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FIELD publications are organized below around the following topics: |
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Connectors and Conduits: Reaching Competitive
Markets from the Ground Up (2002)
This 45-page report presents findings from
the multi-year Access to Markets demonstration project, which
explored innovative ways for microenterprise programs to help
entrepreneurs place their products in more lucrative markets.
The authors look across programs and highlight for readers the
innovations adopted, the implementation challenges that emerged
and the lessons learned. Download
PDF or Order Printed Copy |
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Making
the Connecton: People, Incorporated of Southwest Virginia/Appalmade
(2001)
This third and final publication in the Access to Markets Case Study
Series explores the three marketing strategies used by Appalmade
to promote products created by home-based crafters in the Appalachian
region: a retail store, wholesale sales and church-based sales.
Detailed are the experiences and challenges faced by Appalmade staff,
along with the lessons they learned. Order Full Publication |
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Making
the Connection: Neighborhood Development Center (2001)
This report, the second in the Access to Markets
Case Study Series, documents the lessons learned by the marketing
team at NDC as it explored three distinct strategies to help low-income
entrepreneurs reach new markets: market-based clusters, one-on-one
marketing consulting and promotion of a retail business incubator.
NDC's approach, including achievements and challenges faced, are
explored in detail. Order Full Publication |
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Making
the Connection: Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet)
(2000)
This is the first in a series of case studies featuring innovative
marketing approaches emerging from the Access to Markets (ATM) national
demonstration. This publication takes an in-depth look at how ACEnet
is helping low-income entrepreneurs link their products to the rapidly
growing specialty and natural food sectors. Order Full Publication |
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Best
Practice Guides Series |
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FIELD
Best Practice Guide: Vol. 6: Staying Connected: Building Entrepreneurial
Networks (2004)
Volume six of FIELD's Best Practice series explores the ways in
which "networking" can be supported by microenterprise
assistance programs. A buzzword conjuring images of young professionals
at a Friday afternoon happy hour, or of "old boy" networks
linking boardrooms to golf courses, networks can be invaluable to
microentrepreneurs as well. Networking for microentrepreneurs is
a concept that previously has been addressed in a haphazard fashion
leading to varying degrees of success. This guide establishes a
rationale for a conscious approach to networking by presenting several
examples of successful networks and detailing the ways microentrepreneurial
assistance organizations have been able to foster their clients'
development of these networks. Included are seven tools that practitioner
organizations have used in assisting their clients with the establishment
of entrepreneurial networks. Download PDF
or Order Printed Copy |
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FIELD
Best Practice Guide: Vol. 5: Business First: Using Technology to
Advance Microenterprise Development (2003)
This fifth Best Practice Guide navigates the
whirlwind of the technological revolution, introducing a framework
by which microenterprise practitioners can use technology to enhance
and expand their business, and offering practitioners guidance on
assisting their clients with technology needs. From devising a technology
plan, to automating office operations, to doing business on the
Web, this module covers the whole spectrum of microenterprise technology
needs. Included in the final section is a set of tools that will
help both programs and their clients to assess and make better use
of technology options. Download
PDF |
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FIELD
Best Practice Guide: Vol. 4: Keeping It Personalized: Consulting,
Coaching & Mentoring for Microentrepreneurs (2002)
This module explores how business consulting, coaching and mentoring
can enhance the mix of services offered to entrepreneurs. A set
of lessons and findings based on these strategies is provided, along
with case studies demonstrating interesting models for others to
consider. A section of the module is devoted to tools that practitioners
can adapt to their own organization. Download
PDF or
Order Printed Copy |
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FIELD
Best Practice Guide: Vol. 3: Training for Microenterprise Development:
A Guide to Curricula (2002)
This Guide briefly addresses some of the issues microenterprise
programs should consider when buying a new training curriculum,
and offers detailed information about 13 curricula available commercially.
