Micro Enterprise Training for Low-Income Women: the Case of the Community Entrepreneurs Programme

Abstract

This article on the Centre for Women and Enterprise Community Entrepreneurs Programme (CEP) demonstrates the use of a case study as a research method. The CEP is an entrepreneurship training and education programme designed to help low- income women start their own businesses. This case analysis is an attempt to deter mine the initial outcomes of the community entrepreneurship programme. Evaluation results indicate that training provided to low-income women has indeed accom plished its goals—to help participants launch their own businesses, to empower them to achieve self-sufficiency through entrepreneurship and to advance the economic health of Boston's inner city neighbourhoods through micro enterprise and job cre ation. The evaluation findings suggest several implications for future practice and research on micro enterprise training and education programmes.