• opportunity to acquire knowledge on the socio-economic roles played by women as entrepreneurs in the region
• description and analysis of the issue in countries at different stages of economic development and with different socio-economic and cultural environment
• a broad approach encompassing historical, political, sociological, economics and businesses-related aspects of female entrepreneurship
• a complex and contrasted portrait of female entrepreneurs, their motives to be an entrepreneur, their desires for risk-taking and self- satisfaction
• an explanation that while sharing similar ideals, expectations and willingness to achieving their objectives, there exist profound differences among but also within the different Asian countries in regard of female entrepreneurship characteristics

This detailed study of female entrepreneurship in Asia examines the high economic growth that is increasingly driven by market-oriented economic reforms favouring entrepreneurship. There is a higher awareness by women of their political and socio-economic rights and recognition by society at large of social legitimacy of women pursuing business activities in their own right. Female Entrepreneurship in East and South-East Asia assesses socio-cultural and economic factors influencing female entrepreneurship in Asia as well as the entrepreneurial process and the tools and challenges that accompany it

Key Topics Covered:

• Introduction
• The rising tide of entrepreneurship
• Historical and current socio-political and economic context of female entrepreneurship
• Evolution of the concept of female entrepreneurship and the reality of women-owned businesses
• The institutional environment of female entrepreneurship
• Women in the labor market
• Public policy supporting female entrepreneurship
• Results of the field survey
• Conclusions

Author:

Professor Philippe Debroux is a Professor of International Management at Soka University (Japan). He is also visiting Professor of International Management and Human Resource Management on a regular basis at Hanoi Economic University, Tsukuba University (Japan), Rennes University Center for Japanese Studies (France) and Brussels Solvay Business School MBA program.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/18efe3/female_entrepreneu

Contracts awarded to small businesses accounted for nearly 22 percent of all federal spending last year, according to an annual scorecard released by the SBA that tracks small-business procurement. “There was an increase in both dollars and contracting share for every small-business category,” SBA Administrator Karen Mills said in a statement.

“This represents real progress, but not enough. We must reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that the 23 percent (of all federal spending) goal is met and exceeded.”

The SBA tracks businesses in five categories: small businesses overall, women-owned small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, and so-called HUB Zone business that are in historically underused business zones.

Of those categories, only one — small disadvantaged businesses — exceeded its goal for the year in 2009. Its contract awards represented 7.6 percent of all federal funding in 2009, or $33.5 billion, exceeding the category’s goal of 5 percent.

“Federal contracts awarded to small businesses are a win-win, providing small businesses with the opportunity to grow and create jobs, and offering innovative services and essential goods to the government at great value to the taxpayers,” Mills said.

According to the SBA, additional funding and contract opportunities arose in 2009 due to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Through early August, small businesses landed more than 30 percent of Recovery Act contracts. The SBA is required to report regularly to the president and Congress on how federal agencies and departments perform against their annual goals, in an effort to increase accountability.

In the scorecard released Friday, the SBA graded 24 federal agencies on various contracting goals set by Congress and is available online at www.sba.gov.

There will be a session dedicated to providing an overview of the business climate in Southern Africa highlighting various sectors in SADC, the legal framework to facilitate trade and investment. Other sessions will have a more in-depth discussion for sectors such as banking and capital markets, mining, technology, education, agribusiness and fashion amongst others. Throughout the day, business tips, mentoring and one-on-one meetings with entrepreneurs and mentors will be possible and are encouraged.

Us based professionals in various industries that focus on or have US-African trade, business executives of successful regional companies and social entrepreneurs will share their vision, experience and thoughts about the future of the region. For this conference Angel Africa is going to welcome panelists such as: Lauri E. Elliott, Director at Afribiz Media, Guy Zibi, Managing Director at AfricaNext Investment Research, LLC in the US, Fungai Tarirah, Head, Africa Investments at RMB Asset Management in South Africa, J. Skyler Fernandes, Chief Operating Officer of the South African Chamber of Commerce in America, Paul Eardley-Taylor, Head Energy, Utilities and Infrastructure for South Africa & Africa at Standard Bank, Eduardo O. Vieira, Founder and President of NOVACAO Sociedade Corretora de Valores S.A in Angola amongst others.

“The leaders of the companies on this year’s Inc. 5000 have figured out how to grow their businesses during the longest recession since the Great Depression,” said Inc. president Bob LaPointe. “The 2010 Inc. 5000 showcases a particularly hardy group of entrepreneurs.”

