Deepak Chopra, insights

By Malko Ebers, New York, Dec 20th 2014

Seeing Deepak Chopra is always a treat, an uplifting and inspiring event. I would like to share three insights relevant for our daily lives and business as well:

Gratefulness:

The universe and our existence is quite a mystery, if you feel down be aware that our very existence is so unlikely, such a wonder and that most of the universe doesn't think or live, that you are the 0.00001% of all there is so that the mere fact of existing is something to be deeply grateful for.

Purpose:

Think every day for 10 minutes about the purpose of your life, your business and how you can add meaning to your day, organization and activities. 10 minutes every day will change your life, become aware and mindful of what really counts, what you care about and what your passions are. What do you want in life, what is truly important? You will only become great and a master at something if you love what you do, don't settle.

The power of Habits:

Willpower is like a muscle that you strengthen through repetition. However its powers are limited. The elite performers and remarkably successful people in our society share a strong discipline, positive attitude and habits that are ingrained into their daily routines. Each day is a miniature version of your life and time management is life management. The habits you develop step by step set you free from addictions, give you more time, focus and control over your life. Start developing routines and positive habits one step at a time, day by day and they become part of who you are and want to be.

Good governance and responsible leadership are the key to Africa's and the world's future.

Anybody studying governance and the state of the world can see that we have tremendous progress over the last decade, the world is becoming more peaceful and more prosperous as people migrate to cities, democracies spread and global trade increases.

However, we still have a long way to go and business can just operate effectively in a fair and free society, in a system that gives life chances and doesn't waste a single talent and creative mind.

The role of responsible leadership is cruicial in inspiring and empowering followers and protecting the rights of vulnerable groups.

The people of Africa demand better government, more responsible leadership and participation. Just a week after shake hands with Burkino Faso's president Blaise Compaore he was ousted from power having neglected his people's strive for change and reform.

Companies and governments can no longer and should never neglect the needs of their constituency. The world has become more flat, transparent and integrated than ever before - good corporate citizenship and governance has developed from being a compliance issue and legal requirement to an essential part of how organizations are run and structured.

Our company New York Business Consultants is teaching leaders to be responsible, to implement so called triple bottom lines and corporate social responsibility policies because we believe that only responsible leadership that takes the social and ecological impact of one's decision sinto account leads to sustainable economic performance.

To learn more how to apply this to your organization, reach out to info@newyorkbusinessconsultants.com

We need more African and emerging market brands!

By Malko Ebers, CEO New York Business Consultants

Sept 02nd 2014, New York City

Isn't it amazing you can spend your entire lifetime in America or in Germany or another 'Western' country and you will probably never encounter an African brand. Yes, globalization is real, the information economy is real and we are all connected but brands from emerging markets? How many do you know, which ones matter to you?

Yes, your t-shirt might have been made in Vietnam, your car is German, your smartphone from Japan, your wine from Spain and you own hundreds of products from all over the world. We depend on each other, global supply chains and connections are incredible they are part of our economies and daily choices as consumers - we probably wear items from a dozen countries when we leave the house. But are we just 5% aware of where our products are from, of the complexity of what makes this wonder of supply possible? Of course not.

We are however aware of brands. Look at the above image. It shows mostly US brands and I am sure you know plenty of them, a five year old kid pretty much anywhere on the world could recognize thge McDonalds sign and would know what it means, which products and services to get there.

Companies spend hundreds of billions of dollars a year on advertisement, it is like a tv-industrial complex and you can't escape. From online pop up windows to the daily mails offering you another credit card, to mails offering you to switch to the fastest internet to...an endless stream of communication, brands screaming at you 24/7...all while we have more choices than ever and less time.

In this multibillion dollar battle for attention any less wealthy companies have a tough time engaging their customers - but the internet makes it possible, it makes it possible to target customers for a low budget and for particular business, let's say a local coffee place.

What we should see is that commodity producers start developing their own brands which will allow them to sell directly to customers via ecommerce and to directly approach retailers and distributors. If you for example produce coffee or cocoa it is a very tough business to be in because your product doesn't differentiate from any other producer. Your business depends on world market prices and that makes you vulnerable and your business risky. If you sell coffee beans then you get 20 cents for the cup that Starbucks sells for $7dollars! You can do the exercise for any commodity. So where is the money? The answer: in brands and processed commodities, this is where the added value is. You won't get much for your coffee beans or your oranges doesn't matter how good your business is but for a branded coffee or juice it looks extremely different.

