FINDING YOUR FIRST LOAN APPLICANT ERICA BODEN AND CAROLINE MORRISON

ASSUMING YOU HAVE ESTABLISHED YOUR MICROFINANCE COMPANY WEBSITE/CONTACT METHOD LOCATION EMPLOYEES YOUR VISION AND GOAL THE COMMUNITY’S NEEDS

HOW DOES IT BECOME REALITY?

KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY ESTABLISHED BUSINESSES RECENT BUSINESSES THAT CLOSED DOWN ECONOMIC HISTORY POPULAR INDUSTRIES SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS

KNOW YOUR PERSPECTIVE CLIENTS BUILD RELATIONSHIPS GO TO SMALL BUSINESSES PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING SPEND TIME WHERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS SPEND TIME SEEK OUT BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS

FIND A COMMUNITY CHAMPION NETWORK RESPECT CONNECT

YOUR COMMUNITY CHAMPION SHOULD BE INFORMED OF THE COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITY NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY’S HISTORY OF YOUR VISION AND GOAL BE RESPECTED BE A RESOURCE FOR YOUR MICROFINANCE COMPANY FOR THE TOWN

MARION WENT DOWN WITH ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIPS HONORS COLLEGE – HELPFUL AND HIGH PRESSURE MET AND NETWORKED WITH PROMINENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORKERS JOHN KEISHA ASKED KEISHA IF SHE WOULD HELP PARTNER WITH US

KEISHA HEAD OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WELL-RESPECTED PERSONABLE AND ENGAGING WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN-THE-LOOP BELIEVED IN WHAT WE WERE DOING

FIND A LEAD... COMMUNITY CHAMPION BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS WORD OF MOUTH ADVERTISING NEWSPAPER RADIO

... AND FOLLOW IT PHONE CALL IN PERSON! THEN... ASK THEM

RELATIONSHIPS BUILD THEM RESPECT THEM BE PATIENT WITH THEM CONTINUE WITH THEM... REGARDLESS OF OUTCOME! GOOD TO BE PLUGGED IN CAN LEAD TO OTHER POTENTIAL CLIENTS LOANS CAN BE WRITTEN LATER CAN OFFER OTHER SERVICES

MATERIALS CASH RADIO ADVERTISEMENTS NEWSPAPER ADVERTISEMENTS TIME TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS TO GO DOOT-TO-DOOR FLEXIBILITY STAYING POSITIVE MEET CLIENT’S NEEDS WORK WITH CLIENTS

THANK YOU