Small Business in a Big World by Nathan Bagby
May 5, 2008
06:49 pm | 0 recommendations | 2 comments
I recently read an article on philanthropy.com written by Nicole Wallace that had some exciting news in it for small business owners that would like to let their customers know about their philanthropic giving, while really impacting their fellow entrepreneurs in developing nations. Advanta, "one of the largest credit card issuers in the small business market." has partnered with a very interesting organization by the name of Kiva. Briefly, Kiva is a charity based out of San Francisco that connects investors with entrepreneurs in developing countries. Through Kiva investors can make loans directly to these entrepreneurs. Advanta has partnered with Kiva in its Business for Business Project, or KivaB4B. Advanta will match the loan their card holders make with their Advanta card, dollar for dollar, up to $200 per month. But not only do you get the satisfaction of doing a good deed, and having it matched, but Advanta also ensures that your good deed will not go unnoticed. Advanta will provide it's customers with a KivaB4B button for their website, stickers for their storefront, and postcards to mail to customers.“It’s almost cause-related marketing for small business owners and entrepreneurs,” says Ami Kassar, chief innovation officer at Advanta, in Spring House, Pa. http://www.kivab4b.org/ADV/Kiva/Kiva.page (Learn more here)
April 4, 2008
01:07 pm | 0 recommendations | Be the first to comment
Energy independence, global warming and the negative effects of "business as usual" on our environment are driving consumers, investors, and business owners to the multi-trillion dollar "Going Green" movement. More than just a trend, going green is here to stay. Move over blue collar and white collar, "green collar" is moving on up!So how do you get started? How can you get on board this eco-friendly trend turned movement? The greatest issue we face today, environmentally speaking, is in replacing carbon-centric products and services. Carbon is in everything from plastic bags, plastic water bottles, paint, cell-phones it is even used to preserve the color of tuna. Your first step could be a small one, reducing your carbon footprint by using less carbon-centric products and services. A simple search on google for eco-friendly products and services will turn up a plethora of options. But let's say you are an innovator and you want to do more than just improve your own business you want to jump in on the revolution and get involved in affecting change. The industry needing the most innovation is energy. The fact is that we simply cannot achieve energy independence by sticking with gasoline, a product we import more than double what we produce ourselves. A HUGE opportunity is opening itself to entrepreneurs. Re-engineering our more than 200 million vehicles is an estimated $5 trillion, not to mention all that comes along with that in, parts, services, sales, marketing, and fuel production. Not interested in cars? Renewable energy generating products such as solar panels, wind power turbines, and biofuel production is another multi trillion dollar industry. Creation, installation and production of these products could lead to a very lucrative business opportunity to any entrepreneur. Whether you change the products you buy and sell by going more eco-friendly, or get involved in a more innovative way, don't miss out on this multi trillion dollar movement. Don't miss out on your opportunity to change the world.
12:26 am | 0 recommendations | 3 comments
the system says not authorized. ok.
so, hi.
only for today am I a newbie.
tomorrow, the E world!
07:25 am | 0 recommendations | Be the first to comment
The word entrepreneur means, in French, "one who takes into hand". Social entrepreneurs are in my opinion the worlds greatest creative problem solvers because of this basic concept of taking into hand the issues of the day. Entrepreneurs by and large are known for their courage of wading into the mainstream and affecting change, social entrepreneurs do this to benefit humanity. Most social entrepreneurs don't have the same backing and funding that big companies have so they have to be more innovative and creative in their approach. Social entrepreneurs have a knack for serving large markets with limited resources. They are notorious for being obsessive individuals who see solutions when they look at problems. One of my favorite examples of one such individual is a gentleman by the name of Pierre Tami, founder of Hagar International. Mr. Tami is a Swiss business man who has been involved in many of the poorest areas of the world, helping establish viable sources of income and healthcare for the most vulnerable, most notably in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Hagar International is primarily focused on the plight of women and children in south east asia and around the world who are at risk in the disgusting market of human trafficking. I like many westerners, was unaware that in our time slavery could still exist. I recently saw a movie "Trade" in which my eyes were opened to the epidemic and some of the disturbing facts that come with it. According to a State Department estimate there are as many as 800,000 people trafficked over international boundaries each year. 80% are women, and 50% ARE CHILDREN! Many of us in the united states might say that, "well that just happens over there, it's sad but what can I do about it..." what I was shocked to learn though was that, according to our nations largest anti-slavery organization, Free the Slaves, at least 10,000 people every year are duped or smuggled into the u.s. as slaves. Through Mr. Tami's efforts, Hagar International has assisted more than 100,000 women and children through economic and social programs. Social entrepreneurs are making a difference, and God bless them for it. If you would like to get involved in helping to rid our world of slavery I have attached some links. Thanks for your time. http://www.hagarinternational.org/www.antislavery.orgwww.freetheslaves.net/about/partners/bal-vikas-ashramwww.ccatcoalition.org www.childrenofthenight.org
11:14 pm | 0 recommendations | Be the first to comment
The "buy local" movement has taken huge strides lately in getting into the "popular culture", and good thing too! Rising oil prices, urban sprawl, and global warming all factor in to the equation of why we need a new system. The system seen on most grocery shelves in our nation is not sustainable. The carbon foot print is high, fair trade practices are rarely followed, and we hurt our small farmers by subsidizing with government handouts, a huge waist! Rising oil prices are forcing us today to reevaluate our food systems. Efficiency is a quality American's prize ourselves on. Yet the current way in which we import food products into our country is anything but efficient. Years ago it may have made sense, but the rate at which oil prices are rising with no forceable end in site demands that we look into a more efficient, more sustainable system. Urban sprawl is destroying our nations natural habitats as well as our farmlands. I currently live in Texas and am appalled and alarmed at the rate our farmlands are disappearing. Highways, shopping strips, and sprawled housing developments are replacing areas previously used for raising food, and livestock, not to mention trees and fiber. "Nationwide - More than 13.7 million acres of farmland in the U.S. were converted to non-farm use just between 1992 and 1997."www.cwac.net/landuse/index.html People that was 11 years ago, it is staggering to think what the current numbers are. Global warming and carbon footprint are huge concerns for any environmentally conscious consumer. Please if you would like to read more about the effects of imported produce on the environment follow this link about the thousands of miles garlic travels to get to your cupboard. ( http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/camiles/garlic.pdf ) They can tell you better than me! To learn more on what you can do to help out the environment, our economy and local farmers (our nations most basic small business owners.) Please look into such organizations as Balle, NRDC, Local Harvest, BuyLocal.net, and many more that can be found with a basic search of "Buy Local." Thanks for your time. Please feel free to post comments and ask questions.