With our partners in Africa, India and other emerging marketplaces we observe that these economies rely far to heavily on commodities. Many of the producers should ddevelop their own brands and should proactively do business development in other countries to 'fight for shelve space' to open flagship stores and to find their way to the hearts and minds of consumers.

I want to see more African and other brands from around the world, it would create a fairer world and richer consumer experience. If we just have a handful of Western brands everywhere, if we only see H&Ms and McDonalds from new York to Shanghai and Lagos it would be boring and very few people would benefit. The internet and ecommerce, the opportunity to engage consumers globally give us unique opportunities to change this structure and to develop a more rich and pluralized brand landscape for the benefit of all.

& If we can give you a helping hand how to develop and market your service or product, how to create a brand that sells in the Us or Germany, get in touch at info@newyorkbusinessconsultants.com or toll free 1-800-481-2707

Danke Sehr and Thank You

A gesture makes a big difference in intercultural organizations (and in life)

By Malko Ebers, Sept 02nd 2014, New York

I recently spoke to a German manager who had been transferred from Germany to the US subsidiary of her company. Everything seemed to work out smoothly but after some time more and more of her team members started leaving the company. This raised suspicion and became a real problem for the business unit. Identifying and attracting talent and filling vacant positions is a costly process and can significantly disturb work processes. What was the problem?

A consultant is often called to action when a symptom becomes so clear that is causes problems and affects the bottom line, meaning it is felt financially. However, a symptom is not the problem as any doctor would be able to confirm. Employee motivation and retention can be a complex problem that has to be analyzed holistically involving supervision, leadership, incentive structures but also the individual situation of each employee. What turned out to be the main reason for loss of employee motivation and high turnover was rather surprisingly: Danke and thank you!

In Germany a rather collective culture with high so called uncertainty avoidance (according to researcher Hofstede) rules and regulation, clear processes and directions are commonly well established in the corporate governance and cultural structure. In other words, employees are given clear roles and responsibilities in a job description and it is taken for granted that they carry out their duties and report to their supervisors. In America however, one of the most individualistic cultures individual recognition is extremely important for corporate culture and employee motivation.

Our German manager had expected that US employees would behave the way German employees would, she would just not consider it necessary to say thank you, to give more individual recognition and reward. We do see this very often that one can not take for granted what works in one culture does so in another. There is not the one right way but organizational effectiveness and leadership styles are strongly embedded in our national and organizational cultures.

As consultants it is our responsibility to treat a problem as an analytically case, we need to find the 'theory in use' of what truly motivates behavior and impacts outcomes.

Often large impact such as high employee turnover is caused by something small such as taking a thank you for granted. It is not, expressing gratitude and giving individual reward and recognition is a powerful tool. In our organizations we don't want to take effort and contribution for granted but should recognize and reward it which builds a community and stronger team spirit and corporate culture.

A Chinese Virtual Office: The Quick and Easy way to Start Expanding Into China

A Chinese Virtual Office: The Quick and Easy way to Start Expanding Into China

By NYBC Business Associate Marc Jarret, June 21st 2014

http://uk.linkedin.com/in/marcjarrett

As anyone who has ever tried expanding into China can testify, the process of so doing can be fraught with difficulties: over and above the cultural and linguistical challenges, there are a raft of potential obstacles which include compliance with Government policies and labor laws, as well the obligations associated with insurance, leasing of offices and hiring of staff.

This having been said, the potential of this vast and fast growing market are simply too big to ignore: China is the world's fastest-growing major economy, with growth rates averaging 9.8% over the past 30 years and it could become the world's largest economy sometime as early as 2020.

If your Business transcends the national boundaries of your domestic market, China should therefore be at the top of your list of countries to target as part of your globalization efforts. Understandably though, the difficulties associated with entering China often act as a barrier for taking the first tentative steps into this enormous market.

However, there is a way to circumvent these obstacles - instead of committing yourself to the costs and headaches associated with opening an office in China, you can easily create the impression to potential Chinese customers or partners that you are already operational there by creating a virtual one instead.

Reading an English language only website and calling an overseas number remains a practical and psychological barrier for people in most countries, including China. It is therefore important that prospects can contact you in Chinese and by means of a domestic telephone number, as opposed to an international one.

Inbound calls to your Chinese number must be answered in Mandarin or Cantonese, depending on which region of China the caller is located. Call center agents that answer such calls must be trained so that they have at least a basic understanding of your particular product or service. They should then make available to you such leads in English. Any follow-up activity should of course be conducted in the caller's native language.

