Finally...

Just as my time was running out...

I have finally gotten a stable mentorship, where I can complete the required mentorship hours. I understand that it is very late in the game, but I feel like a can let go of the breath I have been holding. I will need to work a lot and frequently in order to catch up, but I know I will take this whole scenario as a learning experience. Thanks to a fellow senior, I was able to take advantage of this great opportunity to work with a female entrepreneur who works in creating, alternating, and selling dresses, along with providing event packages. I will get much needed insight into the world of micro entrepreneurship and how the business itself runs.

I have also been emailing professors in order to get a Young Scholars class for my independent component 2. What I have learned is that in order for me to take most of the International Business courses, I would need to complete certain prerequistites.I learned this from a professor that I had emailed earlier this month, but she was able to send me a list of classes that would complete the prerequisites and was still related to my topic. I have now jsut under 10 professors regarding a spot in their class. I now just need to focus on the 30 hours and gathering much more research to conclude my senior year with a stunning presentation.

Blog 18: Third Answer

EQ: 

What is the best way for a fashion corporation to help artisan women in India become micro-entrepreneurs?

Answer #3:

The best way for a fashion corporation to help artisan women in India become micro-entrepreneurs is by providing the women with the proper business and job training in order to become successful in their entrepreneurship. 

1. As a more developed society, we are unable to realize some of the less obvious reasons for poverty or unemployment in under developed countries, such as India. We fail to understand realistic human capabilities with what they are provided. Micro-finance supports the creation of enabling theoretical frameworks, concepts, institutions and policies to support those capabilities. Resource: "Micro Finance-An Instrument to Encourage Women Entrepreneurship Development." Modi, Charu. Institutions for Women faculty of Management. 5 June 2013. Web.
2. Self help groups have made it easy to raise the skills and alertness of women. The objectives of Entrepreneurship Development programme (EDP) are to give confidence for monetary activities between the members of SHG by provided that skill training, Entrepreneurship Development, credit linkage. Resource: "Micro-finance and women empowerment." Tayal, Harsh. SIFE S.S.C.B.S. 16 April 2013. Web.
3. Micro financing is beneficial to entrepreneurs in under developed areas for three reasons: 1. one does not need to possess money to open a bank account. 2. there is no need for collateral or a credit record to secure a loan. 3. There is no need for extensive paperwork to make it convenient to those less literate. Resource: "Social Entrepreneurship in India – Changing the Life of the Poor." Mante, Gabriele. RESET. Web. 

Concluding Sentence:

Providing artisan women in India with micro-finance is the best way to help them become micro-entrepreneurs, giving them the foundation necessary to begin a business. 

Fourth Interview Questions

1. What is the definition of micro finance in your own words?

 2. Are there any real life situations in which micro finance has benefited?

 3. What are some positives and negatives of micro finance?

 4. What is the impact of micro finance in developing countries, such as India?

5. How would a fashion corporation provide micro finance to potential micro entrepreneurs in India? 

6. What are some ways for a fashion corporation to gain assistance from their customers to financially support the micro entrepreneurs?

7. How might financially supported the micro entrepreneurs of India benefit the fashion corporation? 

8. What would be the best way to verify that the funds are being used towards the persons entrepreneurship?

9. How might a potential entrepreneur gain access to the privilege of micro finance?

10. Following the financial backing, how might a fashion corporation continue to support the micro entrepreneurs?

11. After applying for micro finance, what would be the best method to decide who will be provide with the financial support to begin their entrepreneurship?

12. What would be the extent of the support given from the micro finance? Materials? A place to sell? Store technology?

13. What are some ways in which micro finance can help in other industries such as electronics or farming?

14. In your personal opinion, would offering micro finance be the best way to help artisan women in India become micro entrepreneurs? Why or why not?

15. What are some other ways fashion corporations can help artisan women in India become micro entrepreneurs?

16. What are some ways a micro entrepreneur can make the most of the micro financing provided by the fashion corporation?

17. What would be some limitations, conditions, or restrictions on the use and spending of the financial support from the fashion corporation?

