OneRoof

A New Business Platform for Social Change

By "delivery platform" we mean both a brick-and-mortar storefront business and a new methodology for doing business in under-served rural communities of the developing world.

Seven strategies for lasting benefits: business focus, honest broker role, customer service, range of services, community business leaders, professional management, global network.

Business Focus - We believe that small business can better fight poverty over the long run than nonprofit/NGO groups and government agencies due to the inherent sustainability of the for-profit model and the far greater likelihood of taking a successful, replicable model to scale.
Honest Broker Role - We analyze the services and products offered by many different providers—local businesses, multinationals, nonprofits/NGOs, government, and individuals—and then we choose only top-tier offerings to be carried in our stores.
Customer Service - We introduce an emphasis on customer service in towns and villages where it has rarely existed before.
Range of Services – We offer a range of essential services in our stores because many development efforts have failed, at least in part, due to the hope that the introduction of one service—microfinance, clean water, education for girls—will be the one right solution that will then leverage many others. Our broader range gives customers far more tools to meet their different needs and offers our franchisees a strong foundation to grow their businesses.
Community Business Leaders - We take the time to find franchisees who combine strong business savvy with a deep knowledge of and caring for their communities. These are the kind of leaders whom Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus of the Grameen Bank, refers to as “market-based social entrepreneurs,” that is, people with a good head for business and a desire to improve the lot of their fellow citizens.
Professional Management – We build in robust data-capturing techniques through a management information system, and we provide close and ongoing support to our franchisees, thus creating a level of management and oversight that produces results seen very rarely in the rural developing world.
Global Network – We work in two very different countries, allowing us to share best practices and to make improvements in more creative ways than if we just focused on one region or country. OneRoof franchisees benefit from contact with their international counterparts, bringing the advantages of global networks to their local business.