When you read this, it will be the third or fourth solution we have received, and this one is in small business start ups for those chronically unemployed, which is most of us these days. It pays to focus on what is good and right, than to focus on what is not exactly along your lines of thought. Remaining open allows enormous amounts of energy to enter and energy is creativity. I love it.
There are more that I just have not had the opportunity to put up yet, so things are popping. All we have to do is take what is given and follow it. How easy is that . These wonderful people who are doing these have already done the hard part to discover these solutions and now we get them and can go forward. How great is that?
Those of real wealth, that want to invest with a small return, but a big return in aiding the nation into growing back to its roots of entreprenurial creativity and rewarding those who exercise such talents and willing to work hard to achieve success, but have little opportunity afforded to them through many different blocks, such as discrimination based on race, sex or age.... can do so through contacting our blog directly through the email address and we will get you together with those who can use the appropriate guidelines for such lending, as well as keep the records.
I have talked to a family owned bank and they are willing to serve in that capacity for a nominal fee for the four corners area. That is their willingness to aid in reclaiming our communities, employment and dignity. If you are one of those who can see the value in this down the road, then please contact us. If you wish to work through the national level than we can get you together with Grameen bank who does this globally so they are experienced and you can benefit from that experience.
Small loans big in Bangladesh, Bay Area
http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Small-loans-big-in-Bangladesh-Bay-Area-4250683.php
After five years running her party-supply store out of her Hayward house with the help of her extended family, Rodriguez was finally moving into her own commercial space thanks to a $1,500 loan from Grameen America.
"I got big help with this loan," which covered her rental deposit, she said through a translator. "A lot of people eat at the Jack in the Box next door; I hope they will see my business and come here. It's a big day for me to get more sales."
Drawing on the same philosophy as Bangladesh's Grameen Bank, which pioneered "microlending" small sums to help impoverished women run their own businesses, Grameen America opened a branch in Oakland last spring. Grameen started its U.S. presence in New York in 2008, and now has offices in Omaha, Neb., Indianapolis, Charlotte, N.C., and Los Angeles, as well as Oakland and New York. A San Jose branch is in the works for later this year.
Grameen's small walk-up office in the Fruitvale district, nestled between a check-cashing business and a variety store, has already made microloans to 600 women for such businesses as operating food carts, making baked goods or other food, cleaning houses, selling merchandise, and renting chairs in hair or nail salons. So far, it has a 100 percent repayment record.
While Grameen's loans are small - starting around $1,500 in the U.S. - the impact is big. Studies affirm the effectiveness of microloans in helping people lift themselves out of poverty. Grameen Bank and its founder, economics professor Muhammad Yunus, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. Its model has been replicated for millions of people in more than 100 countries.
"Grameen America is based on the same principles as Grameen Bank," Yunus said in an e-mail. "We are dedicated to helping create income and jobs and to creating hope in people who have lost hope. The entrepreneurial spirit - that hope and dream in someone's eyes - is what the United States is about."
Groups of 5
Like all Grameen borrowers, Rodriguez got together with four of her friends to request loans for their businesses. Each group of five meets every week, often in conjunction with up to five other groups, sharing resources and ideas for their businesses. A Grameen "center manager" attends each meeting, which occur in members' homes or businesses.
At each weekly meeting, the women make payments on their loans; group members hold each other accountable for repayment. When one Oakland woman missed meetings after her toddler was burned in an accident, for instance, the other group members covered her payments, said center manager Lucy Ann Mendez.
This "solidarity lending" is at the core of Grameen's model.
"We don't lend money to individuals. They have to form a group of five with other people that they know," said Stephen Vogel, CEO of Grameen America. "That's part of the vetting process. The borrowers commit to not only paying back their loan but to being a responsible member of the group."
Grameen also helps its members with financial education and requires them to set up a savings account at a commercial bank. (Unlike in Bangladesh, Grameen America is not a bank itself.)
Grameen's loans have either a six-month or 12-month term and are renewable. "Typically 80 percent of borrowers take out a second loan," Vogel said. "Sometimes they only needed to buy a piece of equipment so (they) don't need to borrow again. But someone selling clothing or jewelry often keeps borrowing to buy more inventory."
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Small-loans-big-in-Bangladesh-Bay-Area-4250683.php#ixzz2LYRcve7U
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