Download PDF
or Order Printed Copy |
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FIELD
Best Practice Guide: Vol. 2: Building Skills for Self-Employment:
Basic Training for Microentrepreneurs (2002) Download
PDF
This publication focuses on best practices in core training and
its implications for improving training services. It distills practitioners'
experiences into relevant observations and recommendations that
should inform both managers who develop and monitor training, as
well as front-line trainers who deliver it. The module attempts
to balance current thinking about best practice with illustrative,
useful examples. Users also will find a helpful set of tools in
the final section of the volume. |
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FIELD
Best Practice Guide: Vol. 1: Entering the Relationship: Finding
and Assessing Microenterprise Training Clients (2002) Download PDF
This training module explores how program practitioners can conduct
market research, develop effective marking strategies and appropriately
screen and assess incoming clients. Each of these topics is discussed
in depth, along with lessons and findings based on research into
best practices in use in the microenterprise industry today. Also
included is a set of tools practitioners can use to adapt these
best practices to their own institutions. |
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Community
Development Financial Institutions |
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Providing Capital, Building Communities, Creating Impact: FY2006 Data, Sixth Edition
Download
complete report
This publication, a product of the CDFI Data Project, documents the work of 505 community development finance institutions (CDFIs) investing $4.7 billion in new financing activity in Fiscal Year 2006, an investment linked to 35,609 jobs and 69,893 units of affordable housing. The report, based upon the most recent data set of CDFI activity, combines text, numerous charts and tables, and case studies profiling the successes of borrowers. A supplemental section, authored by FIELD, presents data on 122 CDFIs that engage in microenterprise lending. Download supplemental insert
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Providing Capital, Building Communities, Creating Impact: FY2005 Data, Fifth Edition
Download
complete report
This publication, a product of the CDFI Data Project, documents the work of 496 community development finance institutions (CDFIs) investing $4.3 billion in Fiscal Year 2005, an investment linked to 39,151 jobs and 55,242 units of affordable housing. The report, based upon the most recent data set of CDFI activity, combines text, numerous charts and tables, and case studies profiling the successes of borrowers. A supplemental section, authored by FIELD, presents data on 106 CDFIs that engage in microenterprise lending. Download supplemental insert
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Providing
Capital, Building Communities, Creating Impact
Download
complete report
This publication, a product of the CDFI Data Project, documents the work of 517 community development finance institutions (CDFIs) investing $3.5 billion in Fiscal Year 2004, an investment linked to 28,000 jobs and 43,000 units of affordable housing. The report, based upon the largest data set of CDFI activity, combines text, numerous charts and tables, and case studies profiling the successes of borrowers. A supplemental section, authored by FIELD, presents data on 113 CDFIs that engage in microenterprise lending. Download supplemental insert
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Providing
Capital, Building Communities, Creating Impact Download
PDF
This report, a product of the CDFI Data Project (CDP), presents
fiscal year 2002 data collected from 442 CDFIs. The report provides
a comprehensive overview of the entire CDFI industry; an in-depth
discussion of its four institutional typescommunity development
banks, community development credit unions, community development
loan funds and community development venture capital funds; a section
on microenterprise financing, and a discussion of some of the opportunities
and challenges the industry faces. |
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CDFI
paper Download PDF
This report, a product of the CDFI Data Project (CDP), presents
fiscal year 2001 data collected from 512 CDFIs. Intended as a snapshot
of a diverse, dynamic sector, the report presents an overview of
the CDFI industry; outlines the specific services CDFIs offer; explains
the impact they can have on a community; and touches on the key
trends, opportunities and challenges facing CDFIs on the road ahead.
The goal of the CDP is to provide data that will help build the
CDFI field. |
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Microenterprise Support
within Community Development Financial Institutions
by Charles Waterfield and Jeremy Black. Download
PDF
This free report describes the scale and significance of microenterprise
lending within the CDFI industry. Key findings include that microenterprise
lending is a small portion of CDFI industry activity; that only
20% of the participating CDFIs have more than 10% of their loans
to the microenterprise sector; and that microenterprise lending
tends to be done predominately by specialist organizations structured
as non-profit loan funds. This report is the first from FIELD to
systematically document microenterprise support in the CDFI industry,
based on data collected under the national CDFI Data Project. |
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Credit Scoring for Microlenders. (January 2007) Download
PDF
This white paper examines ways credit scoring can help U.S. microlenders increase efficiency, improve risk management and achieve greater scale. Provided are case studies on credit-scoring projects undertaken by ACCION New Mexico and ACCION USA. Also included are recommended steps other microlenders can take to move toward greater use of credit scoring in their own operations. |
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Supply-Side Scan of Microenterprise Financing: Findings and Recommendations.
