The challenge of growth in microfinance organizations
Introduction: the challenge of growth This paper examines the difficulties inherent in the prudent management of growth in microfinance organizations and identified potential limits to the greater efficiency, profitability and sustainability that are usually expected to achieve growth and higher dimensions.
To illustrate these dilemmas, the paper uses the experience of Banco Solidario SA (BancoSol) in Bolivia. For the formalization as a bank BancoSol brought the prospect of faster growth and, consequently, a number of challenges, unexpected problems, new sources of costs and adjustments of the second generation. From this experience you can learn lessons very interesting, because few microfinance organizations in Latin America have grown so much and so fast.
The objectives of this paper are to analyze how growth has occurred in the case of BancoSol, considering the challenges that this growth creates for any microfinance organization and identify conditions that must be met for prudent management of growth. Given the history of the creation of BancoSol, would be impossible to understand the lessons of this experience if the analysis does not consider, where appropriate, the first steps taken during the PRODEM.
The growth has at least three positive implications for a microfinance organization. First, growth is the central mechanism to increase the reach of the institution, which is one of the main indicators of its success. A growing number of customers improved amplitude range. Given that in developing countries there are large numbers of family businesses that may be subject poor credit but who lack access to financial services, microfinance organizations should always searchan growth.