GRDP Blog
GRDP Blog
Here are downloadable versions of the frameworks and presentations from the first workshop:
Sustainable Social Enterprises
If you have any questions about how to use these worksheets, don't hesitate to contact us.
GRDP Blog
It was another sunny day in Kigali as 42 entrepreneurs gathered at the Sportsview Hotel for the first in a series of workshops called Creating a Bigger Future, facilitated by David Ormesher, chairman of GRDP. 
We began our session with a Positive Focus. The Positive Focus is an exercise that captures your five most important personal and professional accomplishments over the past three months, and it will be a regular part of each workshop throughout 2010.
I would also suggest that you do your own Positive Focus on a monthly basis. Set aside 30 minutes on a Monday morning to note your top accomplishments over the previous month. Reflect on why these achievements are important, and then brainstorm ways that you might be able to make further progress. Finally, and this is an important part of prioritizing your time, think about what should be your first action step in building on your accomplishments.
Goal setting is an important but often overlooked part of entrepreneurial planning. A valuable tool to help us focus our attention on the future is the Dan Sullivan Question, "If we were meeting here three years from today, looking back over those three years, what has to have happened during that period for you to feel happy about your progress?" I would encourage you to use this question with your family, co-workers, business partners, and clients. It is a powerful tool for helping someone understand and articulate the heart of their personal vision.
One of the biggest challenges that every entrepreneur faces is the inability to focus on the most important priorities. We all face many challenges and distractions every day. We are interrupted by our cell phone, an employee drops by our office with a problem, or we are overwhelmed by multiple deadlines. We are victims of the "tyranny of the urgent." To help us pick the most critical Dangers to overcome, the most exciting Opportunities to capture, and the most important Strengths to maximize, we used the DOS Worksheet. The final three priorities in each section should help you decide which projects will be the most effective in reaching your goals.
After identifying our goals and priorities through the Dan Sullivan Question and the DOS Worksheet, we began pulling on this data together into a 3 Year Planner. 
This enabled us to get very specific with our goals, commit to deadlines, and imagine what the final result will look like if we are successful. The worksheet also requires that we break these long-term goals into quarterly projects that we can focus on and monitor. When we gather together on April 28 at the next workshop, we will review our long-term goals and quarterly projects. This will help keep us accountable to ourselves and to each other.
Our guest business experts from The Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business used the afternoon session to challenge us on our ability to delegate and our understanding of business models for the Bottom of the Pyramid economies.
Oksana Carlson's presentation How to Delegate Effectively offered the benefits of delegation, and then she tested us. There were a few surprises as we realized how many of us aren't very good delegators!
Dr. Dipankar Chakravarti, Professor of Marketing and Vice-Dean, presented Sustainable Social Enterprise, a very compelling argument for how to create business models and innovative product offerings that can be successful in low-income economies.
GRDP Blog
Welcome to the Creating a Bigger Future member website. Throughout 2010 we will be posting business tools, workshops handouts, and other articles and information that should help you as you put your 2010 business plan into action.
Please note that these documents are copyright-protected and are for your use only and not for distribution or sale.
GRDP Blog
GRDP Blog
GRDP Blog
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It's an exciting time to be an entrepreneur in Rwanda! Follow along as we track the progress of many of Rwanda's most promising innovators and visionaries.
GRDP Blog
GRDP Blog
GRDP Blog
GRDP Blog
GRDP Blog
A unique business growth workshop program designed exclusively for entrepreneurs.
The program is based on business principles that have been used by more than 13,000 entrepreneurs over the past 30 years. The program is taught by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs.
Participants join a network of international and Rwandese business leaders focused on strategies for growth. Rwandese entrepreneurs develop a three-year business plan with 90-day goals to help them turn their vision into reality. Once a quarter, the workshop reconvenes and together we review the results and set new goals for the next 90 days.
Workshop content incudes:
- leadership training
- business planning
- marketing
- financial management
- organizational structure
- human resources
- operations
-
faith-based policies and practices
The dates for the workshops in 2010 are:
January 27
April 28
August 11
November 10
For more information on Creating a Bigger Future, please contact us.
Click here to download an Application to join the program.
GRDP Blog
GRDP specializes in helping entrepreneurs develop new markets, forge business partnerships, and access investment funding to grow their companies. GRDP's business development services are based on a methodological approach that can be customized to our entrepreneur’s needs and can include:
- Developing short-term and long-term funding and corporate development strategies
- Evaluating organizational capacity
- Identifying potential market expansion opportunities
- Collaborating with donor, venture capital, and humanitarian agencies
- Conducting needs assessments
- Preparing prospectus
- Budgeting
- Managing funding relationships
- Monitoring, reporting, and evaluating investments and partnership relationships
To find out more about GRDP's business development services, please contact us.
