It's Gonna Be May!

Another month is coming to a close, and so has another component of my senior project. I have finally finished my mentorship hours this week. I have an official total of 52 as of today. I am going to continue going, but it feels good to know I don't need to meet a requirement anymore and I don't have to be there. My mentorship has been a good experience, more valuable to getting a future job rather than my topic itself. I feel that my mentorship work has directly applied to the factors of my Essential Question such as the micro entrepreneur and artisan women, rather than the entire EQ itself. Anyways, that is something really great that happened this month. Next month is going to be intense, I am slightly panicking just thinking about it.

Exit Interview

(1) 
EQ: What is the best way for a fashion corporation to help artisan women in India become micro-entrepreneurs?
Answer 1: The best way for a fashion corporation to help artisan women in India become micro-entrepreneurs is by creating access to well-paying, stable jobs.
Answer 2: In order for fashion corporation to effectively help artisan women in India become micro-entrepreneurs, they may offer micro-finance to the women so that they are able to begin their entrepreneurship.
Answer 3: Fashion corporations can best help artisan women in India become micro-entrepreneurs by providing the women with the proper business and job training in order to become successful in their entrepreneurship.
Best Answer: In order for fashion corporation to effectively help artisan women in India become micro-entrepreneurs, they may offer micro-finance to the women so that they are able to begin their entrepreneurship.
Why: I was able to support this answer with the most solid, quality research. I found several statistics that make it very clear why this would be my best answer.

(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?
I was able to support this answer with the most solid, quality research. I found several statistics that make it very clear why this would be my best answer. My entire fourth interview was focused on micro finance, which became a great resource. Also, micro finance creates the foundation for the business. No matter their education or their product, they would need the financial support to get their business of the ground and begin producing profit. 

(3) 
I faced several problems. Starting over with a new topic, needing to redo my research, and finding a new mentorship were all very difficult to do. I had a lot of help and support from Mrs. Pittman and fellow seniors, which I feel helped me out of a rut I eventually found myself in soon after changing my topic. Even now, I am very unsure of my capability to properly execute this interview and my presentation. 

(4)
My third and fourth interview were very important to me as I was finding my answers to my essential question. I would specifically reference this question that I asked Mr. Kilduff in my third interview: "Can you tell me about any collaborations between fashion industries and the local workers in other countries" He answered with an explanation of fair trade, which is a consistent component in all three of my answers. In my fourth interview, I asked "What is the impact of microfinance in developing countries, such as India?" and she answered referencing my third answer which was education and the importance of it when building a business especially in a local, developing area.

Independent Component 2

LITERAL 
(a) I, Sabrina Colin, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
(b) Diana Santiago- Contact Info: (909) 837-0557
(c) Worked with Diana in the "Heavenly Treasures" store. 

INTERPRETIVE 
Heavenly Treasures runs with the mission of helping artisans in developing countries gain the most profit from their hand made products, in order to build more financially and spiritually stable lives for their families. Each product made reflects the heart and soul of one or more artisans around from the world. In the store, each product has a tag that has a small background on the artisan woman or man who made it and so you know exactly when your money is going. All the money made from the purchase of the product goes directly to its maker and the organization runs on fund from donations and fundraising. Assistance is provided to artisans in the areas of Business Development, International Marketing, Leadership Training, Product Development and Spiritual Guidance. 

I mainly worked a lot with Diana in the store, but also got a behind the scenes look at the organization and the store itself from Diana's personal experiences working with Heavenly Treasures, including her trip to Guatemala. 

APPLIED This organization is a perfect example of my both my answer 1 and answer 3, helping artisan women around the world become successful entrepreneurs. In my answer 1, I explain that that the creation of stable, well paying jobs is vital to the success of women entrepreneurs, which is exactly what Heavenly Treasures does. They give the women a direct source of income, being able to sell their products at a higher price and providing them with an otherwise inaccessible consumer market, which is where I spent my component hours working. With answer 3, the training and education of women in order to succeed in business is also important. When the organization conducts their mission, they make sure that an expert in the field of entrepreneurship and business is available and hold small class sessions to explain the basics and most valuable techniques so that they are not solely relying on Heavenly Treasures for income. 

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.