VerticalResponse is a leading provider of self-service email marketing, online surveys and direct mail, and an essential part of more than 85,000 small businesses’ marketing strategies worldwide.  In the past year, VerticalResponse joined the Google Apps Marketplace enabling Google Apps users to easily build new mailing lists and access email marketing tools to help grow their businesses; VerticalResponse also released a major product upgrade to its email marketing platform including integrations with popular social media platforms Twitter and Facebook. In addition, the company won The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Blue Ribbon Small Business Award and CEO Janine Popick was recognized as San Francisco’s Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

“I’m so proud to have VerticalResponse included on this prestigious list for 5 years running. Being able to maintain growth in this economy is challenging, but with our team’s hard work and passion for helping small businesses grow, it’s paying off,” said Janine Popick, CEO of VerticalResponse. “We’ve also got more than 85,000 customers of every type to thank for supporting us and helping us achieve our goals.”

The 2010 Inc. 5000, unveiled today on Inc.com, serves as a unique illustration of the profound changes taking place in the U.S. economy. The Government Services sector showed the biggest gain in terms of the number of companies on the list, up 33 percent from last year to 335 companies. Government Services was also the second-fastest-growing sector in terms of median revenue growth, posting a 202 percent gain over the 2006-2009 measuring period. More than half of these companies are based in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The fastest-growing sector by median revenue growth was Real Estate, now just a tiny group of 38 young, small companies, which showed 231 percent median growth over the period. (There were 121 Real Estate firms on the inaugural Inc. 5000 in 2007.) Business Products & Services is the top industry by number of companies on the list (640) and total revenue ($80.7 billion), while Health is the biggest by total employment (287,726  jobs).

Despite the fact that most of this year’s measuring period of 2006-2009 took place during the latest recession, aggregate revenue among the companies on the list actually increased to $321.6 billion, up more than 50 percent from last year. The effects of the recession are seen, however, in the median three-year growth rate, which dropped to 96 percent from last year’s 126 percent. This year’s Inc. 5000 employ a record 1.4 million people, up from one million on last year’s list. With unemployment remaining stubbornly high, policymakers and business leaders will do well to look to the Inc. 5000 companies for fresh ideas on achieving growth and creating jobs.

Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found on www.inc.com/5000.

The Hottest Regions for Fast-Growing Companies

Once again, California tops the Inc. 5000 with the most companies of any state with 684. The Golden State is followed by Texas (404), New York (353), Virginia (293), and Florida (262). All 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, are represented on this year’s list.

New York boasts 410 Inc. 5000 companies, making it the top metro area, followed by Washington, D.C. (363), Los Angeles (262), Chicago (203), and Boston (189).

Methodology

The 2010 Inc. 500|5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2006 to 2009. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by June 30, 2006. Additionally, they had to be based in the United States, privately held, for profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2009. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2006 is $80,000; the minimum for 2009 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. The top 10 percent of companies on the list constitute the Inc. 500, now in its 29th year.

Responding to the survey 45% of those involved in raising capital and investing in private unlisted companies surveyed claim that banks in Asia are not at all supportive of private investment and entrepreneurship. Only 12% believe that banks are very supportive and 43% believe that banks are only partially supportive.

Key survey highlights:

• Approximately, 60% think that the economic environment will improve in the next 12 months
• 64% think that now is a good time to invest in private and unlisted companies in Asia

The survey was conducted with AsiaBusinessInvestor.com’s database of over 4,000 investors, intermediaries and those seeking to raise private capital in Asia in unlisted private companies.

The median deal size is between US$250,000-$500,000 with a third (33%) of the surveyed respondents involved in deals over US$1 million and 10% of respondents involved in private investments more than US$10 million.

“Survey results for the second quarter of this year suggest that financial performance has stabilized or even started to improve for most small businesses surveyed in the U.S., continuing a trend we first observed in the first quarter,” said Robert M. Kottler, Executive Vice President of Small Business Banking at Capital One. “However, compared to results from the first quarter, small businesses are slightly less optimistic about economic conditions and an increased number of small businesses plan to hold off on capital investment and job growth plans for the next six months.”

Outlook and Financial Performance

The survey results for the second quarter of 2010 suggest that the overall economic outlook of U.S. small businesses has weakened slightly compared to the first quarter. In the first quarter, 39 percent of small business owners surveyed said that economic conditions for their business were improving, but this number dropped to 32 percent in the second quarter of this year. Forty-three percent of small businesses report stable conditions and one-quarter (23 percent) say that economic conditions are getting worse. Although their outlook slipped this quarter, financial performance for small businesses continues to show strength. About one-third (37 percent) of small business owners polled report that their firm’s financial position is better than it was one year ago, consistent with last quarter but up 12 percentage points year-over-year. Forty-three percent of small businesses report stable financial performance and only 19 percent say that finances have worsened relative to one year ago, down 17 percentage points compared to the second quarter of 2009.

