Kitchen Capitalism: Microenterprise in Low-Income Households

Kitchen Capitalism presents The first in-depth examination of self-employment from the perspectives of low-income entrepreneurs. Businesses come to life as owners are allowed to speak in their own words. The book systematically analyzes a range of issues, including who chooses to open a micro business, and why; what resources they bring to their business venture; how well their venture will fare; and what contributes to the growth or decline of their business. Concluding that most microentrepreneurs believe self-employment offers a range of monetary and nonmonetary benefits, the authors argue that it would be advantageous to view microenterprise as a social and economic development strategy rather than simply as an antipoverty strategy. This observation leads them to advance a range of strategies for better promoting microenterprise programs among the poor.