Access Partners: Case Studies

Client Spotlight: "Nomad Crafts"

Access Partners is working with Nomad Crafts to promote the handicrafts of an unreached people group.  Nomad Crafts will market its products to local expatriates and international customers.  They plan to make the business self-sustaining and hand it off to local nationals within six years. 

This is not simply a creative way to get into their country.  Their concept is strategic for a number of reasons:

• Establishing a business around traditional skills creates natural interactions for relationships, connecting believers and impacting whole families.
• Assistance from industry experts helps ensure profitability, providing sustainable income for believers among these poorest of the poor.
• A clear exit strategy fosters sustainability and empowers local nationals, addressing the tendency to depend too much on the foreigner.

A testimonial from the Director of "Nomad Crafts":

We knew that [AP] would provide us with some expertise that we were lacking as we set out to start our business here. What we didn?t realize was how seriously they would take the partnership. They have and continue to go way above and beyond the call of duty in partnering with us in this project.

We have also appreciated the time they have taken to understand our objectives and circumstances, and tailor their work to fit exactly what we needed. It was not a 'one size fits all' approach. What we are about is making an eternal impact, and [AP] has made their investment in our work with the same sort of aims and intensity.

Client Spotlight: "MicroEnterprise Co.":

"MicroEnterprise Co." (MEC) is a microenterprise development organization in ten countries, the majority of which are restricted access locations.  MEC is a small and nimble organization which helps bring sustainable development to developing countries through businesses.  It provides business training to nationals, working particularly with new believers.

MEC requested Access Partners' help to establish uniformity in loan management practices across all ten locations.  Using a multi-phase approach, AP analyzed business processes and IT systems for all branches and suggested short- and long-term steps to achieve standardization. 

Access Partners is also developing a simplified microloan mangement tool for MEC to be used by several branches while long-term plans are being made.  AP is helping MEC to identify longer-term technical solutions and to plan their IT budget accordingly.

A testimonial from the Directors of "MicroEnterprise Co.":

[AP's] work has helped us standardize our operations across the world, eventually in 10 different language applications.  It has given us an easy to use application to track our stewardship of funds.    Effective use of our funds will help us better in strategic planning and also tracking community impact through expanding the Kingdom of God.

[AP was] very professional, which is refreshing when one considers that the world of non-profits tends to lack professionalism, punctuality, and consistency.  I was completely impressed with the level of integrity and intensity that was given to our needs.  [The software is] awfully impressive!