Gulf Oil Spill

While the survey results suggest that the Gulf oil spill has had a minimal impact on the national sample of small businesses to date, uncertainties surrounding potential longer-term consequences may be dimming the economic outlook of some small businesses this quarter. To date, only 11 percent of small businesses surveyed say that their business has decreased since the spill, and 8 percent say that business has actually picked up. However, in the longer term, one-quarter (25 percent) of small business owners or managers nationally believe the disaster will have a moderate to significant impact on their business and an additional 17 percent say that it’s too early for them to predict whether or not their business will be affected.

Spending and Investments

Despite reporting improved or steady finances, most U.S. small businesses polled plan to hold off on additional business development and investment spending in the near-term. Well over half (60 percent) of small businesses say they plan to keep business development and investment spending at current levels for the next six months. One-in-five (21 percent) small businesses in the survey plan to increase investment spending while only 16 percent say they plan to decrease spending. Small firms are also cautious about hiring plans. Only 26 percent of small business owners surveyed say they plan to add employees to the payroll over the next six months, down 6 percentage points since last quarter but consistent with results throughout 2009. Correspondingly, the percentage of small businesses planning to hold off on hiring over the next six months jumped from 62 percent last quarter to 67 percent this quarter.

Availability of Financing

The survey results suggest that most small businesses continue to have adequate access to credit and financing. Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of small businesses surveyed report that they are able to access the financing they need while 19 percent say they do not have adequate access to credit and financing. This quarter, fewer small businesses appear concerned about their ability to meet their financing needs. In the first quarter of 2010, 29 percent of small businesses said securing the capital needed to continue operations would be a major challenge over the next six months, but this number fell to 21 percent in the second quarter. When asked about funding sources for financing their firm’s growth, half (50 percent) of respondents say they will seek financing from a bank or commercial lender while 35 percent will rely on personal savings. Fortunately, most small businesses (78 percent) have developed a strong relationship with their bank or banker, which will help them when it comes time to explore cash management and financing options.

Survey Methodology

The findings reported in this release are from a telephone survey conducted by the opinion research firm, Braun Research of Princeton NJ. Braun Research interviewed a nationally-representative sample of 1,905 for-profit small businesses in the U.S., weighted to Dunn and Bradstreet counts of all businesses nationwide by employee size and geography. Samples were also taken in New York, New Jersey, Louisiana and Texas. Small businesses are defined as those with less than $10 million in annual revenue. The interviews were conducted from July 1-21, 2010. All interviews were conducted by telephone at their places of business. One respondent per business was contacted. The margin of error is ± 4.37 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. Interviews were monitored at random. Sampling for this study was conducted using a national sample of businesses drawn from InfoUSA. All interviews were conducted using a computer assisted telephone interviewing system. Statistical weights were designed from the United States Department of Commerce to ensure proper inclusion of all SIC codes.

What is the relationship between AGRA and the AECF?
AGRA is an alliance jointly created in 2006 by The Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation aimed at improving agricultural productivity and small holder farmer well-being throughout sub-Saharan Africa. AGRA is registered as a non-profit entity in the United States, but operates out of Nairobi, Kenya, where it is registered as the branch of a foreign corporate entity. From Kenya, AGRA is managing programs supporting agricultural development across sub-Saharan Africa. The AECF is a special partnership initiative of AGRA that supports AGRA’s mission. The Board of AGRA provides the governance structure for the AECF and is responsible to the AECF’s donors. However, in practice, the AECF operates as an independent fund reporting to its own Investment Committee which in turn reports to a Governing Council made up of its donor funders and ultimately AGRA’s Board.

The agricultural side of the show will feature various service provi-ders in the agricultural sector, with the notable presence of Agra and Meatco, who will have information sessions during the entire event.

“Information sessions will deal with issues such as farm management, crop production, and how to manage livestock,” says Kambatuku.

The region will also host an inter-regional agricultural and industrial show, subsequent to the trade fair. The show will be hosted by the Otjozondjupa Communal Farmers’ Union and Omaheke Regional Farmers’ Union, which effectively brings the two regions of Otjozondjupa and Omaheke together.

More info here.

The New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan has granted Ann Arbor SPARK $750,000 to launch the competition on behalf  of the Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan, composed of four of the region’s key business accelerators– Ann Arbor SPARK, Automation Alley, Macomb-OU INCubator, and TechTown. Joining the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition as partners for event are the University Research Corridor (Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University) and Business Leaders for Michigan.

The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition will uncover the best and brightest new business concepts from local and global entrepreneurs, exposing those opportunities to potential investment capital and fostering their growth within Michigan. Slated to be the world’s largest business plan competition with more than $1 million in cash awards, plus in-kind awards of services, staffing and software, the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition targets early stage businesses with proven technology and potential to generate an immediate impact on Michigan’s economy, as well as student concepts with longer-term business viability.

