The Micro-Franchising Model

Researchers and business experts in developing countries are meeting at UNC Chapel Hill to discuss one of the newest models to help move people out of poverty.

This new business model is called micro-franchising.   It’s different from micro-enterprises which involve small amounts of seed money to help a poor person become an entrepreneur. Jason Fairborne is the author of Micro-Franchising – Creating Wealth at the Bottom of the Pyramid.  He says micro-franchising can help more people:

"With micro-franchising is we want to help alleviate that creative burden and allow people to be business owners without being entrepreneurs."

An example is helping people sell air time for cell phones.  Experts say they have seen this model work in Africa, Asia and South America.