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A global research initiative providing insight into the financial lives of small firms
Small firms
are an essential source of livelihood—globally, they provide jobs, goods, and services to billions of people working hard to make ends meet.
ABOUT
Understanding small firms is key to designing policies, financial services, and tools that help these businesses—and their communities—thrive.
Global reach
The small firm diaries is a multi-country study collecting high-frequency, quantitative, and qualitative data across eight countries in North and South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific.
COUNTRIES
Financial diaries
While most research studies produce static snapshots of a single point in time, financial diaries create dynamic and nuanced portraits using a combination of methods.
APPROACH
We aim to understand small firms by listening closely to how firm owners and workers make choices, on their own terms.
Expertise
Led by the Financial Access Initiative, the small firm diaries is a collaboration with a network of local partners in each country, data collection experts, and field-leading researchers.
Funding partners
This project is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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