The business plan competition is open to entrepreneurs in Michigan and worldwide who are willing to establish a business in the state. Participants will submit entries in nine categories including advanced materials, advanced transportation, alternative energy, homeland security and defense, information technology, life science, medical devices, next generation manufacturing and products and services.  A separate track designed specifically for students to submit business concepts is open to any undergraduate or graduate student attending a Michigan university or college in fall 2010.

The competition kicks off on August 24, 2010, and culminates with a gala awards brunch in Ann Arbor on December 11, 2010. The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition concludes with the University of Michigan vs. Michigan State University “Big Chill” hockey game at Michigan stadium and includes a pre-game tailgate party for all judges and participants.

“The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition highlights Michigan as the destination for innovation,” said David Egner, executive director of the New Economy Initiative. “As the first of many projects of the Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan, the competition will help to accelerate the transition of our region to an innovation-based economy. We are pleased that the University Research Corridor and Business Leaders for Michigan are joining with us as partners and support the message that Michigan is an ideal place to launch and grow a new business.”

“The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition provides second stage entrepreneurs with the opportunity to showcase their ideas and grow their companies in a region where new business thrives due to the unique resources available,” said Michael Finney, president & CEO of Ann Arbor SPARK. “We also hope to reach the large number of talented Michigan University and college students and encourage them to submit their homegrown ideas to build upon Michigan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

For more information about the Accelerate Michigan Innovation competition, visit www.acceleratemichigan.org, or connect with the competition via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

About the Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan

The Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan is new region-wide network for building and retaining new business in southeast Michigan. Composed of the region’s four key business accelerators– Ann Arbor SPARK, Automation Alley, Macomb-OU INCubator, and TechTown, the organization will work collaboratively to share best practices, host events focused on addressing issues and goals that impact southeast Michigan, support business plan development, and leverage funding to grow business in the region.

The Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan is supported through a three-year, $3 million grant from the New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan.

About The New Economy Initiative

The New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan (NEI) is an innovative philanthropic effort to accelerate the transition of metro Detroit to an innovation-based economy that expands opportunity for all. Ten national, regional and local foundations have committed $100 million to this unprecedented eight-year initiative, including the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan (Detroit, Michigan), the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation (Southfield, Michigan), the Ford Foundation (New York, New York), the Hudson-Webber Foundation (Detroit, Michigan), the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (Battle Creek, Michigan), the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation (Miami, Florida), The Kresge Foundation (Troy, Michigan), the McGregor Fund (Detroit, Michigan), the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation (Flint, Michigan), and the Skillman Foundation (Detroit, Michigan). The participating foundations are leading the implementation and governance of the Initiative. The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, which initiated the collaborative, is serving as its administrative home. For more information, please visit http://neweconomyinitiative.cfsem.org/.

About the University Research Corridor

Michigan’s University Research Corridor (URC) is an alliance of the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University with a vision to contribute toward the transformation of Michigan’s economy.

The URC is among the top R&D clusters in the nation (compared with regions of the USA such as Route 128 in Boston, Research Triangle in North Carolina, and Silicon Valley in Northern California) for producing patents, new business, and graduates with high-tech related degrees needed in growing new fields. In addition, the three universities serve as a magnet in helping to attract new business to the state of Michigan. http://urcmich.org/.

About Business Leaders for Michigan

Business Leaders for Michigan (www.BusinessLeadersforMichigan.com), the state’s business roundtable, is dedicated to making Michigan a “Top Ten” state for job and economic growth.

The organization is composed exclusively of the chairpersons, chief executives or most senior executives of Michigan’s largest companies and universities, which provide over 300,000 jobs in Michigan, generate over $1 trillion in annual revenue and serve over 130,000 students.

SOURCE Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan

Why is Afribiz choosing to do this now? Just recently, China surpassed both Germany and Japan to become the 2nd largest economy in the world and while consumer demand continues to lag in the West it grows in developing economies. Dynamics like these are setting the stage for the next generation of consumer and business markets, including those in Africa. Also, as Brazil, Russia, India and China continue to grow, they increasingly engaging Africa as the next emerging region. Lauri Elliott, Chief Strategist and author of “101 Leverage Points for Doing Business in Africa” adds, “That’s a powerful sign of things to come.” The time is now for businesses and investors to position themselves in African countries.

Africa like any region these days has business challenges, but there are many examples of success from entrepreneurs to large corporations – people like American,Timothy Maurice Webster, a personal brand strategist, serial entrepreneur, and author of “Personovation” in South Africa and large companies like Press Corp, a multinational firm originating in Malawi. Elliott says, “We want to see masses of success stories like these. We want to see success as the rule, not the exception.”

