I was involved in a number of different initiatives and projects that centered around business during my time in Nicaragua. A brief description of the most significant projects are described below.

 

Cuenta – A mobile POS solution for businesses

I developed a mobile POS app called Cuenta with a friend and fellow Peace Corps volunteer. The app was developed for use by small retailers to provide a digital and automated process for logging transactions, basic inventory management and the app provide analytics to the user on key metrics to be able to make better business decision and improve efficiency.  

 

Business Development Program

Towards the start of my time in Nicaragua while I was working with Enlace, I spearheaded an effort with one of the co-founders of the NGO to transform the micro-lending program into a business development program which shifted focus from finance to capacity building with local entrepreneurs. The program initially had a broad approach offering free classes in business administration concepts and also offered one-on-one advising that was client-directed. However, after the broad, client-directed one-on-one advising proved slow and difficult we improved the program to just focusing on marketing consulting with clients which was greatly more effective.

 

Business Advising

I advised the following businesses and cooperatives in strategy, operations, management and marketing.

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Batidos Falkis – a local smoothie shop started by a mother and her daughter. Worked on business technology integration (Square & Facebook) FIFO, accounting, inventory management, advertising, branding, customer service and product development.

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Katy’s Hotel, Bar and Restaurant ­­– Owned and run by a young woman. Worked on business technology integration (Square & Facebook), accounting, customer service, employee training, marketing, social media marketing, product and service development, and event planning.

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Fuente de Pino – a women’s artisan cooperative that makes handmade products using pine needles. Worked on quality control, cooperative management, developed a website, trained on export processes, and guided tours.

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Cooperative Manual Lopez ­– worked on coffee export processes with the cooperative.

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Los Altos de Ocotal – A rural tourism cooperative. We worked on tour management, cooperative management, accounting, waste management, customer service, food safety and marketing.

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Sauce Aventuras – A tourism cooperative. We worked on tour guide training, customer service, process management, reservations, marketing and business partnership arrangement agreements.

 

Entrepreneurial Education

This program spanned throughout my time in Nicaragua. I worked in five local high schools co-facilitating an entrepreneurial class where student had to create a business around an innovate product or service. I also facilitated several training courses on business concepts taught in the class for high school teachers. I organized three business competitions for the student groups taking the class with counterparts at the Ministry of Education.