The United Nations gathered, in part, to discuss the new Sustainable Development Goals, which chart a path for development in the developing world. These are a follow up to the Millennium Development Goals, which have produce admirable results, as a step forward toward economic and social development in the poorer countries of the world. Last…
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Today, the Wall Street Journal published a cover story seemingly designed (especially if one only read the front page and early analysis on page A12) to leave a bad taste in readers’ mouths concerning the EB-5 Visa program. http://www.wsj.com/articles/how-immigrants-cash-funds-luxury-towers-in-the-u-s-1441848965#livefyre-comment The author seemed to mistakenly draw the conclusion that a program designed to help the poor and…
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Among the various barriers to entry or growth of a company, but not often considered at the outset, is how a new business’ competition will react to it. Today’s buzzword is “disrupt,” but despite a lot of advice regarding how to disrupt a market is available, not enough is said about how to respond to…
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Proper functioning of an economy over the long haul requires certainty; that is to say, it requires trust in a system, whatever that system may be. A desire for certainty does not justify the proposition that a government ought to seek stability as the highest goal or means to protect its economy; rather the governmental…
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The Dollar is strengthening against many currencies, yielding a great opportunity to build capacity in the developing world. Thanks to China’s move to devalue its currency, many countries dependent upon exports to China and Chinese funding are watching their currency value slip as well. More importantly, the lack of a solid market based value for…
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Better known for its violence, Honduras lies only 48 hours via container ship from Miami, and even closer to New Orleans. Honduras is becoming safer, and is focusing on anticorruption efforts, as well as significant economic stabilization priorities. Labor in Honduras is relatively inexpensive and the government is highly motivated to bring in foreign investment. …
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Community Results Driven Approach and Maximizing ROI for Funding Sources Working in the developing world is difficult in that it is fraught with too many good ideas, from too many people with too many good intentions. So many good and effective solutions fall victim to a limited funding supply, or result in duplicative and sometimes…
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During my travels last week, I had the honor of meeting one of the most inspiring individual entrepreneurs I have ever talked with. His name is Leonel Herrera, and he has thrived in an environment far more difficult than your everyday entrepreneur. He has done so because of his strong principles, and the fact that…
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It is amazing how technology is changing the business landscape on a day to day basis. One day a family in the United States is sending remittances to family members in the developing world at an 8% charge plus a most unfriendly exchange rate, and the next, money is moving virtually freely between those tech savvy enough to find an app that fits the bill.