I am pitching for an online forum where really small businesses – which are mostly run by women in poor countries – can link up with the markets where they can sell their products, such as handicrafts, clothing and preserved foods. To cut costs, it will be a “niche vertical” link within an already-existing website that lends for very small loans of $100 or $200. These current micro borrowers are tailor-made users of the new link, because they often lack information on markets for their goods, what sells best where, who ran into which types of problems, who has succeeded and how. This website will rely on a mix of text messaging, video testimonials, and basic market research using rural Internet Cafes. It will help people connect their workshops to markets. It is a community-building multimedia project with a social goal.
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Fernando--I a big fan of this idea. It's definitely an interesting take on community building. I also believe the web can and should do much more to remove access barriers to information and resources and your idea certainly achieves that. One potential problem I see is getting the word out to small businesses and providing them with the tools (cameras/computers) to either get the loans or advertise their goods on the website.
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