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SMEs grapple with restricted funding access
Many small-to-medium enterprises currently seeking funding are being stonewalled by lenders, with more and more asset classes being categorised as “non-preferred” and lenders also imposing overly stringent approval conditions.

Getting in Social Media Marketing

So many people talk about it and write about it. Social media is everywhere in our life today. You can twit things, flicker pictures, invite somebody to enter your facebook network, bookmark a page and so on. All those little gadgets have become so popular that we could even say that we have entered the social media era. People are getting fired because they say stupid things on their profile or do not get a job because of what is being displayed on their profile.

GLOBAL TRENDS OF ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF MIGRATION-Impacts on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state, is termed migration. There are many reasons why people might choose to emigrate. Emigration is the act of leaving one's native country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. According to the International Organization for Migration there are more than 200 million migrants around the world today. Europe hosted the largest number of immigrants, with 70.6 million people in 2005, the latest year for which figures are available. North America, with over 45.1 million immigrants, is second, followed by Asia, which hosts nearly 25.3 million.

What are the benefits of a CRM system in your business? Part 2

Sales reps often represent the "face" of your company. In order for them to do their part in driving outstanding sales results, they should be empowered to put their best foot forward when representing their company. To do this, a Sales Automation or CRM needs to be in tune with their needs. Putting their best foot forward is going to mean many things. Further to this I would like to add that a CRM should also be in tune with your customers needs helping them have the best experience they can have with you.

The Currency Transaction Levy: An innovative source of SMEs financing

James Tobin (Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1981) was widely known for his suggestion of a tax on foreign exchange transactions, now known as the "Tobin tax". This was designed to reduce speculation in the international currency markets, which he saw as dangerous and unproductive. He suggested that the proceeds of the tax could be used to fund projects for the benefit of Third World countries, or to support the United Nations. James Tobin and other economists, e.g. David Felix, Rodney Schmidt, Paul Bernd Spahn have examined the possibility of levying a charge on international monetary transactions as a means to reduce exchange rate volatility and promote international economic stabilit

WUSME World Union of Small and Medium Enterprises: The new home of SMEs supporting institutions

One of the top-priorities of the WORLD UNION OF SMEs (hereinafter called the “UNION”) will be to provide widespread information and to foster awareness among the various national institutions of the Countries belonging to the UNION as regards the true needs of micro-, small and medium enterprises which represent the basis of the economic fabric of all societies. The UNION shall develop strategies to support the growth of this vital global economic sector and identify annual activities to facilitate relations with national associations and to create opportunities for integration between the representatives of different Countries and geographic areas.

IMPACT OF THE FINANCIAL CRISIS ON CREDIT AVAILABILITY FOR SMEs WORLD WIDE

With a view at the global economic slowdown, it became apparent that economies in all regions of the world have significantly begun to lose momentum. In October and November 2008 extensive surveys have been undertaken as well in industrialised and in less developed Countries on the impact of the financial crisis on credit policy by lending banks and the wider impact on the near future of SME business, exports, investments and development. As a general result of such surveys approximately one third of the SME entrepreneurs briefed, stated that they are currently experiencing a tightening of credit policy by their banks (extreme restrictions have been decided e.g. in Iceland and in Central-and East- European Countries.

Millennium Development Goals need sound SMEs = More Jobs = Less Poverty

Due to the global economic crisis more than 60 million more people, among them millions of small- and micro entrepreneurs, primarily in the less developed countries will be in poverty in this year 2010.Many of the achievements in recent years made to facilitate business of SMEs in the world, to reduce poverty in less privileged economies have seriously been jeopardised by shrinking demand for SMEs export products, increasing prices for energy and food, falling commodity prices, significant reductions in foreign investment and a general liquidity shortage. The strong interdependence among the worlds' economies made this a literally global economic crisis and human tragedy.

WUSME: Towards a new strategy for crises prevention and to create more SMEs and jobs

Many of the achievements in recent years made to facilitate business of SMEs in the world, to reduce poverty in less privileged economies have seriously been jeopardised by shrinking demand for SMEs export products, increasing prices for energy and food, falling commodity prices, significant reductions in foreign investment and a general liquidity shortage. The strong interdependence among the worlds’ economies made this a literally global economic crisis and human tragedy.

Small- and Medium Enterprises: Better access to information management and knowledge networks

New factors of production and sources of competitive advantages such as various innovations drive the information and knowledge economy in the third millennium. Concerned are practically all industries and all enterprises independent of their size. For instance, a laptop, a car or a cell phone are not produced by one single person or company, cooperative networks are fast becoming the basic units or innovation and production, among them a huge number of Small- and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). They are embedded within information networks communicating with supply chains, technology transfer organizations, share holders, managers, investors, which all contribute to corporate information and knowledge.

