The role of local promoters in helping microentrepreneurs engage in digital business training

Policymakers face the challenge of delivering business training programs that are high-quality, scalable, and cost-effective. This paper examines the impact of Expertienda, a free, smartphone-based business training application designed for Colombian microentrepreneurs. Using a randomised controlled trial (RCT) and leveraging local promoters from nearby universities, we evaluated the program’s uptake and its effects on business practices, financial inclusion, and formalization. The study involved 994 microentrepreneurs across 10 Colombian cities, with data collected through administrative records and follow-up surveys one year after the intervention. The intervention increased app take-up by 3.97 percentage points, with no evidence of spillover effects across geographical boundaries. However, usage data reveals that the program struggled to engage users, as evidenced by low levels of interaction with the course. Moreover, we found no significant impacts on financial inclusion, formalization, business practices, or other key business outcomes. A high and unexpected attrition rate limited our ability to detect small effects, which are likely given the low levels of interaction with the app. This study is among the first to evaluate a mobile-based training intervention aimed at established microentrepreneurs who lack direct connections to the implementing organisation, providing important insights for the design and implementation of scalable digital training solutions.