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First Person

Photo: Ranya Abu Sharar, AMIR Program

Khawla Ali’s employee gives a manicure to a customer.

"The Alriyadi Web site saved me a lot of time, and prepared me for what to expect," says Khawla Ali. "When the time came to register my business, all the information I needed was right there on the site, and I was able to download all the business and licensing forms I needed."

When Khawla Ali decided to open a beauty salon in Amman, Jordan, she turned to Alriyadi.net for help.

The first of its kind in Jordan, the Web site - its name means "entrepreneur" - is a one-stop, online resource providing practical information in Arabic about how to establish a business. It guides aspiring businesspeople through every step of the process, including registering and licensing a company, finding financial resources, and developing a business plan.

And the site is popular. Alriyadi.net received more than 140,000 hits in its first five months - an average of more than 800 a day.

"The Alriyadi Web site saved me a lot of time, and prepared me for what to expect," says Khawla Ali. "When the time came to register my business, all the information I needed was right there on the site, and I was able to download all the business and licensing forms I needed."

Working with Jordan's Young Entrepreneurs Association, USAID launched the site in October 2003 as part of a larger initiative to spur economic growth by encouraging entrepreneurship. In addition to creating the Web site, USAID provided a grant of $24,972 for a promotional campaign that included a road show aimed at university students and presentations at entrepreneur forums held in communities throughout Jordan.

Since 1998, USAID has been supporting Jordan's entrepreneurs by helping establish a sound, sustainable small-loan industry and by working to improve access to services that help people start and run their businesses.

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