As well as providing financial services, BRAC (Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee) offers members of its Rural Development Programme wishing to start businesses in a range of sectors a package of skills
training, input supply and technical assistance. This paper examines two issues: the impact of skills development training and other BDS on women's income growth, and the costeffectiveness of BDS from both
the service providers'as well as the service recipients'point of view. Results show that, as well as benefiting from credit, those who received skills training in their chosen activities earned significantly
higher income than those who did not. Regarding cost-effectiveness, case study results show that, for the service recipients, the additional amount gained through their new business exceeds by many times
the amount paid to BRAC as a service fee, so for the service recipients BRAC is highly cost-effective. On the other hand, for BRAC, the amount it charges covers only 47 per cent of its total cost.

Effect of Consulting on Microcredit Repayment in Korea

KDI Journal of Economic Policy, Vol. 37 (2015), Iss. 3 P.55

https://doi.org/10.23895/kdijep.2015.37.3.55 [Citations: 0]

Co-production in BDS: The evidence from the Sri Lankan Microfinance Sector

Abeysekera, Ruwan

Financial Markets, Institutions and Risks, Vol. 4 (2020), Iss. 3 P.63

https://doi.org/10.21272/fmir.4(3).63-71.2020 [Citations: 0]

Synergies through Linkages: Who Benefits from Linking Micro-Finance and Business Development Services?

Sievers, Merten

Vandenberg, Paul

World Development, Vol. 35 (2007), Iss. 8 P.1341

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2007.04.002 [Citations: 34]

Co-Production in Business Counselling in Microfinance Setting: A Conceptual Approach

Abeysekera, Ruwan

Patton, Dean

Mullineux, Andrew

Journal of Enterprising Culture, Vol. 23 (2015), Iss. 03 P.299

https://doi.org/10.1142/S0218495815500107 [Citations: 5]

Sustainability of Business Development Services: Evidence from the Sri Lankan Microfinance Sector

Abeysekera, Ruwan

Journal of Enterprising Culture, Vol. 28 (2020), Iss. 01 P.81

https://doi.org/10.1142/S0218495820500041 [Citations: 1]

Exploring Factors Affecting the Effectiveness of Business Training in The Microfinance Sector: Using Industrial Marketing Purchasing (IMP) Approach

Abeysekera, Ruwan

Business Ethics and Leadership, Vol. 4 (2020), Iss. 3 P.46

https://doi.org/10.21272/bel.4(3).46-56.2020 [Citations: 2]