Collaborating with European companies

I have been trying to wrestle with the problem of reaching out to non English speaking European companies. Many countries in Europe have great technology and skills but we in the English speaking part of the world are unable to access them. Language clearly is a barrier that is tough to break. Perhaps there is another challenge. The inability of the Europeans to come to terms with the rapidly changing global landscape where demand for goods and services is rapidly shifting to India and China. Although the political leadership is cognizant of the change. What I now see is a typical change management syndrome with business and society structured into three broad segments innovators, followers and laggards. I am trying to hit on the innovators to lead. After all in the 18th century the Europeans were leading the world. It is just a matter of time that the innovators will take it upon themselves to lead, collaborate and take advantage of the business opportunities in the emerging markets. Europe- emerging markets of India and China business to business relationship is ready for this change.

The perils of virtual business

In pursuit of the growth of my business I escaped being conned by a person running a Ponzi scheme. I met him in Milwaukee and I could at that moment not understand what he was offering. With the Madoff story becoming public, things are becoming clear how people are taken for a ride.

Fraud has no boundaries- it exists in all parts of the world. In the virtual business world you do blind dating and can be conned relatively easily. I am lucky so far but I don't know if others have had similar luck.

In these times of global recession, one is being forced to innovate to survive and grow and virtual business models are great. These are hugely facilitated by the social media and one can build good relationships across the globe.

It is tough to find the right combination with both parties being tentative, scared of the unknown and of each other. Maybe, new technology and more information on global publically accessible databases will help break these barriers and facilitate business. Yes, we will all lose a bit of our privacy. But I feel a bit more transparency will do us no harm.

Entrepreneurship is not restricted to the rich. The poor too have it. They lack in exposure, education and information in addition to capital. Social development programs rarely focus on making the poor owners of their destiny. Instead the givers become the owners, the capacity builders, the do gooders and the poor are the recepient.

There is a lot of talk amongst socio economists of direct hand outs to the poor in countries like India. Perhaps they are unaware of the reality of the world of the poor in India where exploitation of the poor happens at the post office, bank, money lender, contractor, job giver, colleague, village headman, politician, bureaucrat etc. In direct handouts there is an assumption that as money will get credited into the account of the poor, he will receive it. It doesn't happen like that.

Make the poor the owners of the enterprise, assist him with knowledge, information and management process but let him run that business. You will see them succeed and true poverty alleviation happen.