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Barriers to Self-employment for those on Benefits

Posted on 15th April 2020 | Uncategorized
We hear a lot about entrepreneurs and the need to be entrepreneurial in Wales, although everyone’s idea of what that actually means is probably a little bit different. The usual suspects admired for their entrepreneurial skills such as Richard Branson or Sheryl Sandberg undoubtedly are entrepreneurs, but I believe that the sort of people …

Coping in a Crisis

Posted on 27th March 2020 | Uncategorized
The announcement by the Government of its package for the self-employed will undoubtedly be a lifeline for lots of established self-employed people but many of our borrowers won’t be able to benefit. Everyone knows that new businesses are rarely profitable in their early years – and many of ours which are only a couple of …

Is the Demise of Wonga a Good Thing?

Posted on 17th September 2018 | Uncategorized
On the face of it, the removal of any lender who appears to take advantage of the poorest members of our society and charges them usurious interest rates (these are the accusations usually levelled at Wonga and others like them) must be a good thing. But there is a big …

Thoughts on Ugandan Self-Help Groups and their Microfinance

Posted on 16th June 2017 | Uncategorized
Purple Shoots has recently been on a trip to Uganda to see how self-reliant groups and microfinance operates there. We took with us a small group of representatives from our self-reliant groups and the aim was to inspire them with what they saw out there and to develop links with …