Abstract
Small businesses are important players in the enterprise ecosystems of emerging markets. Given this situation, researchers and policy makers have been examining how to lift certain constraints in the hopes of enabling small businesses to enhance performance and stimulate economic growth. In particular, the focus has been on the design of managerial capital interventions (e.g., training, mentoring, consulting) aimed at building entrepreneurs’ capabilities and confidence.
To understand the mechanisms and main effects of interventions that intend to improve the performance of small businesses, we propose to measure the impact of an innovative business accelerator that combines training and mentorship on ‘lean startup’ approaches with growth-focused financing for small-scale entrepreneurs in Kenya and Uganda.
Keywords: Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Lean Startup, Product Experimentation, Customer Interaction, Firm Growth, Emerging Markets, Randomized Controlled Field Experiment