The format for the teleconferences is different than most on Africa. Participants get to pose ideas and issues to the Afribiz team and community both before, during and after each teleconference, as well as engaging with each other. It’s a dynamic “web” of learning and sharing versus linear models. It’s also diverse because of the range of individuals involved and we know that diverse teams often produce better outputs. While not quite crowdsourcing, “Afribiz hopes to see that potential unleashed on designing profitable business models in Africa,” says Elliott.

The teleconferences run twice a month from September to December 2010, starting on September 9. In addition to the free teleconferences, Afribiz is offering a series of “Engage the Expert” webinars on relevant, timely information and insights into African markets. The first webinar is “Understanding the Business Opportunities in the Nigerian Consumer Markets,” which is being held on September 29, 2010.

To register for the free teleconferences, visit http://www.afribiz.info/?p=8092

“We opened our doors in 2008 leaving us in a unique position. We don’t have the bad loan baggage that has crippled the lending power of some other banks,” says Vibra Bank Chairman Enrique Schon. “The timing has given us the ability to be fully committed to actively lending in San Diego.  We have lots of capital and no non-performing loans.”

Vibra Bank understands that securing the funds to support or start a small business is not just a necessity for operation, but can be the lynch pin that can make or break a dream.

“We are so grateful that it turned out this way and we are getting a chance to live our dream, but it came very close to not happening,” says Karen Kampf, owner of Kyss Boutique in Carlsbad. “And that would have been a shame because it won’t be General Electric or IBM that takes us out of this recession; it will be the mom-and-pop stores.”

Kampf and her partner Carla Woolover had already been turned down by two banks for a conventional loan, and were days away from giving up the retail lease they’d signed when Vibra Bank came through with an SBA loan.

“There has been a lot of press lately about banks that have slowed down lending; There certainly have been a lot of banks with problems that can distract them from establishing new business,” says Vibra Bank President and CEO Scott Parker.  ”If we can support a business that is trying to expand and we feel that it makes good business sense for everyone, we will do it.  It’s good for people looking for work and it’s good for the community.”

About Vibra Bank:

Vibra Bank was founded in July 2008 as a bi-cultural community bank specializing in serving specializing in small to medium sized businesses and individuals in all of San Diego County. At Vibra Bank, our desire is to empower and inspire our customers to reach their goals and full potential with the support of the Bank’s resources and our commitment to building quality relationships.  The Bank’s stock trades under the symbol (OTC Bulletin Board: VBBK).

www.vibrabank.com

Dr. Tarek El-Sadany, Senior Advisor to the Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Egypt for Technology Policies, will be leading the panel discussion on “The future of IT innovation in a multilingual, global operation,” with Ahmed N. Tantawy, Director of Egypt’s Nanotechnology Center, and Hisham Sanad, Chairman, CEO and co-founder of egabi Solutions. The panelists will be discussing the emerging importance of technology innovation and key collaborations with multinational companies. The session will take place on Tuesday, August 24 at 2:40 pm at the Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes room #1.

“Egypt recognizes that a country’s capacity for innovation and entrepreneurship is a critical contributor to success in today’s competitive global marketplace,” said Dr. El-Sadany. “That’s why Egypt has invested heavily in the education and training over the past decade, resulting in a highly technical, multilingual workforce, a modern and safe business environment and cost-competitive services that foster the free flow of business innovation.”

Dr. El-Sadany adds, “With the government’s backing and support, Egypt will help companies and organizations by providing an environment where innovators and entrepreneurs can thrive. Through multinational collaboration and partnerships, entrepreneurs will focus on building ground-breaking business models and further creating or developing existing capabilities to solve problems. Egypt has so much to offer and, together with our clients, ITIDA is the guiding force for technology innovation, investment and development across Egypt.”

This year’s conference theme is “Drivers for Growth and Innovation”, highlighting the emerging and fast growing high-tech industry in China. Featured keynote and panel sessions will cover a variety of topics, including “China Leading the Next Wave of Innovation”, “Demystifying Science Parks in China”, and “Investments from VC Perspective”. Robin Li, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Baidu, Inc. and Qi Lu, President of Online Services Group of Microsoft, will give a keynote speech and also share their experience and insights of today’s high-tech industry, as well as future growth and opportunities.

