Entrepreneurs for the poor!
I had previously served as the Senior Policy Advisor to a UN program on expanding commercial access for the poor. My idea is to offer online assistance to my fellow small business owners in serving the poor.
Idea Description
C.K. Prahalad’s book, The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, reveals the market opportunities among the very poorest people in the developing world. But Prahalad’s examples are limited to Fortune-500 companies, even though small businesses account for 97% of U.S. exporters! Small businesses need advice and guidance on how to reach these markets. I can help them. I am the owner of a small business that works in the developing world, from Sub-Saharan Africa to China. I had previously served as the Senior Policy Advisor to a UN program on expanding commercial access for the poor. My idea is to offer online assistance to my fellow small business owners in serving the poor.
What will you do if you win $10,000 for this idea?
I will build an online site for sharing best practices among small businesses interested in entering developing markets to serve poor consumers. This cost is inclusive of online marketing to drive traffic to the site.
Vote for it now.
Insights and examples from C.K. Prahlad's book on the Bottom of the Pyramid were an eye opener. great idea, you have my vote. However, it will be good to elaborate on the contents of the website. as in, how would it be different from the literary and educational websites that we have on the same topic of assisting small businneses who cater to the BoP?
You might want to consider sharing some of your ideas at the VINE Project website - www.sevenfund.org/VINE. They are offering a $50K prize for a similar concept to what you're describing.