Formando microempresarias: los servicios de desarrollo de negocio para reforzar el impacto de los microcréditos

Recent microfinance crises have put into question the effectiveness of microfinance for poverty alleviation. In this context, non-financial services supplied by microfinance institutions re-emerge as a mechanism to strengthen microfinance’s effect on wellbeing through human capital formation. By exploiting a natural experiment, this paper measures the marginal impact of an internationally standardized business development program supplied by a Mexican microfinance institution to female business owners. The treatment group had received for a year from 30 to 45 minute sessions after credit repayment meetings. Using a double differences method, it can be observed that the program does not have the expected effects on key variables such as revenues. There is a positive impact on good business practices, but also the risk of an increase of informality.