(October 2005) Download
PDF
This study examines trends in lending to microenterprises by for-profit lenders, including banks, finance companies and credit card companies. The findings reveal that for-profit lenders are increasingly using tools, such as credit scoring and credit cards, to reach "down market" toward clients traditionally served by nonprofit microenterprise lenders. It also suggests directions that the nonprofit microcredit industry can consider in order to respond strategically to these trends. |
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Credit
Evaluation Grids for Microlenders: A Tool for Enhancing Scale and
Efficiency (2002) Download PDF or Order
Printed Copy
This publication details the use of credit evaluation grids, a tool
that can dramatically streamline and standardize the process of
underwriting microenterprise loans. Developed by ACCION USA with
funding from FIELD, the grids were designed to create greater efficiencies
in the lending process. This 24-page publication would be particularly
useful to any microenterprise organization seeking to achieve greater
consistency in its underwriting and scale in microlending by integrating
grids into its lending processes. |
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Practitioner
Training Kit - Developing a Micro-Equity Product: The Coastal Enterprises,
Inc. Experience (Spring 2001) Currently out of print
This new training kit is designed for practitioners interested in
learning how micro-equity products can provide small infusions of
capital into certain kinds of businesses. Each kit contains: a one-hour
audio taped discussion about micro-equity, including a Q & A session;
a printed guide to the presentation; and a set of micro-equity tools.
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FIELD forum Issue 2 - Business Financing
Products for the Poor (1999)
Download PDF
Examines this critical issue and describes the five organizations
participating in a multi-site, two-year demonstration project. |
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Issue 12: Saving for Microenterprise Development explores Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), matched savings account that that some microenterprise programs are offering to clients to help them accumulate savings that can be used to purchase business assets. Examined are the accomplishments and challenges of IDA programs and ways funders can help improve and expand the use of this asset-development strategy. (4 pages) Download PDF or Order Printed Copy. |
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Issue 11: Social Enterprise and Microenterprise: Understanding the Connection, explores how the microenterprise industry is connecting with the emerging social enterprise field. It takes an in-depth look at a number of microenterprise programs that have started social enterprises, identifies the lessons learned from their experiences and pinpoints specific investment opportunities for donors. (4 pages) Download PDF or Order Printed Copy |
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Issue 10: Microenterprise Programs as Asset Builders, details some of the strategies being used by microenterprise development programs to help low-income families improve their financial footing, acquire assets and build wealth. (4 pages) Download PDF or Order Printed Copy |
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Issue 9: Making the Economic Development Connection, examines how microenterprise development programs and the enterprises they assist can further economic development strategies. (4 pages) Download PDF or Order Printed Copy |
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Issue 8: The Emerging Immigrant Market and Microenterprise, looks at how microenterprise programs are assisting immigrant entrepreneurs and what funders can do to advance those efforts. (4 pages) Download PDF or Order Printed Copy |
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Issue 7: Going Faster and Farther: Harnessing Technology for Microenterprise, explores innovative ways that technology can be used by both microenterprise development programs and microentrepreneurs. Included are profiles of programs that have invested in technology, and donors that have provided support. (4 pages) Download PDF or Order Printed Copy |
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Issue 6: Scaling Up, Achieving More, explores the various factors that affect an organization’s ability to reach scale and offers recommendations for funders interested in this issue. (4 pages)
Download PDF or Order Printed Copy |
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Issue 5: MicroenterpriseDevelopment Programs: The Entrepreneur Within, explores the need for programs to become more entrepreneurial in order to achieve greater sustainability and suggests ways donors can support such efforts. (4 pages) Download PDF or Order Printed Copy |
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Issue 4: Performance Counts, describes what constitutes high performance within the microenterprise industry and explains how donors can support and provide incentives for high performance among microenterprise programs. (4 pages)
Download
PDF or Order Printed Copy |
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Issue 3: Moving Forward:
Industry Challenges, Funder Opportunities, examines
