Yolanda is just one of the US business people who has received a loan through Kiva.org. Photo by Brandon Smith via Kiva
You might have heard of Kiva, where a crowd of regular people pool money to make small loans to business people in the developing world. But you probably didn’t know they are making loans to small businesses in the US.
In fact, I was surprised to find there has been a representative of Kiva active in my state of Oklahoma for over 5 years. They’ve loaned to several rural entrepreneurs in Oklahoma, including Rodney who runs a thermal imaging business the town of Kansas, Oklahoma (pop. 800). He used a small loan to do more marketing and reach a whole new group of potential customers.
If you’re looking for a small loan for your small business, Kiva is worth considering. Loans can be up to $10,000 at zero percent interest.
You can also help more people get loans through Kiva in your community. Anyone can spread the word and point small businesses directly to the Kiva website.
Nonprofit organizations can also directly administer loans as a Field Partners. Individuals or groups can serve as Trustees who endorse trustworthy borrowers without any financial involvement or liability. Learn more about these partner programs at Kiva.
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Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.
