Consumer Opportunity

Last lesson today with drum seller and Delhi winter refuge Raj. His story is ambiguous – shifting depending on the sales pitch - but he seems to be employed to sell drums to tourists. Margaret and I have been talking about lessons – I argue that amateur musicians like me can always use some rhythm discipline. She resisted Raj's initial drum sales pitch and we have subsequently been jamming and rhythming ensemble a coupla days a week.



Raj is – or he could be – an entrepreneur. We development types tend to embrace the Mohammed Yunus line that small business and entrepreneurship mentoring are the key to developing country growth. I’m a believer - push down not trickle. Nonetheless today's LeMonde "MicroFinance - Microcrédit, miracle ou désastre" - presented some convincing evidence that certain models of micro finance such as lending circles actually reduce the total risk taken, and that many beneficiaries are just laid off salary workers who are only interested in getting by until they get their next salaried job.



In any case we the consumer - especially the powerful western one - do have a role to play in entrepreneurship development. Buying useful products, and setting reasonable standards for the transaction, are an important part of building a meaningful relationship between buyer and seller. Heh we are not seeking the vertically integration of the Japanese kaizen – just a more customer oriented attitude from the touts AND a more open mind by the tourists about the values and experiences to be had.

Next time somebody tries to sell you something ...