the microenterprise industry's twin challenges of increasing
scale and sustainability. (2 pages) Download
PDF or Order Printed Copy |
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Issue 2: Microenterprise:
Making a Difference, explores the microenterprise
industry's accomplishments in relationship to poverty alleviation,
local economic development, asset development and ownership,
and increased access to financial services. (4 pages) Download
PDF or Order Printed Copy |
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Issue 1: Fulfilling
the Microenterprise Promise: Background for Funders,
sets the context for today's interest in self-employment
and describes how microenterprise development programs are
responding. (2 pages)
Download
PDF or Order Printed Copy |
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FIELD
forum Issue 16 - EITC and Microentrepreneurs: One Program's Experience (2005) Download PDF
Explores how one microenterprise development organization (West
Company in northern California) is helping low-income microentrepreneurs
document their participation in the economy and take advantage of
the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). |
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FIELD
forum Issue 15 - Microenterprises in the U.S. Informal Economy: Summary Research Findings (2004) Download PDF
Forum 15 is a summary publication from the Informal Economy study.
It offers a synthesis of the findings published previously in three
reports that emanated from this study and discusses the implications
these findings have for policy. This forum also details the needs
of informal entrepreneurs and suggests ways in which microenterprise
practitioners can expand their services to include informal entrepreneurs. |
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The
Informal Economy: Making It In Rural America (2004)
Download PDF or Order
Printed Copy
This FIELD publication, the third in a series, examines the experiences
of 29 entrepreneurs living and working in several rural counties
in Nebraska. The 81-page report shares the entrepreneurs' motivations,
aspirations and struggles to operate viable businesses, and explores
how policies and practices could be changed to encourage more growth
among rural informal businesses. |
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The
Informal Economy: Latino Enterprises at the Margins (2003)
Download PDF or Order
Printed Copy.
Based on research involving 38 informal, Latino businesspeople
— both documented and undocumented — this 90-page report reflects
on their experiences while also tackling such issues as: What
are the barriers Latino entrepreneurs face as they operate their
small businesses and how might they be helped to move from the
informal to the "formal" economy. |
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The
Informal Economy: Experiences of African Americans (2003)
Download PDF or Order
Printed Copy.
This publication, written by the Institute for Social and Economic
Development (ISED) Solutions, explores the experiences of 55 African
Americans who either operate their own informal businesses or are
employed informally working for companies that pay them in
cash. The 71-page report looks at the pros and cons of participating
in the informal economy and the implications for programs encouraging
entrepreneurship. |
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FIELD
forum Issue 14 - The Informal Economy and Microenterprise in the United States (2003) Download PDF
This forum defines and characterizes the informal economy in the
United States. Along with a description of those who engage in informal
work, the factors that motivate people to partake in informal work
are addressed. The publication also illuminates the intersection
between the informal economy and microenterprise, introducing the
experiences of and key issues for microenterprise practitioners. |
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Informal Economy Literature
Review (2002) Download PDF
Widespread economic restructuring in the United States over the
past 20 years has led to a growing informal economy. This paper
summarizes research done on the U.S. informal economy. It offers
a comprehensive definition of the informal economy, defines its
size, and describes several of the theories or perspectives that
attempt to explain the existence of the informal economy in the
United States and other industrialized countries. The review also
characterizes the people who engage in informal work and discusses
their motivations in undertaking informal work. |
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FIELD forum Issue 12 - Ten grantees
offer final thoughts on: Microenterprise Programs in Different
Institutional Settings (2002) Download PDF
Looks across three distinct institutional settings (Human Services
Organizations, Community Development Corporation networks and
multi-service Community Development Financial Institutions) and
highlights the advantages and challenges of providing microenterprise
services through each structure. |
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FIELD forum Issue 10 - Reflections
On Operating Microenterprise Services from Within CDFIs (2001)
Download PDF
Explores Community Development Financial Institutions as settings
for microenterprise programs. Presents the advantages and challenges
