Business Venture of the Poor: Performance and Problems
Suraiya Ishak, Ahmad Raflis Che Omar, Abdullah Sanusi Othman, Azhar Ahmad

Abstract
This paper elaborates the condition of the business ventures of the poor and identifies the problems hindering or enhancing their progress. This study used structured interview to obtain insights from the four subjects.The subjects are chosen from a special entrepreneurial program designed for the poorest Muslim group in Malaysia. Grenier 5 Phases Growth Model serves as the framework for explaining the growth phenomenon of the business ventures. The study concludes that businesses of the poor are currently at the creativity growth phase. From the analysis, the problems faced by the entrepreneurs are divided into three themes namely insufficient capital, lack of systematic managerial practices and basic day-to-day operational problems.

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