Global entrepreneurship is on the rise. According to the latest Global Entrepreneurship Monitor from Babson College, there are nearly 400 million active entrepreneurs around the world. One of the most significant findings in the GEM survey was the steady increase of total entrepreneurial activity (TEA) across all the different economic levels despite a worldwide economic struggle over the past few years.

In Pakistan the private sector is also actively involved in promoting entrepreneurship but public sector support and drive is very much missing. Government must take measures to encourage entrepreneurship culture, particularly in youth.

The Young Entrepreneurs Forum of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry has recently organized Global Entrepreneurship Week. In this event panelists, researchers, economists and youth highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship issues and cited examples of successful entrepreneurs to motivate youngsters.

Taking another initiative, YEF is planning to organize National Entrepreneurs Conference in March this year on the theme “Inspiring a New Wave of Entrepreneurs”. This will provide an opportunity to youth to share & exchange ideas, experiences, skills and knowledge, learn from each other and set a road map to unleash their entrepreneurial potential.

Continue reading ‘National Entrepreneurs Conference’ »

In 2011, CIPE Pakistan raised the profile of entrepreneurship while exploring the impediments to an entrepreneurial culture. Initiatives throughout the year covered opportunities in the IT sector, women’s entrepreneurship, innovation, education, financing, and more. See Emad Sohail’s summary of 2011 highlights on CIPE Development Blog.

Share a message with the Community of Young Entrepreneurs: partners@cipe.org

Russia – Local governments in Russia’s North Caucasus region awarded in December certificates to 10 graduates of a CIPE-administered youth entrepreneurship program to assist in business startups. The winners, seven from the Stavropol region and three from the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, are being granted space in business incubators for up to a year to develop their start-up projects. The business incubator is maintained by Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development. The business start-ups had been developed as part of a youth entrepreneurship training program funded by USAID. The new businesses range from a children’s clothing store to an advertising agency and a day care center.

Afghanistan – CIPE conducted a national business proposal competition among students from the schools participating in CIPE’s Tashabos youth entrepreneurship course. Continue reading ‘CIPE Entrepreneurship Update’ »

Which countries in the MENA region are doing the most to foster an entrepreneurial environment? By one measure, Lebanon and Jordan lead the way while Kuwait and Algeria are trailing. Some, such as Saudi Arabia and Tunisia, have made a start and need to scale up their efforts. As a whole, the region needs to improve regulatory frameworks, especially for new businesses, upgrade infrastructure, and expand public understanding of entrepreneurship.

The World Economic Reform’s 2011 report on Accelerating Entrepreneurship in the Arab World takes stock of these environmental factors Continue reading ‘Accelerating Entrepreneurship in the Arab World’ »

“Where once the Soviet government rooted out and destroyed private businesses, now Russia and other Soviet successor states commit significant resources and rhetoric to nurturing and protecting those businesses. Substantial impediments to doing business still exist in the former Soviet Union, but problems are usually associated with government inaction rather than action.”

Read the full article on CIPE Development Blog.

Continue reading ‘Entrepreneurial Development in Russia’ »

In this issue:

• Launch of YEG-Pakistan chapter
• “On Development of Entrepreneurship in Russia,” by RF CCI
• Interview with Nevzat Aydin, founder of the e-business Yemeksepeti.com in Turkey
• CACCI has launched the 4th Asia-Pacific Young Entrepreneur Award and is seeking nominations from CACCI Primary Members.

Download the YEGAP newsletter.

Continue reading ‘9th Edition of YEGAP’s “Entrepreneur Asia-Pacific” Newsletter’ »

My name is Fernanda Pereira and I would like to share my Global Entrepreneurship Week with you. I am one of the two Paraguayans who are participating as semifinalists in Your Big Year, a program by Smaller Earth.

Your Big Year is an international contest in which 60,000 people participated this year from 221 countries. It consists of passing certain challenges, tasks, in order to be one of 111 semifinalists. Of the 111, only 12 have the opportunity to be finalists and attend the Global Entrepreneurship Congress to be held in Liverpool in March 2012. Continue reading ‘Global Entrepreneurship Week at Escuela Agrícola San Francisco de Asis, Paraguay’ »

Entrepreneurial firms pursuing growth have numerous strategies available to them. This should come as no surprise, given that the role of entrepreneurship is to capitalize on unmet opportunities wherever they may arise. A 2011 World Economic Forum study attempts to make sense of these strategies: “Global Entrepreneurship and the Successful Growth Strategies of Early-Stage Companies”

A highlight of the World Economic Forum study is its categorization of eight possible strategies. For instance, a company can create, build, or ride a wave of economic transformation–and first movers do not necessarily come out on top. Facebook, as one example, did not create social networking but rather helped build this wave. The choice is complicated by uncertainty over the timing and development of the wave.

Strategies also diverge depending on whether a company offers an entirely new category of product or else a new product within an existing category. Continue reading ‘Growth Strategies of Young Companies’ »

Samriddhi, the Prosperity Foundation was once again an active participant in the Global Entrepreneurship Week festivities. In the days leading up to GEW 2011, Samriddhi not only publicized its own event, but also the history and importance of GEW in general through a press release to local media. The advanced notice paid off and several media outlets covered the event held on November 17th honoring eight prominent entrepreneurs from various sectors across Nepal. Multiple accounts of the event can be read in publications like the Kathmandu Post, as well as two sections of the Himalayan Times (Entrepreneurs Urged to Tap Opportunity and Entrepreneurship Celebrations and Rehabilitation). Biruwa, a local start-up incubator in Nepal, also posted a lengthy blog describing the event and summarizing several key takeaways based on the experiences of the entrepreneurs who were honored.

Anna Weber
CIPE

Comment here or share a message with the Community of Young Entrepreneurs: partners@cipe.org

On November 29, 2011, the CIPE Regional Office in Romania and the National School for Political and Administrative Studies (NSPAS) organized the seminar “Today’s Entrepreneurs for Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurs: Practical Advice from Successful Romanian Entrepreneurs”. The seminar was held at NSPAS and welcomed undergraduate students interested in becoming entrepreneurs at some point.

Around forty undergraduate students heard stories from two very successful Romanian entrepreneurs. Ms. Diana Blinda is the founder of Hansen Office Design, a luxury office furniture distribution chain and Mr. Antonio Eram is the founder of both an online payment service, MobilPay.com, and Netopia System, the leading SMS platform provider in Romania with a branch operating in Silicon Valley as well. The guests offered their insights on entrepreneurship and the challenges of starting a business in Romania from a very matter-of-fact perspective. Each guest also shared their views on what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.
Continue reading ‘From One Generation to the Next: Advice from Successful Romanian Entrepreneurs’ »