Thursday, February 17, 2011

Providing hope to developing nations via business


So my lovely wife Donna Kelley, a Professor of Entrepreneurship at Babson College and proud Umass MBA, is giving a presentation in Washington D.C. on "Entrepreneurship and Economic Development" this morning to the State Department and other government agencies advancing the idea of entrepreneurship as a solution to unemployment problems in developing nations.

Many of these countries, like Egypt, have invested heavily in higher education, producing well educated college graduates who then find less opportunity in the job market. Entrepreneurship stimulates the overall economy by providing more--and oftentimes higher paying--employment opportunities.

Individuals can create their own jobs as well as build firms that can employ others when society cannot provide enough jobs. And when people are gainfully employed, they are less likely to engage in desperate, destabilizing activities.

The presentation is based on Global Entrepreneurship Monitor research data culled from 59 economies worldwide.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cool! Maybe they can start health clubs. I hear that turns out great.

Larry Kelley said...

Planet Fitness is still pretty much a regional enterprise and will never see Global light.

Although Madonna just opened a chain of high end (meaning expensive) Heath Clubs worldwide called "Hard Candy Fitness."

Anonymous said...

From a friend:
I was a Teamster union member in NYC when I was very young. So were many people in my family and circle. Jobs were handed down within the circle of family and very few outside the circle could get a job.

Unions kill businesses the same way they infect the states like WI. They limit jobs and are very anti-business growth. I have seen how they put small manufacturers out of business or force them to leave NYC.

Unions are very powerful and dangerous in NYC. So dangerous that Congress will never unionize their workers.

The Police, Fire, Sanitation Dept's in NYC are all unionized. Many make hundreds of thousands $$$ per year with bene's and extra details. Many have "injuries" or excessive overtime when they approach retirement and live like millionaires. They milk the system intensely, learning from the collective bargaining they do to play the system for their maximum gain and very few know what is going on outside the circle.

UNIONS A B C D

Its really quite simple - the new approach by unions is

A) to make Management part of the union - so then your boss can ask "why aren't you a member of my union?" Neat, huh. Aiuto-implied intimidation

B) make collective bargaining mandatory and a time limit to settle. This forces the business to take on the least onerous offers as the union waits out the clock.

C) make every voter show if he votes for or against joining - then the Boss sees that you did not vote for his union!

D) in a union shop, all workers get the same pay. There is no chance for "raises" or Merit pay or bonuses. No upward mobility. You are there and that is it. It was depressing for go getters like myself.

I was a Teamster in my youth in NYC and watched these guys put people out of business on a daily basis. Then I drove a truck for the City and did about half the work I could actually do because you are suppressed by your lazy co-workers.

Unions have just about killed small businesses in every state they are in because they suppress the Human Spirit, Suppress the Secret Ballot, Suppress Entrepreneurship etc

Hey, ask Congress why they will NEVER unionize their staffs and workers!!!

That's right: Congress will NEVER be unionized.

"Way it is for you but not for me America" is the Congressional mantra.