of providing microenterprise services through CDFIs, and concludes
with recommendations for enhancing the strengths and overcoming
the challenges of this institutional setting. |
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FIELD forum Issue 9 - A Close-Up
Look at Microenterprise Programs in CDC Networks (2001) Download PDF
Examines Community Development Corporation networks as "hosts"
for operating microenterprise programs. Includes observations
about: the advantages and challenges of the CDC structure; advantages
and challenges of CDC networks; and recommendations for building
more effective networks. |
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FIELD forum Issue 8 - Microenterprise
Programs in Human Services Organizations: Advantages and Challenges
(2001) Download PDF
Examines the advantages and disadvantages of operating a microenterprise
program from within a human services organization. Includes recommendations
for enhancing the strengths, and confronting the challenges, of
this type of institutional setting. |
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FIELD forum Issue 6 - Institutional
Models for Microenterprise Development Programs (2000) Download PDF
Examines various institutional settings that commonly host microenterprise
programs and describes the 10 programs in a two-year demonstration
examining the strengths, weaknesses and costs associated with
different settings. |
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Management
Information Systems |
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MIS
for Microenterprise: A Practical Approach to Managing Information
Successfully (2002) Order Printed Copy
by Charles Waterfield, for the Aspen Institute
This 190-page manual is a step-by-step guide to help microenterprise
development practitioners develop an effective management information
system. It provides practical guidance on understanding the parts
of an MIS and their relation to each other, what organizational
factors influence how an MIS should be designed and managed, how
to define information needs and assess the appropriateness of available
software to meet them, and how to implement and use an effective
MIS. |
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2002
FIELD MIS Software Review Order Printed
Copy
This 65-page software review, a companion document to the MIS for
Microenterprise manual, contains detailed reviews and comparisons
of 11 major commercial software products designed for use in the
microenterprise field. A $20 purchase, this publication would be
a valuable tool to any practitioner interested in developing or
enhancing an MIS system. |
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Microenterprise
Industry in the U.S |
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Opening
Opportunities, Building Ownership: Fulfilling the Promise of Microenterprise
in the United States (2005)
Download Executive Summary
or Download Full Publication
This publication takes a comprehensive look at the now 20-year-old
microenterprise field its accomplishments, weaknesses and
future potential. It describes the current economic context for
self employment; explores the development and performance of the
industry; examines the value of microenterprise to low-income
Americans; and concludes by recommending eight directions that
can help transform the industry and position it for long-term
growth and sustainability. Order
Printed Copy for bulk orders contact
fieldus@aspeninst.org
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Fulfilling the Promise: An Action Planning
Kit for Practitioners Download
kit
Designed to stimulate discussion about the ideas contained in
Opening Opportunities, Building Ownership: Fulfilling the Promise
of Microenterprise in the United States, this kit provides
tools to help a microenterprise organization's staff and board
reflect on the challenges they face, assess their strengths and
weaknesses, and begin charting a course of action that will
lead to a more vibrant future. |
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2002
Directory of Microenterprise Programs
Order Printed Copy
In addition to documenting the current scope, characteristics and
growth of the microenterprise field in the United States, this 393-page
directory lists 554 practitioner programs and 119 practitioner support
agencies. |
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Microenterprise
Fact Sheet Series, Issues 1 - 6
Concise, easy-to-read publications featuring different topics
fundamental to microenterprise. |
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Microenterprise and the Poor: Findings
from the Self-Employment Learning Project Five Year Survey of
Microentrepreneurs (1999)
Download Executive Summary
or Order Full Publication
Documents the experiences of 133 individuals who attempted to
escape poverty through entrepreneurship. Results from the Self-Employment
Learning Project are presented describing the outcomes of poor
entrepreneurs and their businesses over a five-year period. |
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SELP Longitudinal Survey
of Microentrepreneurs: Major
Findings Change Over Time
(1998) Download PDF
Provides information in bullet format on key findings from the SELP
five-year longitudinal survey of entrepreneurs. |
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Microenterprise
Assistance: What are we learning about results?
