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Mobi-Incubation User Experience for Rural Micro and small enterprises Stella Ouma Edna Chelule
Mobi-Incubation User Experience for Rural Micro and small enterprises
Stella OumaEdna Chelule
Contents
Problem
Mobi-Incubation
Business incubation challenges
Business Incubation
Micro and Small Enterprises
User Experience
Conclusion
UX Elements for Mobi-Incubation
Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) (1/3)
MSEs are a major contributor to economic growth and job creation
40% drop in the number of start-ups in 2009 compared to 2008 (GEM Report, 2010)
Existing MSEs are struggling to survive.
8% New MSEs are from urban areas compared to 2% in rural areas
MSEs 2/3: Creation of New Firms
• Identify the products or services
• access resources • set up infrastructure, which
would include staff.
• Trades and competes
Phase 3: Persistence Phase> 42 months
Phase 23-42 Months
Phase 1 (3 Months)
New Firm Phase
Start up Phase
Established Firm
75%
Fai
l
Challenges facing MSEs (3/3)
Cultural and social Norms
Lack ofFinancial and Business support
Regulatory and Government Policies Challenges
Unknown and inaccessible Support structures
Low education level
Business incubation process
Business incubation is one of the ways to curb the challenges facing MSEs in South Africa
Business Incubation Services
Current challenges in Business incubation
Incubation theory designed for the developed industrial countries does not have the same application in South Africa
The large geographical areas is one of the crucial differences and challenges to South Africa, individuals require access to support in remote and rural areas, but it is naturally not possible for Incubators to be established in each of these areas.
In addition, a large proportion of the rural South African inhabitants have limited access to education, live in poverty, and generally experience a low quality of life. These are unique needs
A lack of available and appropriate premises, or real estate;
Lack of funding to sustain incubation programmes.
What is the alternative?
Mobile phone has the potential to facilitate business incubation process to improve the sustainability of rural entrepreneurs
Mobi-Incubation
Mobi-Incubation can be defined as a process of nurturing MSEs by providing various business support activities which assist them to grow, a mobile phone is used to facilitate this process.
The concept of Mobi-Incubation
“Interaction between the rural MSEs and the Mentor is done via a mobile phone
Proposed Services
Problem
How can one offer these services over a mobile phone?
Considering the mobile phone challenges i.e screen size
Mobile incubation is dependant on the uptake of the rural entrepreneurs as end-user
There is limited understanding of the design of mobile application for users in the rural areas.
Brings us to user experience
From Technology Centred to Human Centred products
Adapted from Roto (2007) ; Seidel, M., Loch, C., Chahil, S. (2005); Pine, J. & Gilmore, J. H. (1999).
UX definition
ISO (2008) defines UX as
“...a person’s perceptions and responses that result from the use or anticipated use of product, system or service”
Common Components1. User2. Context3. System/Content
User Experience
Context
User
Product/Content
User – Rural MSE Context – Rural South AfricaProduct – Mobi-Incubation application
Mobile User Experience
Mobile technologies are more complex than traditional information technologies
Mobile technologies present visual and motor challenges
Are unique to mobile
Are sympathetic to the context
To achieve great mobile UX one should focus on the need and solution
Research Question
What user experience elements should be included in a mobi-Incubation to ensure a seamless user experience?
Proposed Guidelines for UX Elements for Mobi-Incubation application
Future Work
• Ongoing PhD study
• Develop the actual Mobi-Incubation application
• Further identify UX elements
• Investigate the impact of Mobi-Incubation in rural areas
Conclusion
• we are trying to reduce poverty and build a vibrant economy at the same time.
• Entrepreneurs and particularly rural entrepreneurs find themselves in the midst of both interventions.
• we propose that mobile technology be used during the business incubation process
• To ensure sustainability of both entrepreneurs and the growing economy, it is necessary to design and develop a mobi-Incubation application that considers all aspects of the users’ interaction