GRDP Blog
SEP membership expectations include a commitment to the following:
Program Commitment
SEP Fellows make a twelve-month commitment to participation in the program.
Assessment Trip
SEP Fellows will participate in a five-day assessment and immersion trip designed to introduce them to the history, needs, and opportunities of Rwanda and to facilitate introductions to entrepreneurs looking to build a mentor relationship.
International Training Seminars
Ideally, SEP members will be able to travel to Rwanda at least once again to participate in quarterly entrepreneur training seminars. SEP Fellows will assist in conducting seminar training for entrepreneurs to provide critical skills training in the areas of leadership, strategic planning, sales and marketing, finance, product development, project management, logistics, funding development and investor relations, and talent management.
Mentor Relationship
Each SEP Fellow will be paired with a Rwandan entrepreneur to provide individual leadership coaching and mentoring via email, Skype, and conference calls.
SEP Meetings
SEP members will participate in regular SEP Team meetings for member development, skills training, collaboration, brainstorming, and support.
GRDP Blog
If you are an experienced entrepreneur that shares the vision of GRDP's Social Entrepreneurship Program, we would like to meet you.
For more information, please contact us.
GRDP Blog
Rwandan Entrepreneur Criteria
Potential Rwandan entrepreneur partners will be identified and selected based on the following criteria:
- Small or medium-size businesses with a current product or service line, existing customers, and a business track record of at least 12 months
- Strong leadership capacity and a desire to grow
- Recognized by peers as a high-potential entrepreneur
- Recommended by government leadership as a respected community leader
Partner Commitment
Entrepreneur expectations and commitments include:
- Minimum of 12-month commitment to the SEP program and mentorship
- Actively participate in quarterly training seminars
- Commitment to evaluating and implementing appropriate recommendations and programs to increase their professionalism and effectiveness
GRDP Blog
The SEP strategy is to invite qualified business executives to join small teams that will:
- focus on one country and the high-potential entrepreneurs within that country
- commit to mentoring an entrepreneur
- meet regularly with US-based team members for education and mutual support
SEP Teams will leverage private, corporate, and public resources through a hands-on Value Delivery Model to provide leadership and skills training to entrepreneurial business leadership. The Value Delivery Model will include:
- needs assessments
- training seminars
- mentoring
- regular SEP team meetings
SEP Team success will be measured by the following criteria:
- Measurable improvements in professional, managerial, and technical skills based on assessment data
- Growth in key business performance indicators
- Number of high-potential national leaders identified and trained
- Level of government and private investment in the entrepreneurial businesses participating in the SEP program
GRDP Blog
Employment
Thank you for your interest in working with GRDP.
Job Opportunity: GRDP Rwanda Program Coordinator
We are looking for a part-time Program Coordinator to help organize workshops and events in Kigali including business presentations, quarterly workshops, and meet-and-greet events. Additionally, this person will be responsible for organizing in-country travel, hotel, and coordinating business accommodations for visiting international business owners.
The Program Coordinator position is key to the success of the mission of GRDP. This person must be able to work independently, be able to predict and communicate challenges, negotiate rates and prices, meet with Rwandan entrepreneurs, and manage the day-to-day operations of GRDP in Kigali. This person must be a good communicator both in-person and using the Internet.
This is a part-time position, starting at 80 hours/month with the potential for growth to full-time. This position will report directly to the GRDP leadership in the United States. The start date for the position is January 2, 2010.
The person that meets the challenges of working with U.S. and Rwandan entrepreneurs with hard work will be making an important impact on the growth of Rwanda.
The ideal candidate will have the following experience:
· Fluent in English and Kinyarwanda
· Strong writing and communication skills
· Strong computer skills including email, Skype, and Microsoft Word
· Strong administrative skills
· Minimum 2 years experience in a sales or customer service position
· Experience in the travel or hotel industry would be preferred
Please send a cover letter, resume or CV, and any supporting information to us via email.
GRDP Blog
GRDP was established in 2006 as a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. Founded on Christian principles, GRDP was launched by a team of development specialists and entrepreneurs who saw the need to build bridges between business leaders in the U.S. and emerging leaders in the developing world.
GRDP's headquarters is in Chicago, IL.
GRDP
212 West Superior Street, Suite 300
Chicago, IL, 60610-3557
+1 312 640 3701
+1 312 640 3750 (fax)
GRDP Blog
This is the projects landing page.GRDP Blog
Services
GRDP offers both North American and Rwandese entrepreneurs a comprehensive set of services tailored to their unique needs and designed to fill critical gaps and build internal capacities. By recruiting a talented and experienced network of U.S. social entrepreneurs, GRDP is able to provide access to insights on business growth, one-on-one mentoring, leadership training, and skill-based workshops.
