Tuesday, May 31, 2011

New interactive Business Finance Tool launched for Kenyan small business owners

Financing is the lifeblood of a business. Whether one is starting an enterprise or if they are seeking to expand their business – the lack of money can be detrimental.

After having polled its users, the Youth Interactive Portal for Enterprise - YIPE (www.yipekenya.org) found that the reason for the low uptake of formal business financing opportunities among Kenyan small business owners was not due to perceived barriers such as tedious application processes as previously thought. The main reason amongst the sampled business owners was simply that they did not know of the availability of business financial products on offer.

This finding spurred YIPE to develop and launch its Business Finance Interactive Search Tool (www.yipekenya.org/Business finance.htm) which enables business entrepreneurs in four easy steps to access information of business financial products that suit their stage of business. 

This product easily reduces the time and expense required in searching for appropriate financial products. As a value add-on, users can also access information from a database of over 1,000 entries (and rising) of financial sources in the county their business operates in.

Having the available financial product information in one place makes it possible for users to find banks and micro-finance institutions near them as well as compare the various financial products from multiple providers.

Users are given the options to select their business stage, the type of financing required and the county they reside in. YIPE’s business finance tool then presents them with a list of financial institutions (commercial banks, micro-finance institutions etc) whose products match their criteria, along with the providers’ contact information.

The Business Finance Interactive Search Tool is available on www.yipekenya.org/Business finance.htm and is free for all users.

For the time being, YIPEs Business Finance Interactive Search is available for Kenyan based businesses only.

About the Youth Interactive Portal for Enterprise – YIPE

Since its founding in 2008, the Youth Interactive Portal for Enterprise has emerged as a highly valued source of quality content for both aspiring and operating entrepreneurs. The Portal was one of the winning case studies for the Society for New Communications Research 2009 Excellence in New Communications Awards in the Online Publishing – Technology Innovation category. In 2010, YIPE was named the Kenyan partner for the Global Cleantech Ideas competition which is the search for the world’s best social enterprises that proactively address environmental degradation.

For more information, visit www.yipekenya.org and follow @yipeorg on Twitter.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Assistance to Micro and Small Enterprises Programme (ASMEP) - Call for Proposals


The Assistance to Micro and Small Enterprises Programme [ASMEP] is calling for proposals to support Kenyan women entrepreneurs participate in business opportunity enhancing Workshops/Conferences. Read more »»

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Yipe Updates - May 30th - June 3rd

Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2012

The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship has started the search and selection process for the Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2012. The competition is aimed at identifying outstanding entrepreneurs across the globe. more »»

Call for Expression of Interest for Research Consultant on Barriers to Youth Entrepreneurship

The Youth Congress is inviting expression of interest from highly motivated consultant on survey to analyze the barriers to youth entrepreneurship in Kenya. more »» 

Article: Top 10 Mistakes Every Entrepreneur Should Avoid

Starting a business is always risky, and the chances of success are slim. Research on several entrepreneur businesses has revealed that, over 50% of small businesses fail in the first year and 95% fail within the first five years.

What contributes to the failure of 95% of small businesses and success of only 5% of the entrepreneurs? Chances are that the failure types are making one or all of the following mistakes. 

Read on to increase your odds of succeeding »»

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Youth Urban Arts and Design Competition

UN-HABITAT is inviting young artists, and young urban planners and designers from around the world to take part in an Urban Arts and Design Youth Competition. 

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Yipe Updates

Business tools: Loan Proposal Template

A loan proposal is very similar to a business plan.It provides answers to five key borrowing questions, namely: How much money you need, What you will do with the money, When you will pay the loan back, How you will make loan repayments and What arrangements you have in place in case something goes wrong ... Read more

Cleantech Open Business Competition: can accelerate your business launch and growth. Read the announcement here http://tiny.cc/j12uv

Start Your Own Jewelery Business - A Simple Guide

If one of your plans is to start your own jewellery business, here are some of the tips and some ideas that you might find useful in your quest to make profits in this industry. Read more

Monday, May 9, 2011

Anzisha Prize to Celebrate Innovative Young African Entrepreneurs


The African Leadership Academy and The MasterCard Foundation have launched the Anzisha Prize, a premier award for Africa’s young entrepreneurial leaders.

This annual prize – the first of its kind for youth in Africa – seeks to celebrate young innovators, ages 15 to 20, who have developed and implemented innovative solutions to challenges facing their communities.

Find out more. Visit http://bit.ly/mkgwYr

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

What exactly does Entrepreneurship mean?


One of the most frequent questions we get on Yipe is what exactly does entrepreneurship mean?

And is being an entrepreneur inborn or can it be learned?

Here is a digest we have compiled that should answer those questions and more.

Access the Entrepreneurship 101 directory »»

Yipe updates


Here are a few opportunities available on the Youth Interactive Portal for Enterprise (YIPE):

Freedom to Create Prize

The 2011 Freedom to Create Prize celebrates the power of art to promote social justice, build foundations for open societies, and inspire the human spirit. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/lXz4Qc


Kofi Annan Fellowships

The Kofi Annan Fellowship provides the opportunity for talented and motivated students from developing countries to study management at ESMT in Berlin. For more information visit http://bit.ly/kJFHFT


AGFUND International Prize for Innovative Development Projects

AGFUND invites international and regional and national organisations, universities and research centres to nominate pioneering and innovative development projects in the field of Empowering Youth through Entrepreneurship and Job Opportunities. more »»

2011 “I Am an Entrepreneur” Photo Competition

The SEVEN Fund’s ‘I Am an Entrepreneur’ photography competition recognizes the outstanding use of photography to tell compelling stories of role model entrepreneurs from around the world. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/k3Tdlq


IPI News Innovation Contest

Internet search giant Google has awarded US$2.7-million to media watchdog, the International Press Institute (IPI) as part of a new project to support digital news in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/ilr945  »»

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation call for grant proposals for Round 7 of Grand Challenges Explorations

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is now accepting grant proposals for Round 7 of Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative to encourage innovative and unconventional global health solutions. more »»

2011 Africa SMME Awards

Your small, medium or micro enterprise (SMME) may be recognised as the Africa SMME of the Year. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/jYv8Ul  »»