Our Mission — TechnoServe helps entrepreneurial men and women in poor areas of the developing world to build businesses that create income, opportunity and economic growth for their families, their communities and their countries.
Our Approach
Climbing out of poverty in the developing world takes more than hard work; it takes economic opportunities. Entrepreneurs create these opportunities by identifying and capitalizing on good business ideas. TechnoServe helps them turn their visions into reality.
Build on Success
Our programs focus on developing entrepreneurs, building businesses and industries, and improving the business environment. Over the course of four decades, we’ve learned what does and doesn’t work. Our scaled-up initiatives and our expansion into new industries and regions build upon and adapt our successful business models and programs.
Over the past four decades, TechnoServe’s work has led to the launch or expansion of thousands of businesses and transformed the lives of millions of people.
Developing Entrepreneurs
TechnoServe’s entrepreneurship development and training programs help enterprising men and women develop the skills and resources they need to launch or expand businesses, while fostering a broader culture of entrepreneurship.
Building Businesses and Industries
TechnoServe works hand-in-hand with enterprising men and women in the developing world, helping them capitalize on good business opportunities that benefit the rural poor.
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are vital engines of economic growth: they create the bulk of new ideas and jobs in most developed economies. But they are scarce in other parts of the world, which is why TechnoServe concentrates its business-building efforts on developing thriving SMEs. We help entrepreneurial people capitalize on solid market opportunities, providing the support and training they need to successfully run and grow the businesses on their own. We work with individual entrepreneurs as well as groups, helping them to: develop business plans; link with markets and sources of capital; improve management skills; produce higher-quality products and services, and operate more efficiently.
Whenever possible, TechnoServe strives to maximize its impact by strengthening entire industries. After pinpointing a high-potential industry, we work with stakeholders to formulate a plan to develop it, concentrating on points along the value chain (from production to final consumption) where our efforts can produce the biggest benefits. A typical approach involves helping a lead entrepreneur (or group) to build a successful business, then refining the model and applying it to many more enterprises across the sector. We develop industry groups and help them promote government regulations and policies that enable the industry to grow and thrive. Often we replicate industry models on an even larger scale across countries and regions.
Improving the Business Environment
To spur economic growth, TechnoServe seeks to promote a good overall business environment in countries where we work.
Capital Access
In addition to supporting businesses and industry groups, TechnoServe works directly with financial institutions, helping them to evaluate the credit risks of small and medium enterprises, in order to improve access to capital for this key economic sector.
Leadership Development
TechnoServe is a founding member and sits on the Executive Committee of the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE). ANDE is a critical step forward in building the movement of organizations which share a commitment to unleashing the potential of small growing businesses in emerging markets. The group seeks to dramatically increase the amount and effectiveness of capital and business assistance for entrepreneurs. With the hiring of its first Executive Director in January 2009, the group is set for a rapid increase in its activities.
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