MFI BIG
B I G is a licensed microfinance organization operating on the Georgian market. Currently our company has significant presence in Tbilisi with 97 employees, 4 service centers and a head office. In November, 2013 B I G marked opening of its first regional service center in Imereti region, Kutaisi. In April, 2015 B I G further expanded to Telavi, Kakheti region – bringing its total number of service centers to 6 and number of employees to over 130.
B I G was founded on 8th of August, 2008 as a consumer loans business. Our company is the first in Georgia that was able to transform itself into a microfinance organization on a fully commercial basis, without any international assistance, grants, donors or concessional loans. In a transition from consumer to micro lending B I G has gradually decreased its overall share of consumer lending bringing it to absolute minimum. Urban business lending is at the core of B I G’s business model today, complemented with rural lending in the areas within geographic vicinity of our service centers. The product mix of the company includes business, agriculture and consumer loans. Our business model is built around targeting outdoor bazaars in the major Georgian cities where most of the countries’ small business activity is done, small-to-medium sized retail stores and providers of essential services, household farms and individual consumers.
B I G aspires to become one of the market leaders in Georgia by leveraging its customer tailored product mix, experience and dedicated staff. Main pillars of B I G’s strategy at this stage are to expand geographically to Georgia’s five largest regional centers and attract institutional funding, thus establishing a strong foundation for further development and full-scale entry into rural areas.
A good agenda + the topics were well chosen
Head of Claims, EURO INSURANCES, Ireland
Overall the conference provided a good selection of the right topics in the right order with the right people.
Head of Group Tax, OC Oerlikon, Switzerland