Key Findings from The Aspen Institute's Self-Employment Learning
Project (1997)
Download PDF
Provides information in bullet format on key findings in microenterprise
including statistics from SELP on clients, businesses and change
over time (three years). |
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The Practice of Microenterprise in the U.S.:
Strategies, Costs, and Effectiveness (1996) Download
Executive Summary or Order Full
Publication
Documents the experiences of seven senior microenterprise programs
in delivering credit, training and technical assistance to low-
and moderate-income clients in the U.S. Using case materials gathered
between 1992-1994, analyzes strategies, costs and effectiveness. |
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Enabling Entrepreneurship: Microenterprise
Development in the U.S. (1995) Download PDF
In-depth information on the first year of the longitudinal SELP
study. Includes demographics, types, size and performance of microbusineses. |
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Assisting the Smallest Businesses: Assessing Microenterprise Development as
a Strategy for Boosting Poor Communities (1993) Download PDF
This report analyzes information generated from interviews with
302 microentrepreneurs about their microbusinesses. Characteristics
of the microentrepreneurs and their businesses are presented together
with information on the programs that serve them. The microenterprise
assistance approach is assessed in relation to its ability to
create businesses, create and stabilize jobs, and boost poor communities. |
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Self-Employment Learning
Project Assessment Framework (1991)
Download PDF
This report describes the design of the SELP Assessment, which is
a participatory learning evaluation. This report is useful for programs
that are designing evaluations. |
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Monitoring
Client Outcomes: A Report from MicroTest's 2004 Data Collection
Download PDF or Order
Printed Copy
This publication describes a variety of business and household outcomes
for 813 clients who received a significant level of services from
a microenterprise development program. Staff of the 17 programs
involved in the project surveyed clients, at least one year after
services were provided, in person or by phone using established
protocols and a MicroTest Outcomes survey tool. Results were then
analyzed and aggregated by MicroTest staff for this publication. |
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A
Measure of the Microenterprise Industry (2003)
Download PDF or Order Printed Copy
This report from MicroTest draws on three years of performance data
to offer a succinct description of trends in the microenterprise
industry. The publication highlights what top performance looks
like among industry leaders in such areas as scale, program quality,
sustainability, etc. for practitioners who want to compare their
performance with top-performing programs. |
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For
Good Measure: Performance of the Microenterprise Industry (2002)
Download
PDF or Order Printed Copy
This report provides: an in-depth look at the performance of the
microenterprise development field; insight into what "best"
performance looks like; a sense of trends in the field drawing on
multi-year MicroTest program data; and data programs can use to
compare their microenterprise program's performance to their peers.
Also included are extensive data tables of multi-year MicroTest
data. |
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Performance
Counts Vol. 1 Issue 1 Fall 1997
Download PDF
Vol. 2 Issue 1 Winter 1998 & Vol. 3. Issue 1 Spring 1999
Order back issues
An occasional newsletter published by FIELD's MicroTest project.