Your new Chinese number can then easily be added to the 'contact us' section of your website which thanks to the global architecture of the World Wide Web all potential customers located in China will be able to see. Even better, you can create a Chinese section of your website and there are a wide range of translation companies who will only be too happy to help you in this process.

If you elect to have a Chinese standalone version of your website, then work with a company that can help you get listed on Baidu, China's answer to Google. Doing so will greatly improve the chances of being found by potential Chinese customers who are actively seeking out your particular goods or services.

By establishing a virtual Chinese office, you will be able to capitalize on the opportunities on the afforded by this colossal market at a fraction of the costs and risks associated with setting up a real one.

Why small businesses fail big

and how to succeed against the odds

Malko Ebers, June 11th 2014

A high school student had sent me an email asking me why so many small businesses fail? A very good question. Entrepreneurs start the venture of being in business with passion, energy and ideas so how come that the average lifespan of a business is just a couple of years and that after 18 months according to Forbes 8 out of 10 entrepreneurs have given up? The Coca Cola, Ford and Walt Disney type of companies are the exception to the rule, companies that have adapted, mastered crises and have established cultures and values that have endured individuals and their corporate functions.

Based on my experience as a business consultant and dealing with entrepreneurs from all industries and walks of life I see three main reasons why small businesses fail so often.

1. Failure is normal in business and small businesses are no exception. Like in evolution adaption to changing circumstances is crucial. A now much bigger global marketplace requires constant adaption and innovation and a very high attention and commitment level. The learning curve is steep in many industries and small business owners often don't have the time, attention and resource commitment necessary to survive the toughest initial growth phase. As a small business owner you typically can't compete based on price, so your product/service has to focus on a niche, it has to be remarkable and add value. Even then small businesses often lack the capital to bring a good business model to scale so they don't get taken over or priced out by the competition.

2. Know thyself was written over the oracle of Delfi in Greece - applied to business this means know your resources, core competences and who your customers are. It takes time to build a network and reputation and a lot of small business owners don't have the necessary support structures and patience to build a referral network of loyal customers. It sounds simple but the longer you stay in the game the higher the likelihood of success, you will gain experience and grow your referral network.

3. A small business owner can't sufficiently diversify and spread the risk, especially financial risk and therefore even good business models can easily run out of cash. The business owner is basically the business in the initial startup phase, the face of the company representing the brand so any healthcare issues for example, financial burden unrelated to the business to 'life happening to us' directly affects the business without having a team and governance structure to buffer external shocks. 

Other issues that are common are late payments of your clients, as a small business you typically depend disproportionately on timely payment by a few important customers. Also as a small business owner you work often too much in your business (wearing all hats yourself) instead of on the business (strategy, client relationships).

Being in business and bringing something new to the world, giving birth to an idea and adding value to other people's lives, solving problems is something beautiful. Despite all challenges entrepreneurship is part of the university of life, it teaches us something new every day. You will make mistakes but each mistake is an opportunity to learn to 'know thyself' and what you bring to the world. My advise would be to answer the why question, to surround yourself with a team and people you enjoy working with and to focus on solving problems you can be passionate about. That way no minute will be wasted and you will plant the seed for further growth.

Sustainability and the Future of Fashion

Interview of Leyla Kazimova, Director Future Fashion Day

By Madeline Tanamal for New York Business Consultants LLC

1. Tell me briefly about Future Fashion Day.

It is a day when we celebrate ethical fashion and share knowledge about it, not only in terms of business, but also in terms of production processes, supply chain in general – economics of ethical fashion and its implications. We want to educate general audience about the opportunities and we want to deepen knowledge of those already in the industry. We want to show that ethical fashion is about style and uniqueness, because behind every piece of garment there is a story. And we want to tell that story.

2. How would you define sustainable fashion?

I prefer using the word ethical fashion because the word “sustainable” is already loaded with many both positive and negative connotations. As I have mentioned every piece of garment has a story behind and this story is about people, who work to make it, resources they use, and environment they change with every piece produced. That is why I would define ethical fashion as industry which is responsible for fair employee payments – social responsibility, fair market prices – economical responsibility, fair treatment of the environment and natural resources – ecological responsibility. On top of it comes design of course, because to me, among other factors that is what is driving the whole industry nowadays. The times have passed when sustainable fashion was bleak and itchy.

