Business associations and their contribution to the development of microenterprises: a case study

Abstract

In Mexico, every year a large number of micro-enterprises emerge in an attempt to become part of a highly competitive market that often does not allow them to establish themselves in it for a long period of time. Therefore, business associations arise from the effort of cooperation between different agents that have different ideas but manage to find points of agreement for the pursuit of common objectives. This is where the “Agrupación Femenil Empresarial Yucateca” (AFEY) is presented as an example of a business organization made up of microenterprises led by women who seek the survival and/or permanence of their businesses in the market. The general objective of this work is to analyze the role of the “Agrupación Femenil Empresarial Yucateca” (AFEY) as a means for the development of a microenterprise that integrates it. This work was carried out with a qualitative approach through a case study. Among the reasons for joining the association, the owner highlights the possibility of interacting with other women entrepreneurs, sharing experiences and having access to a larger public for the sale of her products. Among the advantages, she highlights the opportunity for the microentrepreneurs to participate in training that has allowed them to improve the performance of their businesses.