Developing business, creating employment
Business development goes beyond microfinance. Hivos trains and advises small businesses so as to enable them to put more products on the market and sell them at higher prices. In helping small new businesses to flourish, higher incomes are generated and more employment is created.
The road to the market is full of obstacles for small, traditional producers – not to mention access to finances, resources, energy, knowledge and technology. The international market is also very demanding: entrepreneurs have to meet product standards, quality requirements and food safety standards before they can export to the European, American or Chinese market.
Hivos overcomes these obstacles by giving advice and training to small producers on the requirements of the international market. In addition, Hivos also provides financial resources to promising small businesses with the aim of developing local markets. Finally, Hivos encourages the demand for quality produce by stimulating wholesalers and consumers to buy these goods.
Extra attention is given by Hivos to migrants wanting to set up their own businesses in their countries of origin. By doing so, these migrants make a very important contribution to their countries’ economies.
The Hivos approach in a nutshell:
-Hivos actively invests in promising small businesses;
-Hivos supports small entrepreneurs in developing their businesses;
-Hivos works to provide better access to international markets;
-Hivos offers international trade financing for quality products;
-Hivos standardises the requirements and training programmes of various quality systems used by the international market;
-Hivos encourages the sustainable use of energy resources by poor entrepreneurs setting up new businesses.




