3. And with reference to that definition, why do you think it is important for fashion to be sustainable?

Because there is no other way for us unless we want to destroy the world we live in.

4. I would say that sustainable fashion is often more expensive than traditional fashion. How would you convince people to switch to sustainable fashion?

I would appeal to the story who and how produced this particular piece of clothes, I also would appeal to the timelessness of it. Last but not least – to the quality of it – it lasts longer, it is pleasure to wear it. I have many pieces of ethically produced clothes, but my favorites are sneakers made in Brazil. Great design! And I know exactly how the supply chain works with this label and I cannot really describe the feeling when I wear them! It is like I connect to those people who made it possible for me to wear these amazing shoes. And they are truly amazing, I must say, very comfortable and robust – I have been wearing them for 3 seasons already and for me it is really long.

5. How receptive is the world and are consumers with regards to sustainable fashion?

It is so different depending on where you are! If we take general audience – the knowledge is better in Europe (but this is only according my own observations of course). If we take Canada for example, it depends: in Vancouver, BC people are more aware about the issues in the ethical fashion industry than in Toronto, ON for example. Again, this is my own observation, and I have not been travelling a lot in Asia or in South America. But of course, the awareness is growing and unfortunately only after people hear shocking news similar to the Rana Plaza catastrophe.

6. What is your outlook on sustainable fashion?

It is the only way and therefore I am very positive that sooner or later ethical lifestyle will become not something special but our everyday normalcy. 

Bio & contact info: 

Leyla Kazimova is the director of ‘Future Fashion Day’, previous president of the environmental activist group oikos Konstanz and a passionate advocate for sustainability and civil society. Leyla is from Azerbaijan, speaks six languages and received her international education from Baku University, Konstanz and York University- a true global citizen.  Leyla holds a degree in Economic Cybernetics, a BA in British and American Studies/Business and is now.finishing her MA in  British and American Studies/Brand Management at the University of Konstanz, Germany.

Future Fashion Day was initiated by Leyla in 2013 as one of oikos Konstanz Chapter projects. Leyla’s plan is to develop Future Fashion Day into something more than a short term project.

To learn more contact: Leyla Kazimova at: Leyla.kazimova@gmail.com

Join us April 11th 2014 for Peace Ink. 6pm 49W 24th street

Meet our distinguished authors and have a great time Organized by the NYC Peace Museum we are are facilitating a dialogue about peace and making a difference. See you soon.

Tickets at: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/peace-ink-tickets-7433556969?aff=es2&rank=0&sid=e377a3aeb75911e3baf412313d2241ae

Maximum Sales

By: Steve Young, esm4, Inc.

After twenty-five plus years of sales experience working with companies as visible as Chevron, as prestigious as the production firm for the Oscars and Emmys, and clients whose names are among the most famous in the world—including Walmart, Estee Lauder, Coca-Cola, Intel, Viacom, Motorola—I can assure you that there is no simple solution for maximum sales.  Maximum sales is achieved by tapping potential.  

There are no simple answers to questions about how sales excellence can be achieved and sustained.  Any simple summation—“persist,” “follow-through,” “listen,” “maintain a positive attitude,” etc.—amounts to very little, since platitudes and references to specific practices are all that can be said simply.  Names of practices and platitudes constitute the superficial level of actual concepts.  And concepts have dimensions and layers that involve complex thought, which require explanations in order to be understood.  Although there are no simple answers, answers do exist.  The following article offers answers to the questions about how to maximize sales and achieve sales reliably. 

Starting Point

In order to achieve maximum sales, you must pursue maximum sales; incremental growth is no longer a sufficient accomplishment for your business.  Prepare accordingly:  your Sales operation must include the following four “sales pillars”: 

Sales strategy

Strategy provides the rationale for engagement and the nutriment of sales opportunities;

Sales process

Process provides developmental procedures for the “what,” “why,” and “how” of sales activities;

Sales training

Training provides relevant instruction to sales representation according to the strategy and process;

Sales management

Management safeguards—monitors, evaluates, nurtures—sales progress. 

These sales pillars are required elements for maximum sales for virtually every revenue-oriented company.   With your sales pillars in place, the next step to consider is your sales standard.

The Standard of Sales Excellence

If you employ salespeople or proactively sell a product or service by another means, you have a sales standard.   Sales improvement is satisfied with an increase in qualities and quantities of various sales activities.  Optimization satisfies a company’s potential to sell its products and services to its full extent.  Improve your sales standard and you will improve your sales.  This applies to every business, regardless of its type, size, or the number of salespeople employed. 

