SPOTLIGHT

Cultivating a Home-Grown Entrepreneur

Guatemala's business plan competition helps an entrepreneur expand a produce business that creates jobs and higher incomes in indigenous communities.

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Developing Entrepreneurs

Business Plan Competitions
TechnoServe and its partners are running a periodic national business plan competition, Idea Tu Empresa, to help the country's nascent entrepreneurs turn good ideas into thriving, growth-oriented businesses that generate jobs and markets. Thus far, the competitions have focused on agribusiness, light manufacturing, tourism and technology. As a result, dozens of businesses have already been launched or expanded, with incremental revenues exceeding $1 million.
Key supporters: U.S. Agency for International Development, Cargill, PRONACOM and various private, academic and governmental organizations

Building Businesses and Industries

Agriculture & Agribusiness › Horticulture
TechnoServe is helping a lettuce producer to obtain the infrastructure, management skills and working capital it needs to increase production and tap into more lucrative markets. The expanded business will generate new jobs and buy products from more small-scale farmers. TechnoServe is also helping a cooperative to produce sought-after horticultural crops such as French beans. This will generate hundreds of stable jobs; a new packaging plant will also serve as a hub of economic activity.
Key supporter: Guatemalan Ministry of Agriculture and the Argidius Foundation

Agriculture & Agribusiness › Other
TechnoServe is helping a small mushroom producer to expand its production, providing an opportunity for more than 300 families to substantially increase their incomes by farming organic mushrooms. We are also helping a Maya nut business owned by more than 50 low-income women to increase their production and develop a marketing campaign. Business growth will enable it to take on board hundreds more low-income women and increase their families' income.
Key supporters: SG Foundation and BADER Foundation

Alternative Energy
TechnoServe is running a biodiesel pilot project to help farmers capitalize on a new, environmentally friendly business opportunity. TechnoServe is helping six communities of small-scale farmers to grow jatropha plants on cleared land that is unsuitable for food crops and to then process it in local facilities. TechnoServe is working on developing the entire supply chain. We are also developing business models and initiating pilot projects that use biodiesel to expand rural electrification and that combine biodiesel and fish production.