Sumcho lives in the town of Begana, about 15km north of Bhutan\'s capital city of Thimphu, and hopes to open a small shop with her sister selling toys, sweets, and household items. Sum was born in 1981 in the eastern Bhutanese city of Tashigong. She has one child, a four-year old son.

Her husband passed away in 2011 after struggling with alcoholism, leaving Sum alone with their son and without work. Since then, she has done small jobs--washing linens, sweeping floors, and serving tea--at the power station where he used to work. She currently earns about $80 (4,500 Nu) per month, one-third of which is deducted from her pay by the power company in exchange for her small living quarters. She spends the remainder on essentials-—food for herself, sending some money to her son (who is staying in Tashigong with her family), and helping her sister, who has 3 kids, no work, and who was also recently widowed.

Sum hopes to start the small shop with her sister, Dema, who has prior experience managing a bar and is able to read, write, and do basic math (which Sum, unfortunately, never learned to do). Sum speaks Dzongkha (Bhutan\'s national language) and Sharchhop (a common language in eastern Bhutan). She is a very hard worker and willing to put in any effort to succeed with her shop.

In Bhutan, like in many countries, getting a loan to start a small business is extremely difficult, particularly if you (like Sum) don\'t have valuable assets to put up as collateral.


BUSINESS PLAN

$430 (24,000 Nu) for three months of rent for a small shop in Thimphu (8,000 Nu/month)
$90 (5,000 Nu) for a government permit to set up the shop
$14 (800 Nu) for two round-trip bus tickets to Phoentsoling, the border town where Sum and
Delma can buy their inventory at wholesale prices
$18 (1,000 Nu) for food and lodging for both sisters in Phoentsoling for one day
$1238 (70,000 Nu) for inventory--sweets, toys, household items

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