The economic implications of global remittances for SMEs

Immigrant entrepreneurs (most of them Micro-enterprises and SMEs are also ‘social actors’, who participate actively in transnational activities. For example, in the Dominican Republic, there are hundreds of small- to medium sized transnational enterprises (SMEs),including small factories, commercial/retail establishments and financial agencies. Such ventures are created and run by former migrants, who have returned to the Dominican Republic after acquiring capital and establishing ties with migrant communities in the United States, thus acquiring clients and investors abroad.

SMEs - the impact of corruption has deep roots
What are some of the unforeseen consequences of corruption

SMEs - entrepreneurs decoded
An overview of the different types of entrepreneur found in South Africa

SMEs - government strategies
An overview of government strategies for SMMEs

SMEs - regulation in Africa
Is regulation a problem in Africa?

SMEs - the African opportunity that is been squandered
An overview of how Africa is squandering its two greatest assets.

SMEs - a big opportunity in Africa
All my travels in Africa have revealed a massive opportunity ideally suited to the SME

SMEs - a challenge for African countries
Why SME's are a challenge for African countries

SMEs - a changing trend in SME failure
Are fewer SME's failing

SMEs - SMEs and South African banks
South African banks are permanently between a rock and a hard place in the context of SME's.

SMEs - SME finance and capital formation
Where should developing countries focus their attentions in respect of SME finance?

SMEs - Does colonialism impact on entrepreneurialism
Can Africa blame colonialism for it's lack of entrepreneurial success

SMEs - supply chain and ethics
Understanding ethics and supply chain

SME's - a link between funding and a compliance model
Exploring the link between a compliance model and funding for SME's

SME's - a solution for Africa
Building sustainable SME's in Africa is tough. It can be done like this.

SMEs - a South African perspective on SME start up and growth
How does the South African government plan its interventions to increase the start up and growth rate of SME's

SME's - a wish list for Africa
A quick look at what I would like to see happen in Africa in 2008

SME's - Africa versus the Far East
Do the Far Eastern countries have an advantage over African countries?

SMEs - African confusion with entrepreneurship
Africa, but not necessarily only Africa, has blurred the lines between SME and entrepreneurship. Let us investigate the consequences thereof.

SME's - an African challenge
Trying to understand the clash between tribal systems and entrepreneurialism

SMEs - are African governments doing it right
An overview of government interventions in Africa and other developing countries intended to assist SMEs

SMEs - Are African SMEs serious about business
Overseas businesses often question me as to the ability of South African SME's to deliver

SME's - are some Africans more entrepreneurial than others
Are Nigerians more entrepreneurial than Zulus? What about other groups?

SMEs - are youths cut out for entrepreneurship
South Africa is pushing youth entrepreneurship hard - is this a good idea?

SME's - can entrepreneurialism survive in Africa
An overview to see whether entrepreneurialism can survive in Africa

SME's - collectivism yes or no
Collectivism - Africa vs Far East

SME's - do you want business from government?
Do SME's want business from government?

SME's - does protectionism help
Is protectionism necessary in the African context fro SME's

SMEs - entrepreneurs sourcing start up finance
How do entrepreneurs source start up finance?

SME's - entrepreneurs with no skills
South African universities have come under fire from the Minister of Education for producing too many arts graduates. What is the true cause of the problem?

SMEs - entrepreneurship in a true democracy
A look at the impact of a true democratic environment on entrepreneruship

SME's - government purchasing opportunities
What are the options for government purchasing?

SME's - in Africa the skills challenge grows
The impact of the skills drain on SME's in Africa

SMEs internal reasons for business failure
What causes most SME's to fail as businesses?

SME's - interventions in developing countries
In my literature review, a pattern developed for developing countries separate to developed countries.

SME'S - is government spending good for them
A look at the use of government spending to create SME'S

SME's - Is tendering harmful to SME's?
Does tendering hurt more SME's than it helps?

SME's - left wing politics in the new South African government
What are the likely effects of a more-socialist government in South Africa, on SMEs

SME's - major external reason for failure
My auditors claim that South Africa has one of the worst payment cultures in the world

SMEs - my PhD topic and African context
A brief overview of my PhD topic and its relevance to this blog.

SMEs oil price globalisation and SMEs in Africa Part II
Possible impact of increasing oil prices on globalisation and SMEs in Africa!

SMEs oil prices globalisation and SMEs
An overview of the possible effect of oil prices on globalisation and SMEs

SMEs - opportunities in Africa
An overview of opportunities in Africa for SMEs

SME's - protectionism does it help?
Does protectionism help entrepreneurs?

SME's - regulation in Africa
Why so much regulation in Africa?