MAJOR THEMES OF 2010 CONFERENCE

-Clean-Tech

-Global Services Panel 1 & 2

-China Leading the Next Wave of Innovation

-Entrepreneurship in China

-Demystifying Science Parks in China

-Investments from VC Perspective

-Social Entrepreneurship

-Thinking Through Exit Strategy

-Entrepreneurship in China

China Delegations

This year we are greatly honored to have multiple delegations from China. These delegations represent well known government agencies and corporations. They will actively engage in panel discussions and showcases and also provide a dedicated speech about opportunities, trends and talents needs in China. They will answer live questions and inquiries from audience and attendees in China. Among confirmed delegations are:

• Shanda Holdings, is a leading game and media company based at Shanghai.
• Beijing Overseas Talent Center, which is a government ran recruiting agency that specifically focuses at bringing overseas Chinese elites back to China.
• Beijing ZhongGuanCun Management Committee, which is the managing organization that oversees and supports the largest science and high tech park in China.
• Mayor’s office, ShenZhen.
• Beijing Legend Star, which is the one of the very first private organization that focuses on nurturing entrepreneurship in China.

More information on the event as well as speaking information can be found on http://www.hysta.org/ac2010/

Never has the demand of green city been that pressing before because of the limits of carrying capacity of economy and environment. The China Green City Summit 2010 is to explore the market itself and newly released policies and regulations. The summit will provide a platform to bring together international experts and leaders to address concerns, put forward proposals and eventually agree on the solutions. Distinguished industry leaders and experts will be gathered here to address concerns in urban planning, renewable energy, waste management, green building, and public transportation.

During the next ten years, China will be in a rapid urbanization development stage. The green city strategy is in full swing with the support from government, which benefits the China environment protection industry to a great extent.

This summit will be held at Hilton, Chongqing, China.

Mr Benjamin Chau, Deputy Executive Director of HKTDC, is visiting New Zealand and Australia to highlight Hong Kong’s advantages and the importance of HKTDC services. He will meet with government and trade sector entities to discuss areas of business co-operation to maximise trade potential and establish closer trade ties between New Zealand and Hong Kong.

Hong Kong’s unrivalled advantages

Hong Kong and New Zealand have forged even closer bonds this year. Hong Kong, China – New Zealand Closer Economic Partnership Agreement provides a total elimination of tariffs on all Hong Kong’s exports to New Zealand in the coming six years, whilst Hong Kong offers tariff free treatment to all New Zealand originating products when the agreement comes into force in late 2010.

The total trade value between Hong Kong and New Zealand increased 14% to US$454 million (NZ$626 million) in the first half of 2010. ‘We believe the agreement opens up new business opportunities and will further boost bilateral trade volume in the years ahead. It also enables New Zealand companies to use Hong Kong as a stepping stone to explore market opportunities in the Chinese mainland’. Mr Chau told at a media briefing.

Hong Kong has unparalleled geographical, economic and political advantages for doing business, making it the world’s freest economy for 16 consecutive years and the second largest foreign direct investment (FDI) recipient in Asia and the 4th largest FDI recipient in the world.

Hong Kong is the most important entrepot of the Chinese mainland. Under the agreement, the free flow of goods between Hong Kong and New Zealand enables New Zealand businesses to capitalise on market opportunities in the Chinese mainland. In the first half of 2010, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Chinese mainland grew to 11.1%.

Hong Kong’s advantages make it extremely attractive to New Zealand companies. The number of New Zealand exhibitors to HKTDC fairs increased 150% in the past 3 years.

Ideal trading platforms to illustrate the best part of New Zealand

Agriculture is the main export industry of New Zealand and main export items to Hong Kong includes meat, fruits and dairy products, in addition to its booming wine exports. In the first half of 2010, New Zealand exported wine worth of US$3 million (NZ$4 million) to Hong Kong, up 51% from same period last year. After the wine tax was abolished in 2008, Hong Kong emerged as a major wine trading hub and HKTDC Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair (4-6 November) is the ideal trading platform for New Zealand wines and spirits.

“Hong Kong, the only region in the world with no VAT and no wine tax, poses huge benefits to New Zealand wines. 40 New Zealand winemakers joined the Wine Fair in 2009, with a 4-fold increase from 2008, reflecting their strong interest in our Wine Fair,” Mr Chau said.

New Zealand also has a long history of sheep farming. It is the second largest producer of wool after Australia and the largest producer of strong wool. HKTDC Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter (17-20 January 2011) and HKTDC Hong Kong International Home Textiles Fair (20-23 April 2011) are ideal platforms for New Zealand wool companies as the fairs’ scale and international buyer profile give worldwide marketing, branding and trading opportunities.

The medical device market is booming as the world’s population ages. In New Zealand, the medical technology sector is emerging strongly with around 100 enterprises in this sector. HKTDC Hong Kong International Medical Devices and Supplies Fair (3-5 November) is a recognised trade platform dedicated to this niche market, allowing New Zealand to promote products and innovations to an international audience.

