micropreneurs

Microformats (II): The limitations of microloans

In an article in this week's New Yorker, James Surowiecki ("The Wisdom of Crowds") scrutinizes the effectiveness of microloans in bolstering the economies of developing countries. He posits that the hype around micro-finance neglects the small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs), the "missing middle" that is vital for a stable economy: "This isn't because microloans don't work; it's because of how they work," so Surowiecki.

The focus on the micropreneur, he argues, is "understandably appealing, but thinking that everyone is, and should be, an entrepreneur leads us to underrate the virtues … Read more

Originally posted at Matter/Anti-Matter

March 18, 2008 10:39 PM PDT By Tim Leberecht

Topics:

Business,

Design,

Brand,

Innovation,

Product,

Convergence,

Divergence

Tags:

financial innovation,

microfinance,

kiva,

microplace,

microfunds,

microcredit,

microloans,

philanthropy,

SME,

social innovation,

micropreneurs