18. Can you explain any faults in the micro financing system?

19. Why do you believe micro financing has not been very successful in India?

20. In your opinion, what is the best way for a fashion corporation to help artisan women in India become micro entrepreneurs?

1....2....3

The year is going by so fast as it comes to a close. Completing our 20 minute presentation, we have gotten a larger insight on what our final presentations will be like. Be recently completed Interview 3 with Peter Kilduff, and have gain a lot more information that research articles and book can't give me.  All month, I have emailed and contacted several professionals in the Business field, some with a focus in International Business, regarding my mentorship.

I have realized that in order to finish my required mentorship hours I will need to work with 2 different mentors. Sheila Espy is a professor at the Cal Poly Apparel Merchandise and Management. She has invited me to sit in on her Apparel Merchandising classes in the Spring Term and help her outside of class as she offers any information needed to her best ability in order to answer my EQ. I also plan on working with my aunt, Martha Polk, who has offered me a loosely termed "marketing internship." Although it is a bit of a travel, I will be working in her office in Cerritos as often as I can. I have also made contact with Alyssa Manse from the Whole Planet Foundation who has been very reliable when it comes to providing examples and explanations of my EQ in action through their foundation. It is a bit of a stretch, but my goal is to have my fifty hours of mentorship done by the time we come back from Spring Break.

Advisory Meeting #2

EQ: 

What is the best way for a fashion corporation to help artisan women in India become micro-entrepreneurs?

Answer #2:

The best way for a fashion corporation to help artisan women in India become micro-entrepreneurs is for the fashion corporation to offer micro-finance to the women so that they are able to begin their entrepreneurship.

1. These potential entrepreneurs don’t have money to finance their ideas, their products. Once they have paid for the raw materials, and made the product, they then need to wait for a return in profit until their product is sold. Resource: Interview 3
2. It is possible for small businesses to become globalized. In order to do so, the entrepreneurs need access to correct tools, such as internet access and computers, to begin online services. Resource: Interview 3
3. Giving women the opportunity to finance their own businesses as entrepreneurs encourages women empowerment. Tens of millions of women around the world have greater economic independence and self-worth because of micro-finance projects. Roughly 95% of micro-loans go to women.Resource: "Empowering Women Entrepreneurs: Alleviating Poverty & Promoting Peace Through Enterprise Development." Strong, Michael. Flow Idealism. 2007. PDF.

Concluding Sentence:

Providing artisan women in India with micro-finance is the best way to help them become micro-entrepreneurs, giving them the foundation necessary to begin a business. 

Blog 15: Independent Component 2 Approval

1. I have applied for the Spring Term at Cal Poly and, as recommended by Mrs. Pittman, I plan on getting a class that closely relates to the basics of International Business. If I am unable to get a class, I will work on a hands-on project with my mentor Peter Kilduff at Apparel Merchandising and Management, a department in Cal Poly.

2. I will attend and pass the class in order to meet the 30 hour requirement, but I am still not sure when the class will be and how often it will be held.

3. I am just beginning to become familiar with my topic, so taking a class on the foundations of International Business will not only help me better understand my topic, but also better understand my EQ. If I end up doing my hours with my mentor, I believe working in the AMM department will help me put my EQ into action in a vague way, or at least help me to do so in the future.

4. Link is HERE as well as on the right column

Blog 13: Lesson 2 Reflection

Content:

1. Positive Statement

I am most proud of how much I was able to put together with my last minute topic change.

2. Questions to Consider
       a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)? AP

       b.     My professionalism was definitely not my strength in this presentation. I didn't feel like I engaged with the audience or made enough eye contact with the audience.

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2? My activity. As one of the last presentations, the audience was excited to use the ipads in order to access the sites needed in my activity.

4.  (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 2? I would have taken more time to memorize and be more comfortable with my information, so that I would have been able to present more confidently.

5. Finding Value
What do you think your answer #2 is going to be? I am not really sure what my answer #2 will be, mostly because I just found my answer #1 along with my EQ last week. I believe it may have to do with encouraging women to form small groups with other local women that assist each other in their finances. Another option is providing more educational opportunities.