To encourage trade development in a wide range of sectors, HKTDC trade fairs cover industries which are well-established or which have growth potential, including toys, jewellery, houseware, gifts, eyewear and eco products.

“Supported by quality international exhibitors and buyers, our fairs present golden opportunities for New Zealand traders to gain the latest market intelligence and, most important of all, make alliances and develop business in Asia and beyond,” Mr Chau concluded.

Presented by Infusionsoft, the leader in Email Marketing 2.0 for small business, the Conquer & Grow super small business conference is unlike any event because of its exclusive lineup of expert-led panels geared specifically at helping the small business entrepreneur.

From Michel Gerber, author of the blockbuster book The E-Myth, to John Jantsch, who’s been called the world’s most practical small business expert, to Bill Glazer and Rich Sloan, attendees will get face-time with some of the world’s most recognized small business experts. Other presenters include: Pamela Slim, author of Escape from Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur, Rich Schefren and Brian Johnson of Strategic Profits, and Mark Victor Hansen, best-selling author of The One Minute Millionaire and The Power of Focus.

These small business experts are teaming up with the founders of Infusionsoft and authors of the best-seller Conquer the Chaos: How to Grow a Successful Small Business Without Going Crazy, Clate Mask and Scott Martineau, to provide small business owners with real tips, practical advice and motivation in the areas of sales, marketing, customer and prospect management, culture and the life/work balance.

Highlights from this year’s agenda include:

• What I’ve Learned: How the Lessons of E-Myth Still Apply Today
  Michael Gerber, Author, The E-Myth and Awakening the Entrepreneur Within
• How to Turn Your Business into a Referral Engine
  John Jantsch, Author, Referral Engine and Duct Tape Marketing
• Lessons Learned in Growth and Conquering the Chaos
  Clate Mask and Scott Martineau, authors, Conquer the Chaos: How to Grow a Successful Small Business Without Going Crazy, Cofounders of Infusionsoft

• Creating a Company that’s Built to Last
  Rich Sloan, Cofounder and Chief Startupologist, Startup Nation

To see the complete lineup of speakers and panel sessions check out www.conquerandgrow.com for details. Registration for Conquer & Grow is now open at http://conquerandgrow.com/sign-up.

SMI has 13 branches throughout Malaysia with 3,000 indirect members plus 500 direct members, comprising organizations and companies.

Entrepreneurs from 15 countries are participating in the 2010 awards and submissions are being accepted from Botswana, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia. A total of US$350,000 will be awarded to the winners, with the funds directed towards growth and strategic reinvestment within the respective companies. The competition is open to all profitable businesses that have been in existence for a minimum of three years and have annual revenues between US$2-$25 million. With the August 31st deadline for applications fast approaching, interested companies are encouraged to visit the Africa Awards website soon to ensure their submissions are included.

More details here.

Four winners were chosen out of a dozen finalists – one each from the National Capital Region (NCR), Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.  A special prize was given by Starbucks to the finalist whose proposal best exemplified the values of a responsible business. To help propel their business, each winning team received Php100,000 as seed capital and a business incubation and mentorship scheme courtesy of Social Enterprise Development Partnerships Inc. (SEDPI). In addition, all the finalists received project management and feasibility training from SEDPI based on a curriculum designed by the Ateneo de Manila University and the National University of Singapore.

Find out more here.

The Forum which will also run an international exhibition is expected to attract 300 participants both from EAC and Turkey drawn from specific sectors such as textiles, clothing, agriculture, construction -Real Estate Development; Infrastructure; Mining and Natural Resources; and Tourism.

More in the original article.

“Instead, $5,967 was generated on municibid.com for the general fund.”

Founder & CEO, Greg Berry said, “Taxpayer demand and tightened budgets require government agencies to look for new ways of increasing non-tax revenue, municibid is an easy way to earn more money for surplus at no cost to the agency.” municibid.com does not charge the seller a commission, listing fee or any other charges. “That is not the only reason why government agencies should be using municibid.” Berry said, adding “Auction items will reach a much broader, national and global audience of competing bidders.”

In one example, two Massachusetts towns including the City of Boston used municibid.com to sell vehicles instead of their usual method of selling surplus items. “Listing locally, the city of Salem would have made $100 or $200 for each of the eight vehicles listed,” said Tom Watkins, acting purchasing agent. “Instead, $5,967 was generated on municibid.com for the general fund.” “It’s a good way to get better pricing, because we’re reaching a much broader audience,’’ Watkins explained, adding that bids came from as far away as Pennsylvania.

