February 2012

Impact investment suffered a blow to its credibility last week with the news about SKS, the Indian company that took micro-credit from the realm of nonprofits to the stock exchange, has been linked by its own investigations to the suicides of over-extended clients who were allegedly bullied to death by debt collectors.

Read all of Social Enterprises and Solving the World's Problems: How Impact Investing Needs to Change on Huffington Post.

by Bruce Arbit

I have spent the majority of my professional career helping organizations of all shapes, sizes, and structures (for-profit, nonprofit and newer hybrids) raise money. That’s why I am particularly interested in the ongoing conversation about growing the sources of financial capital that support initiatives with a social/environmental benefit.

Jorge Calderon was a venture capitalist who wanted to invest where others weren’t. He found his under-served market: women- and minority-owned businesses.

Only problem was, he couldn’t find entrepreneurs in that niche. He was sure they were there; he just couldn’t find them. So four years ago, he started Springworks to show women and minority innovators how to catch the eye of venture capitalists.

Read all of 3 Ways Women Can Push Through the Glass Ceiling  on Forbes.

Collaboration is a wonderful thing. And so are supporters and friends. It’s great to have someone to buck you up when you’re down, someone to talk through your problems with, or to take care of the stuff you can’t do. And, there’s no denying it: Being an entrepreneur is a tough road that requires a lot of different skills.

“I always thought men were smarter than me,” says Dareth Colburn, founder of USABride. Her online business — started 8 years ago in her apartment when she was a single mother, unemployed, and $30,000 in debt — is pushing the $3 million revenue mark after only eight years and now includes her own jewelry designs.

I think she was wrong about that “smarter” thing.

Read all of The Secrets of One Woman’s Rise from Destitution to Successful Business Owner on Forbes

This Valentine’s day when you’re hinting about the present you want, why not support a women-owned business and social good by having sex, wearing lipstick, and eating chocolate.

Indulge yourself and your lover, the right way.

Read all of Sex, Lipstick, and Chocolate: Support Causes You Believe in This Valentine’s Day on Forbes.

Women are told that it’s not ladylike to brag. But done right, it can be one of the most effective ways to grow your business and your influence.

Whether you run a business or a nonprofit, last week’s PR disaster of Susan G. Komen for the Cure should be a wake-up call. This is the third time Komen veered off-mission in a very public way. This time, the nonprofit seems to have learned some lessons about damage control and social media. You’d better learn them, too.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: Cause marketing is a great way for small businesses to build their brands, increase customers loyalty, and grow. Successful entrepreneurs know this.