Nitin’s insights..

Last week (17-23 November 2008), Global Entrepreneurship week was running and there were several events around the world aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship or highlighting some of the positive aspects of entrepreneurship. At a time of global ‘gloom’ (or at least it seems that way right now in the Europe and North America), it is clear from all the key commentators and leaders that now is the time of great opportunity for quick-thinking entrepreneurs.

As the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation (often referred to as one of the world’s largest foundations devoted to entrepreneurship) said in its letter to president-elect Obama, “Entrepreneurs invent, innovate, and advance living standards for society. They are the growth-drivers and job-creators of our economy.” (more…)

During the week of one of the biggest electronics components trade fairs in the world, which took place in Munich a couple of weeks ago, you would be hard-pressed to see where were the signs of the down-turn that we’d been hearing about for several weeks.  OK, so visitor numbers were down by about 6,000, hitting around 72,000, but for anyone who was there it was both difficult to get hotel rooms, and book travel to get there in the first place, unless you’d booked months or even a year or more prior to the event.

So what’s the story?  Why didn’t we see everyone drowning their sorrows at the show or whingeing about the bleak future? And is it really bleak or is there a silver lining?  (more…)