There are businesspeople all over the world who would love nothing more than to make a successful living and put themselves in a position whereby they can focus their attentions on helping others.
Tory Burch is lucky enough to now find herself in such a position. With a successful career in PR behind her - including stints for Ralph Lauren and Vera Wang - and a successful lifestyle business that sells all over the US, she can turn her attentions elsewhere.
The Tory Burch Foundation was recently the focus of a CNN Money article entitled: 'Tory Burch on helping small businesses', proving that once a person has made a name for themselves, new doors of opportunity can open.
The piece was a fantastic opportunity for Ms Birch to secure some useful online PR with one of the worlds most reputed news providers and she will more than likely have received a significant rise in interest for her foundation since.
Like anyone starting up an initiative to which they put their own name, Ms Birch wanted it to be something she was passionate about.
After months of considered research, she opted for microfinance assistance for American women.
The reasoning behind the decision is straightforward enough. As a businesswoman herself, she wanted to empower other woman to be able to do the same thing without spoon-feeding them.
She said: "I like microfinance in particular because it isn't charity in the traditional sense. It's about investing in people who might otherwise not have the chance to pursue their goals. It's also incredibly important to the economic recovery."
Microfinance is something more commonly associated with developing countries. Indeed, Ms Burch visited a number of countries during her decision making process.
She reveals that only two per cent of people who could benefit from microfinance in the US actually receive the assistance. In developing countries this figure stands at 17 per cent.
The disparity is something that Ms Burch is trying to address, realizing that just because the US is regarded as an advanced economy does not mean that all of those within it are fortunate enough to benefit from it.
The foundation has already helped a number of US-based women achieve their business dreams by giving them the initial help required. There is little doubt a great deal more are set to benefit.
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