Tag Archives: principles

Work in Progress: An Introduction to the Informal Economy’s Commercial Environment

By Niti Bhan | Published: July 27, 2017

This topic is being shared in the form of a collection of essays on the following themes, each becoming hyperlinked on completion. Do bookmark this page for regular updates. Introduction to Background and Context, some caveats apply Fundamental Elements of Informal Sector Commercial Activity Rural household financial management as a foundation Linkages and Networks span […]

Posted in Africa, Analysis, Assumption filter, Base of the Pyramid, Biashara Economics, Business Models, Cashless transactions, Collection, Consumer Behaviour, Economy, Ecosystem, Emerging Markets, Frameworks, global, Informal & Flexible, Mama Biashara, Marchés africains, Mobile platform, Prepaid Economy & Informal Sector, Projects and Reports, Research, Rural Economy, Savings, South Asia, Strategy, Sub Saharan Africa, Systems, UCSD, User research | Also tagged biashara, biashara economics, design, frameworks, informal economy, introduction, prepaid economy | Leave a comment

People-centered systems design thinking out loud

By Niti Bhan | Published: August 25, 2016

This morning I was pondering the complexity involved in weaving together four separate threads of ‘innovation’ into one holistic system. They were not unrelated to each other, and the end users are more or less the same for each, but each is also a standalone solution to a pain point in an ecosystem. I was […]

Posted in Biashara Economics, Design, Ecosystem, Emerging Markets, Indigenous & Traditional, Informal & Flexible, Innovation Planning, Perspective, Prepaid Economy & Informal Sector, Rural Economy, Strategy, Sub Saharan Africa, Systems, Technology, UCSD, Value | Also tagged biashara, curitiba, design, design thinking, ecosystem, informal economy, jaime lerner, systems design, urban planning | Leave a comment

In sum

By Niti Bhan | Published: December 16, 2012

Irregular income streams from a variety of sources pose their own challenges to both buyers and sellers but offer an opportunity through the flexibility designed into business models for the informal economies where this pattern of cash flow tends to be much more prevalent. Flexibility is key, as well as the ability to negotiate on […]

Posted in Alternative currency, Assumption filter, Banking, Base of the Pyramid, Business Models, Cashless transactions, Consumer Behaviour, Design, Flexibility, global, Income, Informal & Flexible, Research, Strategy, User research, Value | Also tagged business model, flexibility, framework, informal economy, payment plans, prepaid, schema | Leave a comment