Contains information about performance measures being tested, data
collection tools and definitions. Feature articles describe practitioner
experiences and guest authors contribute to discussions about measuring
performance in the microenterprise field. |
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Scaling
Up Microenterprise Services |
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Lessons Regarding Scale: Findings from a Literature Review by the Aspen Institute/FIELD and the Association for Enterprise Opportunity. (2006) Download
PDF
This review examines an array of research on the topic of scale - including in settings outside the domestic microenterprise field, such as community development finance, international microfinance and human services industries - with the aim of identifying the key lessons for microenterprise programs in the U.S. |
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FIELD forum Issue 18 - Understanding National Trends and Local Markets: The Role of Market Research (2006) Download PDF
This forum presents the lessons learned from five market research projects conducted by microlenders that explored how national trends in private-sector microenterprise lending were affecting their local markets. To conduct their research, the five organizations used a range of techniques, including: customer surveys, focus groups with bankers and customers, Web-based research and interviews with local bankers. |
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FIELD forum Issue 17 - Strategic Restructuring as a Scale-up Tool: The Case of MicroBusiness Development Corporation (2006) Download PDF
Describes how one microenterprise organization – MicroBusiness Development Corporation (MBD) of Denver, Colo. – used both merger and acquisition as tools to increase scale. |
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Scaling up Microenterprise Services (2002) Download PDF or Order
Printed Copy
This 125-page volume summarizes the experience of eight organizations
that spent two-years exploring ways to expand the scale of their
services and their client base. Detailed articles by the grantees
document their experiences and include descriptions of the tools
and models they used and the valuable lessons learned along the
way. |
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FIELD forum Issue 13 - Marketing Strategies
for Scale-Up: FIELD's Grantees Share Their Experiences (2002) Download PDF
Explores the market research and marketing strategies employed
by FIELD grantees seeking to expand their reach and serve increasing
numbers of emerging entrepreneurs with business development and
financial services. |
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FIELD forum Issue 5 - New grant cluster focuses on: Achieving Scale
(2000) Download PDF
Takes an in-depth look at the issue of scale and describes the
eight organizations participating in FIELD's two-year demonstration
to identify strategies that increase outreach and expand client
base. |
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FIELD forum Issue 21 - Building Sustainability by Increasing Earned Revenue (2008) Download PDF
The third forum in FIELD’s sustainability series explores how ACEnet (the Appalachian Center for Economic Networks) is using earned income as a strategy to achieve greater sustainability. ACEnet has long earned income from its business incubation activities. This forum describes how, after the organization experienced the loss of a long-term source of grant funding, it added other earned-income streams – including regional brands and consulting services – in an effort to achieve more stable and sustainable sources of revenue. The publication also notes that building these revenue streams requires thoughtful investment of organizational capital and staff resources. |
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FIELD forum Issue 20 - Capital Structure - Getting It Right to Increase Sustainability (2008) Download PDF
This forum, the second in FIELD's sustainability series, examines how Justine Petersen, an organization in St. Louis, Mo., is pursuing equity capital as part of a scale-up and sustainability strategy. The publication explains how sustainability is a balancing act that involves keeping mission, organizational capacity and capitalization in line. It also describes how Justine Petersen has effectively captured earned revenue and performance-based grants, but still needs both to secure "smarter subsidy" in the form of less restrictive capital, and to begin using its assets to grow the organization and attract new supporters. Justine Petersen's multipronged approach to accomplishing those goals is detailed in the publication. |
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FIELD forum Issue 19 - Blazing a Trail to Sustainability through Social Enterprise: A Case Example (2008) Download PDF
This forum focuses on social enterprises as a way for microenterprise programs to increase their sustainability. The experience of one program - Mountain BizWorks which created a artisans' gallery in 2002 - is used as a case study. The publication details how and why the enterprise was launched, identifies some of the challenges encountered, and explains some of the critical lessons learned through the experience. |
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Pursuing Sustainability in the Microenterprise Field: Findings from a Literature Review by FIELD. (March 2007) Download
PDF
This exploration of current research and writing on the issue of sustainability in the microenterprise field covers such factors as: increasing earned income, achieving efficiency, building an appropriate capital structure, fund-raising and managing leadership transitions. The review attempts to capture and organize sustainability lessons to help practitioners and funders use the information to create a more sustainable microenterprise industry. |
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Training
and Technical Assistance |
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Bridges
to Success: Promising Strategies for Microenterprise Growth in the
United States (2005) Download
PDF
This literature review summarizes what is known about the factors
that influence business growth (both those that constrain and support
it) and identifies successful strategies to support growth. Included
is an extensive bibliography, useful to those who want to conduct
further research. |
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Improving Microenterprise Training and Technical
Assistance: Findings for Program Managers (2002)
Download PDF or Order
Printed Copy
Describes the makings of effective training and technical assistance
by examining the findings from research projects undertaken by
five FIELD grantees. Provides a synthesis of key research findings
and includes the executive summary of the research report written
by each grantee. |
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Practitioner
Manual - Assessment Tools for Microenterprise Training & Technical
Assistance (2001) Download PDF
This manual features 13 easy-to-follow tools geared to practitioners
who want to more systematically understand and assess the value
of their training and technical assistance services. Included are
tools designed by and used at five microenterprise organizations.
