How microfinance is making communities prosper

By: Lana Bawa’neh

A lot of people, or even small organizations, might face complications in obtaining small loans and other basic financial services. Microfinance is a key strategy that can support people in such situations. It enables them to become financially independent by fulfilling their financial needs and allowing them to achieve their goals in times of economic difficulty. This is where the need for microfinance institutions comes into play to help those people or organizations grow and flourish.

Microfinance institutions make it easier for people and small enterprises to access loans, insurance, and investments and get the money they need to improve their businesses.

Is COVID fuelling startups or stopping it?

By: Cesilia Faustina

Thanks to COVID-19 many businesses are at a standstill and struggling to make ends meet. It has created multiple challenges for the economy, which is affecting startups all over the world. Over the years, financial analysts and journalists have continuously covered stories of the development of startups. It was seen as a great contributor to the economy for the coming years. In a way, it still is, but startups are also one of the sectors most affected by the pandemic.

According to a survey by Startup Genome, 74 percent of startups had seen their revenues decline since the beginning of the pandemic. Even one of the most popular startups sectors, fintech, has seen decreasing profits due to the pandemic. Funding for fintech has fallen 45 percent compared to Q4 of 2019, according to a report by CB Insights. Startups will need and have taken tighter steps to reduce losses, with big startups like UBER having cut its workforce by 14 percent and other companies taking part in massive layoffs as well. Some have even been forced to shut down and start new businesses.

Top insurance risks to watch for in 2021

By: Cesilia Faustina

The insurance sector has experienced its fair share of hardships since the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to S&P, reinsurers stated about $12 billion in COVID-19 loses in the first six months of 2020. HSBC had also reported that COVID-19 claims had increased three times during the second quarter of 2020, from $6 billion to $20 billion, many of which came from the property and casualty sector. That said, such losses are to be expected for the insurance sector during a pandemic and (re)insurers are generally prepared for loss events. Overall, the insurance sector has fought resiliently despite the challenges of the pandemic, of course, financial losses will need time to work themselves out and insurance specific efforts will be needed to support this recovery. With many of the financial markets recovering though, we can only expect greater rehabilitation plans for this sector in 2021.

Why e-commerce is today’s go-to industry

By: Cesilia Faustina

From toilet paper to garden supplies, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought a new understanding to the term online shopping. With social distance and lockdowns all around, we have been forced to embrace the online sphere more than usual, especially when it comes to online shopping. As we speak, you’re probably online shopping while reading this, I know I’m online shopping while writing it. Being stuck inside definitely brings out the urge to shop online. Suddenly, your room seems emptier than usual and you have the craving to buy that vintage looking clock you have no use for.

The point is, since the start of COVID and with lockdown all around, it’s becoming more familiar to bulk buy or online shop. According to Paul Marsden, a consumer psychologist at the University of Arts London, as quoted in CNBC, he saw this trend as: “Panic buying can be understood as playing to our three fundamental psychology needs.” These needs include autonomy, relatedness, and competence. 

Where manufacturers are headed in light of uncertainty

By: Cesilia Faustina

Coronavirus has caused great disruption towards global manufacturing and supply chain. Since the start of it all, it has continued to challenge the path our economy is headed towards and witnessing permanent change for our global economy.

This is not a new thing, however; our world has undergone major changes in light of a crisis for years. The Great Depression redefined the way our economy worked and has since affected people impacted until today. World War II also created a major shift in the way manufacturing and the economy worked; many people went unemployed and were forced to shift to different industries, while manufacturing became a powerhouse industry to provide for the war.