Supporting Young Entrepreneurs in Emerging and Developing Countries

Improving Business Skills for Self-Employment using Mobile

Technology

Christelle Scharff

scharffc@gmail.com

Source: Striving and Surviving:Exploring the Lives of Women at the Base of the Pyramid, GSMA mWomen Report February 2012

Women and Entrepreneurship

Art & craft market

International trade in arts and crafts totaling $23.2 billion in 2005 and growing since then [UNCTAD, UNDP]

Targeted Problem

Population in emerging and developing countries is young

Lots of unemployment

Desire to be entrepreneurs

Need of tools to start businesses, and build viable and sustainable projects

Support for micro-finance institutions to monitor the financial health of the businesses they provide loans to (visibility and accountability)

Mobile technology to help young entrepreneurs to manage the finance of their businesses

Solution: Accounting AppsSet of simple accounting apps that will help

businesses to be more financially aware and productive

Short training on the applications and accounting for small businesses

Focus

Participatory designEasy to use apps Customized apps by job typesMonitoring mechanism integrated in the apps for financial institutions, accountability and reward systemAdapted to the local environment (culture, language)

Mobile Applications

• Developed in Java ME to be deployed on the largest number of mobile phones (Nokia)

• Apps are based on the same logic with different contents based on the targeted jobs and customized by regions (Africa, Asia, India…)

• Apps are written to be easily customizable and used on different types of jobs

• Integration of a monitoring mechanism with an online and/or SMS components to follow up the use of the apps to permit financial institutions to follow up the progress of the business (with approval of the businesses) and to put in place a reward / incentive system for young entrepreneurs

• Available for free in Nokia stores (with ads)

Example: CoiffeurComptaAccounting for Hair Dressers and

Tailors

Example: TaxiComptaAccounting for Taxi Drivers

Summary for visibility: Expenses,

sales, gains, number of

customers, loans, loss

Expenses are entered by

categories (gas, repairs etc)

SMS to the partners for

accountability

Sales are entered by categories (ride,

rent etc)

Large scale deploymentDeveloped on Nokia phones (Java ME) to reach lots of users

Training on the apps for young entrepreneurs

Establish a partnership with Ministries, micro-finance and banking institutions, and NGOs to support the provisioning of the apps and training for young entrepreneurs

Apps are free for download in Nokia Store (with ads)

Sell the apps with online and SMS extensions to micro-finance and banking institutions (per apps per user fee)

Micro-finance and banking institutions are aware of the financial status of the businesses they provided loans to

Incentive for entrepreneurs – Entrepreneurs who are using the apps regularly (recording expenses and sales etc) are provided with phone credit and are participating to the election of the Young Entrepreneur of the month.