Microfinance institutions (MFIs) Adie, which offers financial services and related training in France; microStart, which works with small businesses in Belgium; and Taysir, which funds microenterprises and small-scale farms in Tunisia, recently launched an online training platform for microentrepreneurs and small-business owners.
The system takes microentrepreneurs step-by-step through the process of starting a business, including marketing, promotion, addressing competition, crafting a financial plan and establishing a break-even point. The service is free of charge and includes nine videos and 40 tools and exercises, as well as quizzes to test users’ learning.
From 1989 until 2016, Adie disbursed EUR 74 million (USD 83 million) to 18,000 clients. As of 2015, microStart has total assets of EUR 9.6 million (USD 10.8 million) and 1,365 customers. From 2011 until 2016, Taysir disbursed TND 11.4 million (USD 5.2 million) to 3,800 clients.
By Petra Barbu, Research Associate
About Adie
Adie is a French microfinance institution (MFI) that was established in 1989 by Maria Nowak, based on the model of Bangladesh’s Grameen Bank. Adie focuses on working with small-business owners without access to bank credit, disbursing microloans of up to EUR 10,000 (USD 11,250). It also offers free coaching and financial training. As of 2016, Adie has disbursed EUR 74 million (USD 83 million) in loans to 18,000 clients. It does not take deposits.
About microStart
MicroStart is a Belgian microfinance institution (MFI) that was established in February 2011 in collaboration with BNP Paribas Fortis, the Belgian arm of the France-based banking group BNP Paribas; Adie, a French MFI; and the European Investment Fund, a European Union agency that finances lenders to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). As of 2015, microStart has total assets of EUR 9.6 million (USD 10.8 million) and 1,365 customers. It does not take deposits.
About Taysir
Taysir specializes in the funding of microenterprises, small-scale farmers, stockbreeders, young entrepreneurs and recent college graduates who wish to set up small business ventures. Taysir also offers professional advice to its clients through its 13 branches in Tunis as well as in the Kef, Siliana and Beni Khalled regions. In 2011, Taysir reportedly became the first microfinance institution approved by Tunisia’s Ministry of Finance. The organization has received funding from the European Investment Bank; Agence Française de Développement, the development agency of the French government; and the governments of Monaco and Qatar. Taysir also cooperates with Danone, a French food company with multinational operations, on lending to dairy farmers. From 2011 until 2016, Taysir has disbursed TND 11.4 million (USD 5.2 million) in loans to 3,800 clients. It does not take deposits.
Sources and Additional Resources
[1] Microfinance Gateway: Adie, MicroStart, and Taysir Jointly Launch an Online Training Facility for Micro-Entrepreneurs
[2] MicroCapital Universe Profile: Adie
[3] MicroCapital Universe Profile: microStart
[4] MicroCapital Universe Profile: Taysir
[5] Online Platform
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