Services include:
Creating a Bigger Future
GRDP offers a entrepreneur workshop program called Creating a Bigger Future. This program meets quarterly in Kigali and offers world-class business planning and growth tools designed exclusively for entrepreneurs. The program uses proven business concepts and tools used by over 13,000 entrepreneurs in 13 countries over the past 30 years. If you are a Rwandese entrepreneur and you are looking to take your business to the next level of success, we invite you to fill out an application and fax or email it to GRDP.
Click here for more information on Creating on Bigger Future.
Social Entrepreneurship Program (SEP)
GRDP's Social Entrepreneurship Program (SEP) matches successful North American entrepreneurs with emerging and high growth entrepreneurs in Rwanda.
This one-year fellowship is a unique program for a select group of North American entrepreneurs who are ready to apply their expertise and wisdom to the unique challenges of doing business in Rwanda, and for a select group of Rwandese entrepreneurs who are prepared to leverage the resources of this program to dramatically grow their business.
Opportunities include one-on-one coaching, quarterly business skills workshops, and direct investment. By leveraging their social and intellectual capital, our social entrepreneurs transfer important professional and leadership skills to the next generation of Rwandese business leaders.
Click here for more information on joining SEP.
Partners
GRDP builds creative partnerships with private businesses and corporations to deliver sustainable solutions to the world’s most complex economic and humanitarian challenges.
With our focus on cross-cultural relevancy, GRDP offers significant value to for-profit companies looking for ways to engage their firms and their leadership in social entrepreneurialism.
GRDP Blog
GRDP is looking for experienced entrepreneurs who desire a hands-on role in developing sustainable, business-oriented solutions in Rwanda. Doing business in Rwanda is not easy, long-distance communication can be challenging, and many companies in East Africa are under-capitalized, but for an enterprising entrepreneur, the opportunities are many.
Rwandan entrepreneurs know they have a unique chance to build a vibrant economy, and they are looking for fellow entrepreneurs who are willing to partner and share their experience and wisdom.
GRDP's Social Entrepreneurship Program (SEP) is a one-year fellowship designed to connect small groups of seasoned entrepreneurs directly with the leadership of high-potential small and medium-size businesses in Rwanda. Through formal and informal experiences, SEP Fellows will:
- Build the professional, managerial, and technical capacity of Rwandan entrepreneurs to more effectively build sustainable businesses
- Establish and equip a talent pool of Rwandan leaders and entrepreneurs committed to good governance and economic growth
- Provide unique and direct opportunities to transfer their skills and jointly create new market development opportunities that provide lasting growth
- Participate in a powerful experience platform to create their own vision for blending their entrepreneurial and humanitarian commitments
SEP Fellows participate in a week-long trip to Rwanda to engage with the entrepreneur community, contribute to workshop programs, and begin to build personal relationships with growth-oriented business owners. These immersion trips are all-inclusive, covering pre-trip orientation, airport transfer, in-country transportation and logistics, accommodations, and program facilitation.
If you are interested in exploring this opportunity, contact us for a brochure and application.
GRDP Blog
Rwandese entrepreneurs creating a bigger future
GRDP's international programs are led by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs.
The best way to strengthen an emerging economy is to build the leadership of its most promising entrepreneurs. A vibrant, entrepreneurial sector is able to create jobs, underwrite the local tax base, and inspire a society to live up to its highest aspirations.
The most effective way to inspire and strengthen a high-potential entrepreneur is to introduce him or her to another successful entrepreneur. Stories and relationships beat classroom training every time. This is why we developed a social entrepreneurship program.
GRDP's Social Entrepreneurship Program matches successful U.S. entrepreneurs with emerging and high growth entrepreneurs in Rwanda. We offer a unique Fellowship Program for a select group of U.S. entrepreneurs who are ready to apply their expertise and wisdom to the unique challenges of doing business in Rwanda.
Our growing network of influential entrepreneurs become personally involved in the lives and businesses of Rwandan entrepreneurs. As a result, they have the satisfaction knowing that they are directly impacting the next generation of Rwandan leadership.
Rwanda is at a historic crossroads. Moving beyond tragedy, Rwanda is now an emerging economy on a rapid growth trajectory to become the first African country to move from poverty to middle income status in one generation. A sustainable economic growth model is a key driver of continued peace, reconciliation and civic renewal. Rwanda can become a model for the rest of the world.
We want you to be a part of that story.
