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The Power of Messaging: How WhatsApp is Becoming a Not-So-Secret Weapon Among Small Enterprises in Emerging Markets
Doing business in emerging markets requires significant and often remote communication – from managing inventory to keeping track of transactions and employees in the field. But though donor-funded digitization efforts often focus on building payments use cases, some of the most needed advancements are happening via existing communications channels like WhatsApp, says Strategic Impact Advisors VP Hamilton McNutt. He explores the innovative ways companies are using WhatsApp – and how messaging apps could better serve their needs.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Technology
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Viewpoint: Why CEOs are still missing the point on social impact
According to the survey, while American business leaders feel more pressure than ever to speak out on social issues, they still would rather not. Instead, they’d prefer to focus on the bottom line: a plurality say their most important communications goal this year is to sell their products and services.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship
- Region
- North America
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Still Waiting for a Seat at the Table: When Will Global Family Planning Focus on Smaller Private Providers?
The family planning community is not on track to reach its goal of 120 million new contraception users by 2020. And though millions of women in the world’s poorest countries rely on private providers for contraception, Andrea Bare at the William Davidson Institute notes that the private sector lacks a major presence in global family planning discussions. She says this needs to change, arguing that small, for-profit providers in particular can help close the gap.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Health Care
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Client Protection in the Age of Fintech: New Standards Promote Best Practices in Digital Finance
Technology has vast potential to improve lives, and fintech is no exception – but it also has some clear risks and downsides. And linking a complex industry like digital finance with client protection is no easy task. Lucia Spaggiari at MFR and Isabelle Barres at Accion’s Smart Campaign explore their organizations’ joint efforts to tackle this challenge through new client protection standards for digital credit providers. They invite people to provide input on these draft standards during the six-week public comment period, which runs until March 22.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Ethiopia’s reforms spark ray of hope for struggling businesses doing good
“The challenges in Ethiopia are big, but the opportunities are also big. Ethiopia is the second largest population in Africa ... and now it’s slowly opening up,” Davis told delegates at the Sankalp Africa Forum, an event in Nairobi bringing together investors, social businesses and policymakers.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Climate change is a disruptor. Here’s how to harness it for innovation
The need to act on climate change is the greatest potential cause of disruption faced by new and established businesses alike, and is also the greatest catalyst for innovation for those willing to harness it.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Environment, Technology
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Report: Most U.S. money managers see sustainable investing as essential to thrive
"The survey results demonstrate that sustainable investment strategies are now a strategic imperative," said Matthew Slovik, managing director and head of global sustainable finance at Morgan Stanley, in a news release announcing the survey results. "It is clear that asset managers will continue to invest new resources and expand their product portfolios in the coming years."
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- North America
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Why the Future is African – And Why SMEs Should Lead the Way
It’s conventional wisdom that small and medium enterprises are key to economic growth in emerging markets. This is particularly true in Africa, where local SMEs dominate the business landscape, and a fast-growing young population needs the services, jobs and economic growth they provide. But as Trevor Hambayi at Development Finance Associates explains, these enterprises face several unique challenges – starting with a lack of finance. He explores the problem, and some solutions that could help unlock the SME sector’s potential.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Finance
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