Wokai Blog: End Global Poverty. Faster.: Wokai China Microfinance Blog

An Opportunity International Director told me that their organization was planning on launching a P2P lending platoform at some point.

And that time has arrived. Check out OptINNow.

What Wokai should learn from OptINNow:

1. Simplicity. They kept it simple - funding loans to entrepreneurs is their goal and thats all you can do on their site.
2. Online & Offline. What you can't see on the site is that Opportunity International is launching a Chapter network much like Wokai. I actually spoke with them about developing this. I think you need the combo of online and offline to get something like this off the ground.
3. Media. When they launched the site, they also launched this nifty video, which is hosted on their Youtube Channel. Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/user/OptInNow

One can't help but think what Wokai could become if it had some real funding behind it. The OptINnow and Microplace websites (and marketing campaigns) have showed us that. But then there is Kiva - a bootstrap non-profit without a major marketing campaign behind it. And its funny, what is the firts word out of anyone's mouth when you mention microfinance? 9 times out of 10 its Kiva. With that in mind, I think Wokai will be just fine!