The Pottstown, Pennsylvania based municibid.com is different from other government auction websites because it lists items all over the social web to target bidders of specific items. It integrates into the social media world via facebook, twitter, YouTube, Linkedin and more.

Government merchandise is now a click away from a huge online audience, resulting in more bids and more money. The selling process is fast and the service is easy to use.

In 2007, Berry, as a member of a town council, launched the site after seeing firsthand the burdensome process of selling borough merchandise for little money using the sealed bid process.

“Some government agencies are slow to adopt technology to solve problems, but this is a no brainer, they earn much more for their items, it’s easy to use and it’s free,” said Berry, “it just works,” he added.

About municibid.com

municibid.com is an online government auction platform designed for government agencies at all levels to more effectively sell surplus, forfeitures and other no longer needed items. municibid.com gives the general public a more convenient and much less intimidating platform to bid on government surplus. If you’re with a government agency and would like more information on using municibid.com, please contact Greg Berry at greg.berry@municibid.com

The umbrella body known as Kenya Association of Manufacturers ( KAM) said the current laws under the Local Government Act also make it harder to follow how the authorities spend the taxes they collect.

The manufacturers said the concept of the Single Business Permit introduced in the recent past has failed to be implemented effectively because businesses still pay additional taxes even after getting that permit.

A previous study commissioned by KAM captured 1,325 of which 315 licenses were recommended for elimination, 379 for simplification, 294 licenses were retained while 337 were recommended for further scrutiny.

More here.

“The aim is $12 billion bilateral by 2012,” Vinayak, who handles the chamber’s Africa desk, told IANS. The two-way trade stood at $7 billion last year. The organizers have identified pharmaceuticals, healthcare, food processing, automobiles, components, biotechnology, information technology, telecommunications, infrastructure, roads and railways as the focus areas of the four-day show.

More information here.

This “Academy Award” styled party which will happen from 7.30pm to 10.30pm would see an estimated 250 people comprising members of the YES Advisory Panel, Partners, sponsors, members of the Media and youths from different Universities and Colleges joining this celebration of Entrepreneurship.

The “YES 2 Red Carpet” party serves to recognize and celebrate the commendable efforts, commitment, dedication and success of the YES teams along the journey of the YES 2 challenge. The highlight of the party will be the crowning of the YES 2 Challenge Grand Prize winner, who will walk away with RM 20,000 in cash and prizes.

The Red Carpet event is also a recognition night for the YES 2 teams, as they have chosen the path less travelled and persisted in their pursuit in becoming Youth Entrepreneurs, who would serve as role models for the next generation of youths.

The teams that went through a gruesome process of shortlisting and elimination (from a total of 40 teams) to reach the TOP 5 spots are:

Cup Chatter, Greenergy, SYCo, Dreamzland, and Voila!

Mr. UV Wong, Director of MoneyTree and Organizing Chairman of the YES Challenge stated, “The YES Challenge has evolved over the past year as we strive to make YES a platform to not only allow young aspiring Entrepreneurs to acquire the skills, knowledge and experience in Entrepreneurship, but also as a platform for commercialization of ideas. In fact, we are proud to announce that we recently commercialized and launched MOB, Mainstream Online Buzz, a Social Media Marketing Agency that was the result of the YES Challenge. The August 6th Party will be a celebration of the success of the YES 2 teams, as we look forward to helping more Young Aspiring Entrepreneurs commercialize their ideas and turn their dreams into reality.”

While the YES 2 Red Carpet Party marks the end of season 2 of YES, it also marks the beginning of the teams’ journey into the world of Entrepreneurship.

The YES 2 Challenge Red Carpet party is sponsored by Maybank, Malaysia’s Premier bank & CPA Australia.

The YES challenge is a business challenge organized by MoneyTree to help Young, Vibrant Entrepreneur Aspirants launch their business ideas into the market and ultimately turn those ideas into profitable ventures. The challenge not only allows young Entrepreneurs / aspiring Entrepreneurs to learn skills that would sharpen their Entrepreneurial mindsets, but to also provide them with the opportunity to experience the practical applications of the Entrepreneurial skills they acquired through the MoneyTree Entrepreneur Fast Track program. Ultimately, YES teams who have proven their worth would be channelled to government pre-seed grants for full commercialization of their ideas.

The event is expected to be attended by over 400 business heads and corporate leaders including CEOs, Directors, and senior managers while it will also receive extensive media coverage in both print and electronic media. Jang Group and Geo TV are our official media partners.

The conference aims remain to:

• Provide unique insight and support entrepreneurs
• Provide a networking platform to forge business partnerships
• Introduce MPF members to the corporate and business world at large
• Provide an international perspective on entrepreneurial issues

through ideas and thoughts by leading Pakistani and international speakers.

More details here.