SME's - regulatory compliance - is it an issue
Is regulatory compliance a real issue in Africa?

SMEs - should despots and dictators be given a free pass
Jacob Zuma has suggested if African despots and dicttors are given a free pass on war crimes and crimes against humanity they might leave the stage.

SMEs - South African SMEs and development capital
Certain entrepreneurs battle to get finance in South Africa

SME's - still a strong component in the South African economy
Despite the educational crisis in South Africa, entrepreneurship is thriving, albeit not the way it could be!

SMEs - survivalist start ups in South Africa present a unique problem
Problems associated with survivalist start ups in South Africa.

SMEs - surviving the recession in Africa
How can SMEs survive the recession in the African context

SMEs The African error
Do SME's create jobs?

SME's - The attractiveness of Africa
Is Africa, or will Africa, be attractive to SME's?

SMEs the difference between entrepreneurs and franchisees
There is a vast difference between a franchisee and an entrepreneur. what is the impact thereof?

SME's - the future is bright
Where do the fortunes lie for SME's in the future?

SMEs the impact of government interventions
An overview of the impact of government interventions on SME's.`

SME's - the impact of government mindset on entrepreneurship
Does government mindset impact on SME's?

SME's - the impact of regulation
What happens when we overregulate?

SMEs The impact of the current power crisis in South Africa
The impact of the current power crisis in South Africa on SME's is high. Where to from here?

SME's - the importance of communications for SME's in Africa
A look at why communications are important for African SME's

SME's - The need for more thought by African governments on the informal sector
The importance of a proper informal sector policy.

SMEs - the problem with development capital in South Africa
Development capital is available in South Africa. The problem is getting access to it.

SMEs - their future in the world economy
The next decade or two will become known as a period of economic decentralization. This refers to the breakdown of the large corporate organisation for a number of reasons, in such a way as to lead to economic decentralisation. Why should this occur?

SME's - Trends to watch for new business opportunities over the next decade or two
A review of predicted trends for the next decade - what business opportunities exist among them?

SME's - whose responsibility is finance for SMEs?
Is it the role of government to fund SME's?

SME's - why business from government is a challenge
Why African governments battle to give SME's business

SME's - why communication is good for innovation
A look at the link between communication and innovation

SME's - why compliance models work in Africa
Compliance models offer Africa the best hope for creating SME's

SMEs - why governments contribute to SME failure in Africa
What are African governments doing that exacerbates the SME failure problem?

SME's - why is franchising not more popular in Africa
Why are franchises so seldom seen in Africa?

SME's - why tendering is bad for business
SME's - why tendering is bad for big business and SME's

SME's - WIll China be the next colonial power in Africa
What is China's role in Africa?

SMEs working in the dark
Poor statistical information leaves SME's with no direction.

SMEs in Africa - do interventions help SMEs
A brief look at a few African interventions and their impact

SMEs in Africa - is capitalism really dead?
A number of people have said capitalism has failed. Has it really?

SMEs - SMEs and labour rigidity
The impact of labour rigidity on SMEs.

SMEs - different types of entrepreneurs
Different types of entrepreneur have different needs

SMEs - types of opportunities
Are all opportunities the same?

SMEs – SMEs struggling in South Africa. Why?
Are there economic reasons for the problems of SMEs in South Africa?

Converting Online Leads to Offline Sales

Websites are no longer an option, they're mandatory. Additionally, social media is no longer its own entity. These sites are simply another place for you to claim your online real estate. For the first time ever, website visits are going down as people rely more on sites like Facebook and blogs to build relationships and check out companies. Additionally, recent trends show that 92% of consumers do their research online for new products and services. So as we enter 2011, it makes sense that online marketing will play even a larger role for SME's to attract more qualified leads. But this is also the year that we are going to see an emergence of old and new techniques to convert these online contacts into offline sales.

SME - MILLENNIUM REGION IN THE GABONESE REPUBLIC

WUSME recommends to add supplementary series to the UN Millennium Villages Project by Regions of Economic-, Social-, and Enviromental Excellence. The UN Millennium Villages in African Countries under the auspices of the United Nations and the Earth Institute are a positive example for efficient actions to reach the Millennium Development Goals - MDGs. WUSME WORÉD UNION OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES’s proposal aims at amending the Millennium Village Project by Regions of Economic Excellence based on a favorable environment for the development of Micro- Small and Medium Enterprises. The basic features of such Regions will briefly be outlined in this article.