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FIELD forum Issue 11 - Helping Make
Entrepreneurs "Tech Savvy": The Experiences of Four
FIELD Grantees (2002) Download PDF
Presents the experiences of four grantees offering technology
services to clients. Describes grantees' technology programs and
includes a guide to on-line resources that can help organizations
develop technology programs. |
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FIELD
forum Issue 4 - Follow-Up Services: Post-Loan and Post
Training(2000)
Download PDF
Explains the challenge behind providing follow-up services and
describes the five grantees participating in a two-year demonstration
led by FIELD. |
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FIELD forum Issue 1 - Assessing the
Effectiveness of Training and Technical Assistance (1999) Download PDF
Offers background on this important issue and describes the five
grantees participating in a multi-site, two-year demonstration
project. |
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Research
Report No. 3 - Microenterprise as a Welfare to Work Strategy: Two-Year
Findings (2003) Download PDF or Order
Printed Copy
This third and final report on FIELD's longitudinal study of 590
TANF recipients pursuing self-employment describes outcomes experienced
two years after enrolling in microenterprise programs. Examined
are such outcomes as: changes in household income and poverty status;
engagement in self- and wage employment; types and growth of businesses
operated; household and business assets and net worth; and quality
of jobs held by those working in wage employment. The publication
also presents issues for consideration by welfare agencies interested
in supporting self-employment for TANF recipients, and by microenterprise
programs that provide services to welfare recipients. |
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Research
Report No. 2 - Microenterprise as a Welfare to Work Strategy: One-Year
Findings (2002) Download PDF or
Order Printed Copy
This second report from FIELD's longitudinal study of 590 TANF recipients
who have sought self-employment takes an in-depth look at findings
from the Wave 2 survey of participants one year after enrolling
in microenterprise programs. The 67-page publication details outcomes
such as: the survival and growth of businesses owned by participants,
their assets and net worth, and changes in poverty status. These
outcomes are compared with findings from the Wave 1 survey taken
at program enrollment. The report also offers a detailed overview
of the study and description of the survey methodology. |
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Research
Brief No. 2 - Improving the Climate for Self-Employment: Recommendations
for TANF Reauthorization (2002) Download PDF or Order Printed Copy
This 8-page brief presents the most recent
findings from FIELD's evaluation of the Mott Foundation's 10-site
demonstration project. Also presented is a set of policy recommendations
that could help TANF recipients use self-employment to transition
off assistance and toward economic self-sufficiency. These recommendations
are based on findings from FIELD's work as well as a set of case
studies and site visits conducted by the Center for Law and Social
Policy (CLASP). |
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Research
Brief No. 1 - Microenterprise as a Welfare to Work Strategy: Client
Characteristics (2001) Download PDF or
Order Printed Copy
This 6-page report is a summary of Research Report No. 1. In addition
to summarizing findings about client characteristics (drawn from
the first wave of a longitudinal survey), the publication also compares
those findings with other national data sources and earlier studies
of low-income entrepreneurs. |
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Research
Report No. 1 - Microenterprise as a Welfare to Work Strategy: Client
Characteristics (2001) Download PDF or
Order Printed Copy
This 22-page publication takes a thorough look at the findings from
the first wave of a longitudinal survey of clients participating
in a 10-site demonstration project exploring ways that self-employment
can become an alternative to employment for TANF recipients. Described
in some detail are the survey methodology and various client characteristics.
In addition, findings are compared to two national TANF data sources,
as well as to two previous studies of low-income entrepreneurs.
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FIELD forum Issue 7 - Recruiting, Assessing
and Screening TANF Recipients (2000) Download PDF
Explores the challenges of recruiting TANF recipients to microenterprise
programs and describes the assessment and screening components
used to help clients determine whether self-employment is a sound
option given the current time-limited welfare system. |
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FIELD forum Issue 3 - Designing Microenterprise
Programs for Welfare Recipients (2000) Download PDF
Profiles the projects participating in the Welfare to Work grant
cluster and describes some of the challenges posed by welfare
reform laws. |
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