An Economically and Environmentally Sustainable Business Model Initiative for Micro Enterprise in Guatemala : Observations from Field Research

Five research teams representing the HEB International Peace Program at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas completed field work in the coffee industry and micro enterprise in Guatemala during October 2008. Of special interest to one team was the As Green as it Gets (AGG) organization, an incubator for micro enterprise. AGG began in 2005 when founder, and now director, Franklin Voorhes identified the opportunity to improve the lives of disadvantaged families in Guatemala with a non-governmental organization (NGO) model of incubation. Voorhes partnered with coffee farmer Felix Poron to pilot a small business development program. AGG now includes non-coffee micro enterprise owners such as jewelry and textile producers and assists the owners to operate as both economically and environmentally sustainable enterprises. The authors' focus in this paper is upon the AGG business model, its process to provide financial support, and how it identifies viable micro enterprises to incubate. In addition, the authors describe how AGG has made a difference in the success patterns of its client micro enterprises, and how those patterns may be exported to other economies