globalEDGE Blog - By Tag: global-entrepreneurship-week

Government leaders around the world are hoping that business start-ups will fuel economies still struggling since the global financial crisis.  To stimulate such growth, policymakers are shaping programs to promote the development of new business ventures.  What incentives are most effective for stimulating entrepreneurship?  What countries are leading the way for new business growth? 

In the spirit of Global Entrepreneurship Week, today we will look at one of the most innovative concepts of entrepreneurship in recent years: the emergence of microfinance. Microfinance empowers poor individuals, mostly from developing countries, by lending them the capital needed to start their own small business. Access to capital for most individuals would not be available without the institutions that support microfinance. It is seen by many experts as a long-term solution to alleviating poverty, by promoting economic development and fostering international entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship is the key, long-term growth driver of any country's economy. Not only do small businesses, in aggregate, add more jobs than large corporations, they are usually the companies leading technological breakthroughs. These small businesses are clearly very important to every country, but they face different challenges and rewards when operating in developed and emerging markets.

With increased globalization, small businesses led by entrepreneurs can play an important role in global growth. In today’s world of interconnected markets and easy technological access, entrepreneurs have increased opportunities to expand their business abroad. Many entrepreneurs around the world have already expanded their small business overseas providing economic success and new jobs for many. In light of Global Entrepreneurship Week, we will take a look at one of these global start-up stories where a small business driven by an entrepreneurial spirit found success in markets abroad.

The 4th annual Global Entrepreneurship Week kicks off today (November 14th) and runs through November 20th all over the world! Over 100 countries, thousands of partners and activities, and millions of people will be involved in inspiring up-and-coming entrepreneurs, fostering the entrepreneurial spirit, and allowing successful entrepreneurs to pass along their knowledge. Governments, educational institutions, businesses, and the media are all coming together this week to stimulate start-up’s and foster growth among entrepreneurial ventures.

This is the final installment of globalEDGE's series on global entreprenuership, in celebration of the Global Entrepreneurship Week.

The Impact of Globalization

With the rise of transportation and communications technology, globalization has come and dramatically shifted previously stagnant notions of comparative advantage. In the past, local producers could count on being the most efficient option, because the costs of storing and transporting goods made any long distance selling unfeasible. Now, markets are restructuring because of technological advances, and nations have put in place various restrictions and regulations - for better or worse. Regardless of your opinion on government regulation of markets, legal barriers to trade are a reality facing today's business leaders, and knowing how to successfully navigate the complex web of legal issues related to trade is essential to any successful business endeavor.

Welcome to the fourth installment of our special globalEDGE Series on Global Entrepreneurship. Today we'll focus on probably the most important aspect of international entrepreneurship, or even business in general: people. The human element of entrepreneurship, as we have discussed previously, is what drives innovation and creation. In this post, we'll specifically discuss how the people you meet and work with are key to expanding your business internationally, how to find those people, and how to keep them interested in working with you.

This is the 3rd post in a 5 part series on global entreprenuership, in celebration of the Global Entrepreneurship Week.

Now that you've decided to expand your small business internationally, you have to make some big decisions about what you are going to do next. You'll have to make judgments regarding many important questions, such as: Where is the best place to sell your product? What markets are particularly receptive? What is the best way to market your product in different regions? Is there a good supplier, or partner near your international target market? These questions are all fundamentally about strategy.

Welcome to the second installment of our special series on global entrepreneurship in celebration of Global Entrepreneurship Week! Yesterday, we discussed the emerging role of small businesses in a globalized market and the different factors that are important to consider when deciding to begin exporting. Today, we'll focus on one of the factors that have made it much easier for small business to conduct business abroad: the growing accessibility of technology.

Today marks the first day of the first annual Global Entrepreneurship Week! As we mentioned last Friday, our celebration of the general themes of entrepreneurship will take place within the specific context of the global marketplace. This is the first article of a 5 part series on global entrepreneurship which will focus on the importance and accessibility of becoming an entrepreneur on an international scale. As always, we intend the blog to be a part of a conversation - not a lecture - so feel free to comment.

Beginning Monday, November 17th, the globalEDGE International Business Blog will feature a special series in recognition of Global Entrepreneurship Week, an annual event dedicated to inspiring the next generation of great minds to focus their passions and pursue them through entrepreneurship. You can check out more information about the week itself at unleashingideas.org/theweek. In our celebration of the week's general themes of innovation and creativity, we will focus on the international aspects of entrepreneurship, both the obstacles and the rewards, by collecting useful resources on key topics.

Specifically, the topics are:

• how international entrepreneurship is important and within reach
• the importance of technology as an enabling force for international expansion
• the role of knowledge and research in the international decisionmaking process
• the process of networking, making deals, and forming partnerships across borders
• the logistics and legal issues involved in trading internationally

Join us next week in what we hope to be an exciting and informative event!