Impact of a Platform Facilitating Sales through Direct Linkage for Micro-Entrepreneurs of North Karnataka

Abstract

Micro-entrepreneurship is being increasingly perceived as one of the noticeable methods for poverty alleviation in rural India. It diminishes the burden on job creation, empowers self-sufficiency and encourages an economy serving relevant local needs. Being a vital core to the economy, micro-entrepreneurs still undergo major problems including lack of proper market linkages and challenges in terms of flow of institutional credit. Throughout the years, the main marketing channels have been middlemen and this has resulted in low profit margins for the actual grassroots micro-entrepreneur. This paper aims to study how a marketing platform for micro-entrepreneurs facilitating direct customer linkage impacts business performance. We analyzed insights from exhibitions, categorically designed for grassroots micro-entrepreneurs, and conducted in Northern Karnataka to find if customer engagement results in better sales, higher profit and repeat orders. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods are adapted with primary data collection process. A semistructured questionnaire survey was conducted to collect primary data. Data were analyzed using various statistical including MS Excel.