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National
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Week of January 19 - 23, 2004Welcome to the National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship and E-News, an electronic newsletter sponsored by the Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City for followers of the entrepreneurial economy. Through E-News, we bring you short summaries and analyses of various trends driving the innovation economy. Please feel free to share this with friends and colleagues. To subscribe, visit www.publicforuminstitute.org/nde/join/ Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Released Funded by the Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City, Babson
College and the London Business School have again produced the Global
Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), a report that tracks entrepreneurial
activity around the world. This year’s report offers a snapshot of the
entrepreneurial economy in 41 countries and includes some good news for
the US, as entrepreneurial activity is rising.
In 2003, 11.3 percent of American adults were engaged in
entrepreneurial activity, a slight rise from 2002’s level of 10.5%.
Overall, Chile, Korea, New Zealand, Venezuela, and Uganda ranked
as the most entrepreneurial countries. The least entrepreneurial
economies included Sweden, Netherlands, Taiwan, Croatia, Japan, Russia,
and Poland. To access the report, visit http://www.kauffman.org/pages/407.cfm High Tech Leaders and Competitiveness Fears While entrepreneurship in the US appears to be rising
slightly, many of America’s high technology leaders remain worried
about economic competitiveness. Choose to Compete: How Innovation, Investment and Productivity can Grow American
Jobs and Ensure Competitiveness in the 21st Century,
a new report from the Computer Systems Policy Project (CSPP) paints a
mixed picture of the state of America’s technology economy. The report points to entrepreneurship and innovation as key
strengths of the American system, but it also points to some glaring
problem areas. Improving workforce training, especially in math and
science education, poses a big challenge.
Similarly, challenges from overseas competitors and trade
protection hurt American companies, but the authors argue that US firms
must expand support for global operations and open markets.
The report recommends increased support for science and
technology R&D, and a commitment to maintaining a business climate
open to innovation and entrepreneurship. Choose to Compete: How
Innovation, Investment and Productivity can Grow American Jobs
and Ensure Competitiveness in the 21st Century is
available at: http://www.cspp.org/reports/ChooseToCompete.pdf Tips for Small Town Leaders We regularly write about what’s happening in America’s
rural communities where many leaders are embracing home grown
entrepreneurial businesses. The
National Center for Small Communities (www.smallcommunities.org/ncsc/)
has just
published a new guide that offers a useful road map for these leaders.
Grassroots Rural Entrepreneurship:
Best Practices for Small Communities highlights the
experiences of three communities: Fairfield, Iowa, Broadway, Virginia, and Turner County, South
Dakota. It also offers a
host of suggestions for how regions can get started in putting together
an entrepreneurial development strategy. Grassroots Rural Entrepreneurship: Best Practices for Small Communities
was funded by the Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City as part of its Grassroots
Entrepreneurship Award. To access the report, please visit http://www.smallcommunities.org/ncsc/Kauffman/entrepdefault.htm Top Social Entrepreneurs We often report on rankings of top
entrepreneurial businesses, such as the INC 500. Fast Company magazine (www.fastcompany.com)
has now begun listing the most important social
entrepreneurs—organizations and leaders who often have an even bigger
impact on our societies than fast-growing businesses. The inaugural Social
Capitalist Awards rank organizations according to five categories:
innovation, entrepreneurship, social impact, aspiration, and
sustainability. In addition
to doing good, these organizations are booming. Employment is rising at
an average annual rate of 172%, and revenues are expected to grow by
29.2% in 2003. Moreover, more than 42 different US-based foundations are
now primarily focused on funding social entrepreneurs. The article
profiles groups working in a variety of issue-areas.
Among the groups focused on entrepreneurship and related topics
are: ACCION USA (www.accionusa.org),
the Center for Community Self-Help (www.selfhelp.org),
Microbusiness Development Corporation (www.microbusiness.org),
and Working Today (www.workingtoday.org). The article, “Social Capitalists:
The Top Twenty Groups That are Changing the World,” appears in
the January 2004 edition of Fast Company.
The article is available at http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/78/social_intro.html What’s Ahead in Government
Contracting? While the economy appears to be
picking up, many entrepreneurial businesses are focusing on government
customers. And, with
budgets for homeland security and other areas booming, this focus makes
sense. Washington
Technology, a journal that covers the world of government
contracting, takes a look at what to expect in 2004 in its latest issue.
E-News readers might be especially interested in what’s ahead
for small businesses. Washington
Technology reporters pick three big “issues to watch” in 2004: ·
Public-Private Competition:
The Bush Administration’s efforts to contract out more business
should open up new business opportunities.
But, opposition to “contracting out” is gaining intensity
among federal employees and their unions. ·
Small Business Status:
Under current rules, small businesses certify their status as a
small firm every 20 years. But,
firms can grow and change a great deal in 20 years. As a result, many
big businesses are still viewed as small firms by government agencies. Proposed new rules may require re-certification every five
(or every one) years. ·
Small Business Set Asides:
Congress is trying to expand the amount of government contracts
reserved for small business. Look
for intense debate over these plans. “Forecast 2004:
The Board Game for Government Contractors,” appears in the
January 12, 2004 edition of Washington Technology.
The series is available on-line at: http://www.washingtontechnology.com/news/18_19/cover-stories/22454-1.html |
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