Why do some people have so much, while so many more have so little? That's a question many have been attempting to answer for generations.
As a pragmatist, I've always believed that many of the world's problems required a healthy dose of hope, fresh solutions to challenging problems and a concrete path toward a better future. This is especially true when you consider one of the most profound issues facing each of us today -- the effects of a growing underclass in much of the world.
Poverty affects all of us. Name any issue -- climate change because of pollution, deforestation, the drug trade, illegal immigration, terrorism, AIDS -- all of them have roots in the growing economic challenges of the developing world. The more disparity there is between the well-off minority of the world and the needy majority, the more we gamble the future well-being of global society at large.
I traveled enough to know that even in a time of growing prosperity for the developed world, much of the world is being left behind. The gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots" is widening. Estimates say that 20% of the world's population control 80% of the world's wealth. One in five people on the planet make do on less than a dollar a day.
For years, I've tried to understand why this is so. I've read books, attended lectures and traveled to poor countries. The problem of global poverty is too complex for any one interpretation. Yet, I believe that teaching entrepreneurship and small business marketing skills to people in the developing world can alleviate many of the world's problems. That's why I decided to take a three-week trip to India and Indonesia -- to teach others what I, as a marketing consultant, take for granted.
The idea came to me while sitting in an Indian/Pakistani restaurant in San Francisco this summer. I was considering ways to promote my new book, Get Slightly Famous. I was also planning a trip to Asia, one of my favorite places in the world. Then it hit me: "Why not take my book to a global audience?"
Then I had another thought. "Why not bring the ideas in my book to people in countries that need them the most?"
I got to work planning my trip around this new objective. Within a matter of weeks, my initial inspiration went from the back of a napkin to a full-blown initiative complete with partnerships, sponsors and supports. I decided to use my book as a template for the trip in its planning, execution and contribution to others. Here's how it goes:
- I will travel to two countries, Bali and India, and help two representative micro-entrepreneurs become better marketers. I will also make as many connections as possible in those countries, including local business associations, non-profit organizations and other trade-related entities.
-I chose Bali because after visiting the island in November 2001 (two months after the 9/11 attacks) I saw the effects on the local economy that resulted from a downward dip in tourism. I also met and became friends with a bright, motivated taxi driver while on that trip. I spend a week with him touring the island and sold him on the benefits of promoting himself as a local tour guide, rather than a dime-a-dozen taxi driver. I believe he will make a good case study of how a typical Balinese person can advance their situation by becoming a better marketer with a bit of help and training.
-I chose India because I'm well aware of the problems facing that country due to overpopulation and diminishing job opportunities. I'm acquainted with India's widespread poverty and its radical disparity in wealth distribution. Moreover, I've been working with a Delhi-based administrative assistant for several months now. I believe that, by working together, I can help him grow his business and establish the basis for a successful, mutually beneficial joint venture arrangement.
-I will use my book Get Slightly Famous as a springboard to give my trip a focal point. Not only does my book lend itself to this type of social entrepreneurial venture, it gives my trip more promotional value. It's made establishing joint ventures with other socially minded entrepreneurs and organizations much easier. It also provides a useful PR hook as I begin to promote the trip.
-I borrow from other organizational models that have impressed me with their entrepreneurial approach to poverty alleviation. For example, I'll use my long-time relationship with The National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE/www.nfte.com) as a model and partner with them with them as much as possible, including donating books to their operation in Jaipur, India, which I'll visit, and virtually mentor their students when I return.
-When all of this is done, I'll hope to inspire others to get on board and become part of a network of globally minded businesses that are willing to contribute to the project. There are many things that almost any successful business can do to help others in need. Many times, all they need to do is contribute their knowledge to make a radical difference. Moreover, many small businesses in the developing world can use this network to form alliances with other small businesses around the world. With the Internet, this is entirely possible.
I believe that to tackle the issue of global poverty, an epic outreach among those in the developed world to those less fortunate is part of the answer. I'm not talking about a handout or charity. Rather, I'm suggesting that one of the best ways out of the growing problem of wealth disparity is by teaching those with very little how to build their own income streams, develop an entrepreneurial mindset, and essentially become masters of their own destiny.
Instead of handing someone a free meal, you teach him or her how to grow their own food and prepare their own meals. This is about teaching people to solve their own problems, rather than imposing solutions from the outside. It's about hope, but hope combined with a concrete path.
When I wrote Get Slightly Famous, I was determined to create a marketing guide that addressed today's tough new business climate. I wanted to deliver action-oriented advice, not theory, which any small business owner could use to make a real difference in their businesses and lives. I believe that if the marketing advice I espouse is applicable to small business owners in the U.S., Europe and the other parts of the developed world, it should be equally applicable to those in the developing world.
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