The missing middle to drive sustainable growth

Monday, June 29, 2009

Just imagine how different the world would be if, back in Microsoft’s earliest days, Bill Gates had been unable to find anyone to invest in him or if a decade ago the same had happened to Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page as they tried to get the business going from the garage of a suburban home in California.

Entrepreneurs the world over who try to start up and grow businesses face the problem of lack of access to finance. Often, they also experience an equal if not even bigger challenge: lack of access to the business training and development that will give them the skills to ensure the business succeeds.

But this problem is acute in Africa where lack of business skills, collateral and access to finance frustrates the start-up and growth of enterprises that are the heart of sustainable job creation.

Source: This is Africa (link opens in a new window)