Building a Global Company During a Tough Time
To be sure, a recession poses plenty of challenges to a young company like RENEW. Many investors will hunker down and focus on businesses and business models with which they are comfortably familiar. But, as Daniel Roth of Wired writes (Back to the Garage: How Economic Turmoil Breeds Innovation), the instinct to turn insular during economic difficulty leaves the playing field wide open for up-and-comers:
Developing Critical Thinking Skills
Observations here in Uganda continue to confirm our thoughts about the value addition Renew offers to businesses in Africa. Our ability to provide management consulting expertise to growing enterprises is not only sought after by our investment clients, but by the local leaders whose businesses they fund. Many business owners and local executives are desperate for a management-class workforce here in Uganda— managers that understand and apply analytical thinking to solve the many problems that arise daily in the developing world as a business grows.
Innovating Investor Options By Going Back to the Basics
Last month, Warren Buffett, writing in the New York Times, counseled investors to ”Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. And most certainly,” Buffett continued, ”fear is now widespread, gripping even seasoned investors.”
Making Money From Doing Good
According to a recent article in The New York Times entitled Will ’social capital’ be the next big industry to emerge? the concept of microfinance made alternatives to philanthropy popular. Now other industries and segments of the financial world are following suit.
Want Encouraging News? Look to Africa.
According to a recent article published in The Economist, Africa is expected withstand the current economic decline better than many other parts of the world. Entitled “Opportunity Knocks,” the article appeared in the magazine’s October 9, 2008 print edition.
The author comments that “Despite the litany of problems, the 48 countries of sub-Saharan Africa are, by several measures, enjoying a period of unparalleled economic success. And despite the turmoil in the world’s financial markets, international investors still think they can make money there.”