Microenterprise Development Programs in the United States and in the Developing World

Abstract

Sparked by examples from Bangladesh, Bolivia, Indonesia, and other developing countries, hundreds of microenterprise programs have been started in the United States. Will these US efforts be successful? This paper reviews the evidence and concludes that microenterprise development is much more difficult in the United States than in the developing world. The paper suggests some ways to address the challenges of US microenterprise development.