GRDP Blog
The mission of GRDP is to inspire and strengthen promising entrepreneurs in emerging countries.
We help high-potential entrepreneurial leaders achieve growth by giving them direct access to experienced entrepreneurs in North America, enabling them to tap into world-class leadership, professional, technical, and financial resources.
Our current focus is to build creative partnerships between experienced entrepreneurs in the United States and established entrepreneurs in Rwanda.
GRDP offers a comprehensive set of services tailored to the unique needs of our U.S. and international entrepreneurs, including leadership development workshops, mentorship facilitation, and business development, enabling the transfer of important professional and leadership skills to the next generation of Rwandan business leaders.
GRDP Blog
GRDP Blog
GRDP Blog
GRDP Blog
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Building a Three-Year Business Plan
It was another sunny day in Kigali as we gathered at the Sportsview Hotel for the first in a series of workshops called Creating a Bigger Future.
Posted on: 02.15.10 by David Ormesher
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Creating a Bigger Future Workshop Series launched on January 27
The first of four GRDP entrepreneur workshops in Kigali kicked-off on Wednesday, January 27. We had 42 Rwandese entrepreneurs and two visiting entrepreneurs from Kenya.
Posted on: 01.29.10 by David Ormesher
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Creating a Bigger Future for Rwanda
On December 17, we hosted a breakfast presentation in Kigali on GRDP's series of business workshops in 2010. This series, called Creating a Bigger Future, is a unique business growth program exclusively for entrepreneurs.
Posted on: 12.17.09 by David Ormesher
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Entrepreneurship vs. Sole Proprietorship
It’s popular today to define an entrepreneur as anyone who works for him or herself. It makes sense. Anyone who has the courage to launch out on their own and “eat what they catch” is showing entrepreneurial instincts. In many cases, however, these businesses are not entrepreneurial. They’re really sole proprietorships.
Posted on: 12.16.09 by David Ormesher
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Elizabeth Cox and Melanie Woodward arrive in Kigali
Elizabeth Cox and Melanie Woodward, both employees of The Strategic Coach and representing GRDP in Rwanda, arrived for a week of meetings with Rwandese entrepreneurs.
Posted on: 12.13.09 by David Ormesher
Make a Donation
If you would like to make a tax-deductible charitable donation to GRDP please choose from one of the following convenient options:
If you need to cancel your monthly donation, click here.
Make a Donation
If you would like to make a tax-deductible charitable donation to GRDP please choose from one of the following convenient options:
If you need to cancel your monthly donation, click here.
Make a Donation
If you would like to make a tax-deductible charitable donation to GRDP please choose from one of the following convenient options:
If you need to cancel your monthly donation, click here.
Make a Donation
If you would like to make a tax-deductible charitable donation to GRDP please choose from one of the following convenient options:
If you need to cancel your monthly donation, click here.
Make a Donation
If you would like to make a tax-deductible charitable donation to GRDP please choose from one of the following convenient options:
If you need to cancel your monthly donation, click here.
Make a Donation
If you would like to make a tax-deductible charitable donation to GRDP please choose from one of the following convenient options:
If you need to cancel your monthly donation, click here.
Make a Donation
If you would like to make a tax-deductible charitable donation to GRDP please choose from one of the following convenient options:
If you need to cancel your monthly donation, click here.
Make a Donation
If you would like to make a tax-deductible charitable donation to GRDP please choose from one of the following convenient options:
If you need to cancel your monthly donation, click here.
Make a Donation
If you would like to make a tax-deductible charitable donation to GRDP please choose from one of the following convenient options:
If you need to cancel your monthly donation, click here.
Make a Donation
If you would like to make a tax-deductible charitable donation to GRDP please choose from one of the following convenient options:
If you need to cancel your monthly donation, click here.
Make a Donation
If you would like to make a tax-deductible charitable donation to GRDP please choose from one of the following convenient options:
If you need to cancel your monthly donation, click here.
Make a Donation
If you would like to make a tax-deductible charitable donation to GRDP please choose from one of the following convenient options:
If you need to cancel your monthly donation, click here.
Make a Donation
If you would like to make a tax-deductible charitable donation to GRDP please choose from one of the following convenient options:
If you need to cancel your monthly donation, click here.
Creating A Bigger Future Workshop Calendar
GRDP's series of entrepreneur workshops is called Creating A Bigger Future. There will be four workshops held in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, in 2010.
The dates for the workshops in 2010 are:
- January 27
- April 28
- August 11
- November 10
If you are an experienced North American entrepreneur with a successful business and a unique process that you are willing to share, or a Rwandese entrepreneur with a successful business and you are ready to grow, we invite you to join us.
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