A NEW FINANCIAL ARCHITECTURE FOR CRISES PREVENTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES AND CRAFTS (SMEs) in the République of Gabon - Union-Work-Justic

The WUSME Delegation during its mission to Gabon 31 Jan - 5 Feb 2011 learned that presently no affordable programs for Micro-financing are available in the Republic of Gabon. BGFI Bank informed us that loans are been offered to SMEs at 18% annual interest plus cost of insurance against bankable guarantees. These conditions are unaffordable to SMEs and Crafts. There might be forthcoming special programs sponsored by UN Organisations, Worldbank or other Sponsors, but such single programs would only be available during a short period of time and are hence not sustainable. („Drop - on a hot stone - actions"). The Parliament of the Republic of Gabon shall decide tax law for imposing a tax of proposed 0,05% on all currency transactions of Banks, Fx-Brokers and Money Transfer Companies, e.g. WESTERN UNION.

Poverty reduction by trade and production capacity building in less privileged economies

SMEs play a decisive role at all Millennium Development Goals targets, but especially as regards Goal 1 (end poverty and hunger). WUSME's approach: Trade and production capacity building in less developed economies, Goal 7 (environmental sustainability) and Goal 8 (global partnership), all of them targets perfectly correlating with WUSME's Declaration of Purpose approved by the Founding Conference on 23rd April 2010 in San Marino.

How to Work With a Difficult Boss: The SME nightmare.
In a small business there is no much room to hide, so if you have a difficult boss you will be in the firing line - literally! This article is to help you understand your situation and gives tips on how to survive

SME - EQUITY FINANCING INSTEAD OF BANK LOANS

The perennial issue of small firm financing is once again to the fore as small and medium sized firms (SMEs) are experiencing a challenging financing environment in the aftermath of the global economic and financial crisis. A combination of factors has contributed to a credit crunch for small firms. Businesses struggling with negative effects of the recession are experiencing liquidity problems because of increased bad debts and slower payments by debtors.

WUSME International Conference 2011: SMEs Regional Development in a Globalized World
Delegates of entrepreneur organizations, among them Ministers, Ambassadors, Chambers of Commerce and private Companies from 23 Countries discussed three days at the WUSME International Conference (24 – 26 November 2011 in Budapest) a “New Architecture for recovering from a financial crises and for enhancing economic development, particularly in less privileged economies.”

5.9 Applying lessons learned from Uganda in South Africa: Enterprise solutions to poverty
Based on what we learned in Uganda through UEF (including the convening power that the Shell brand had with local banks) we established ETEF, our South African fund, with new financial products and an independent intermediary in the form of an independent fund manager with particular expertise in the small-scale energy sector in place from the start.

5.8 So far so good in Uganda: Enterprise solutions to poverty
While both SME energy funds are still young, the pace of capitalisation in Uganda has been very rapid, indicating interest in the market and an encouraging depth of demand. UEF will be fully committed before the end of 2005 – well before the original close-out date.

5.7 Meeting the needs of the entrepreneur: Enterprise solutions to poverty
Simply making finance available in the $10,000 to $500,000 deal size was crucial to attracting the interest of Ugandan and South African SMEs since it had never been available before. But other features were also designed into the model to provide tailor-made support to entrepreneurs.

5.6 Deciding on the right approach: Enterprise solutions to poverty
We took explicit account of this reality in adapting our model (viability, scaleability, business DNA and Shell Group assets) to develop a ‘market entry’ strategy into the Ugandan and South African energy SME sector. This strategy had four components:

5.5 Energy access as market failure: Enterprise solutions to poverty
In sub-Saharan African countries as in other poor regions, development of the SME sector in energy and other segments is constrained by market failure.

5.4 Case Study 4: Enterprise solutions to poverty
SME investment funds – deploying local capital and the challenge of going to scale

Guide to Pay Per Click search for SME's

A quick guide explaining how to get the most from pay per click search for small businesses. Search engine marketing allows SME’s to widen their reach and explore new avenues. If you are relying on offline advertising such as direct mail and newspaper classifieds, you could be missing a trick by avoiding search. This article will provide an introduction to maximizing search for any budget and in any sector.

5 Areas and 20 Questions for Improving Organisational Health

Just like individuals, there are very good reasons why every business should do regular health checks. While most medium to large businesses are aware of this and, in part, use frequent CEO briefings to do this, what happens in small to medium sized businesses (SMEs) can be a little like what happens with too many people – we know we should do it but never get around to it until a situation arises that cannot be ignored.

A better way for American SME\'s to sell in China

Some American B2B SME companies have opportunity in China but are unsure of how to approach it. They might consider agents, distributors or a sales office as their best course of action for a China entry. Unfortunately, each of these optons is more difficult to implement correctly than it first seems and each carries risk in one form or another. An option most SME's do not consider is full-service sales outsourcing. Sales outsourcing provides the same as "your own sales office" in China but with the added benefit of experience, that is assuming the SME teams up with the right sales outsourcing service provider.

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