12), the importance of training and accompaniment (page 4) and empowering women in business (page 16).
Hopefully these articles will help you to think and plan before starting a new business yourself or helping others. We would love to hear from you if Footsteps has helped start up a business.
I am sad to announce that Judy Mondon and Sarah Carter, who have been the Footsteps administrators for the past 10 years, have left Tearfund. They managed the Footsteps mailing list and answered your queries. I would like to thank them on behalf of Footsteps readers, the editorial committee and Tearfund for all their hard work. They will be greatly missed.
The next issue will celebrate the 20th birthday of Footsteps. We will look at how Footsteps and the world have changed over the past 20 years and will also look forward to challenges in the future. The following issue will focus on Natural Resources.
Please find below articles from Footsteps issue 80 in html.
To download a pdf version of Footsteps issue 80, please click here (403KB).