Unny Money

Microfranchising

It is increasingly clear that fifty years of international development have done little to reduce poverty in Africa. Indeed, more and more academics and practitioners are highlighting the detrimental effect of traditional development – as carried out by international agencies and NGOs – which often leads to dependency, inefficiency, waste and poor governance. Yet there is a new movement that is surging ahead in its attempt to reduce poverty and generate wealth in Africa: microfranchising. Set up by pioneering organizations such as VisionSpring and HealthStore, microfranchising is based on one of the most successful market-based models in Western economies: franchising. From McDonald's to Coca-Cola, franchising has proven itself to be an effective and replicable way of scaling up a business rapidly in the Western context. It is only recently that members of the growing body of social entrepreneurs have turned to the franchise model as one of the responses to Africa's endemic economic stagnation. And the results have been inspiring: instead of the dependency generated by traditional charity development projects, these new social capitalists have generated enterprise and self-sustainability in the most challenging environments of rural Africa. This long-needed book looks at the growth in microfranchising as a tool to generate wealth among poor communities in Africa. The book traces the evolution of the concept of microfranchising, from its foundation in Western models to its implementation in African countries today. It provides practical steps from the world's leading experts on how to set up a microfranchise, from recruiting franchisees, to building a brand and a supply chain. It gives case studies of successful microfranchises, told by the enterprises themselves. It continues with a theoretical analysis of the place of microfranchising within global social entrepreneurship. It ends with a look at the future for microfranchising, with recommendations for development. Edited by the former CEO of SolarAid, which created the Sunny Money microfranchise, the book provides a ground-breaking set of case studies and analysis of microfranchising for development. It brings together academics and practitioners to provide context, analysis and practical advice. Indeed, it provides the theory, the practical advice and the case studies to guide any entrepreneur, NGO, business or government interested in setting up their own microfranchise scheme.

LaConte's book offers a compelling answer To The now-universal question suggested by her subtitle. The global economy has gone viral. it is ravaging Earth's equivalent of an immune system the way HIV ravages the human immune system, triggering a Critical Mass of AIDS-like mutually reinforcing environmental, economic, social and political crises that are undermining the ability of human and natural communities to support, protect and heal themselves. LaConte's prognosis? Since Life rules, we don't, Life will last but Life as we know it-and a lot of us-won't. LaConte shows that Life learned two billion years ago how to deal with pathological economies: it put them out of business. it encoded in other-than-human species a set of Economic Rules for Survival that allow them to live within Earth's means long term. In accessible prose LaConte explains how those rules can work for humans too. Recommended as a tool for community transition and cultural transformation, Life Rules offers a solution to our global crisis the publishers call "authentically conserve-ative, deeply Green, and profoundly liberating."

Funny Money

Chantal ran away from home to escape her abusive father. Now she’s on the run again, wanted by the police as a “person of interest” in the suspicious death of her equally abusive pimp boyfriend. Hector and Carlos do piecework for ancient Vancouver kingpin Jake Cappalletti. They’re on their way to Jake’s mini-mansion with ten million bogus U.S. dollars destined for the unsophisticated Russian market when Jake is felled by a stroke. Marty, Jake’s heir apparent, fears a palace revolt. He tells Carlos and Hector to hold on to the cash until Jake recovers or the situation stabilizes. But Carlos is the kind of guy who’d use a pair of bolt-cutters to liberate a Safeway shopping cart rather than temporarily spend a quarter. And Hector is the kind of guy who’d risk paying a hooker like Chantal with Jake’s counterfeit twenties rather than spend his own hard-earned cash. Now Chantal’s running from the copsandCarlos and Hector. Detectives Jack Willows and Claire Parker are searching for Chantal, but they also have problems of their own. Jack’s daughter is in her first year at U.B.C. So far, all she’s learned is how to party. Parker, watching Jack’s kids grow up, is acutely aware of the swift passage of time. She’s wanted children for years, and has finally reached the point where she isn’t willing to wait any longer. Fast, wisecracking, and full of action,Funny Moneyis sure to appeal to both new readers and to loyal fans of Laurence Gough.