In any given company, parts of a Sales operation may include:

·    The salesperson or sales team

·    The sales manager or person who manages sales

·    Support staff

·    Sales materials

·    Sales goals

·    Organizational system—CRM

·    The competition

·    The company’s market position

·    Sales support data

Your sales standard is an aggregate of three distinct criteria:

            (1) Performance—the minimum performance level that you require from the various parts of     

            your Sales operation;

            (2) Response—the requirements for how those parts should interact with one another;

            (3) Application—the means by which results/products from those parts (such as leads, sales       opportunities,             analytics, etc.) are evaluated and used by you or your management team. 

Here are a few examples of parts of a Sales operation and a Performance, Response, or Application correlative, as it may relate to another part of the operation or company:

The sales quota	Management’s response to subpar performance
Support materials	How Marketing is informed of and responds to Sales needs
Sales data	Management’s interpretation and use of statistical information
Sales skills	Management’s acceptance of competency differences within the team
Communication systems	Quality of information recorded

Similarities among companies exist (such as the industry they share), but each company is unique.  Your company’s uniqueness includes its advantages and disadvantages in a competitive marketplace or sales situation.  Within your uniqueness resides your potential.  Potential can be improved when the parts of your Sales operation are made more productive; potential can be optimized when the parts of your sales operation function most effectively and efficiently according to your sales standard. 

Think Broadly

Since many business owners and sales managers do not think about their sales potential in terms of their sales standard, they focus on symptoms of deficiency in their operation.   As a result, their Sales operation becomes imbalanced—like a high-performance sports car with an engine from a lawnmower!  

If you think of your Sales operation only as consisting of certain parts (such as your referral program, salespeople, Revenue Line, sales materials, CRM) rather than as a comprehensive and interdependent system, you set yourself up for eventual breakdown in your productivity.  Strengthening one link in the metaphorical chain of your operation creates imbalance, which weakens the chain.  You can maintain a more profitable company through balance among the parts of your Sales operation.  Suggestions:

A solution for issues with lead generation should include development of a salesperson’s ability to convert qualified leads into a sale. 

A solution for issues gaining appointments with key prospective clients should include development of effective presentation materials and a salesperson’s presentation skills.

A solution for issues with advancement of sales opportunities should include development of a salesperson’s ability to up-sell, cross-sell, and gain referrals.

A solution for issues with obtaining accurate sales data should include development of data management systems, reporting requirements and procedures, and an assessment criterion for sales management. 

These are just a few of the topics related to your sales standard.  Here are some additional considerations:

What limitations preclude your company’s ability to manage greater sales?

Are your salespeople comparable to one another in their skills, in their performance, in their efficiency?  If not, why not?  And can performance standardization be achieved?

Which of the issues has management recognized as being related to hindrances to enhanced sales productivity, and which options are being considered as resolutions to those issues?  What is the rationale for the favored or chosen solution?

How effective and efficient is the communication between the departments of your company, and how might communication be improved?  What benefits could communication improvements provide your company?

Sales Support Services

If you seek the advice of a sales “expert,” proceed with caution.  You are unique!  Your business is unique.  Your company’s uniqueness includes its advantages and disadvantages in a competitive marketplace or sales situation.  In order to optimize sales, the parts of your sales operation must function most effectively and efficiently according to a standard.  So, when considering a sales solutions service, beware: virtually every sales support resource—books, seminars, consultants, webinars, etc.—offers a template-based sales program or system that is to be “tailored” or superimposed onto a business.  These services are designed to provide sales improvement, not sales optimization.  Therefore, I advise business owners and sales managers to avoid sales consultants, and to demand a quality of service that delivers original, company-specific solutions.   

·    No premade, template-based sales programs or systems

·    No outdated sales model that has been “updated”

·    No limitations of service

·    No “tailored” solutions

Service providers will evaluate your situation by the limitations of the service(s) they sell.  Instead of considering merely the symptoms of weakness in a part or parts of your Sales operation, consider, instead, your sales solutions options as they serve your Sales operation as a system.  Your sales solution must apply specifically and broadly across all dimensions of your Sales operation.  You lose sales when breakdown occurs in even one link of your operation, and from the impact that the broken link has on other links of your Sales operation.  Some examples…

You lose sales when your salespeople cannot…

(a)  generate quality leads	and  (b)  cannot engage their prospects
(a)  intrigue their prospects	and  (b)  cannot advance a sales opportunity
(a)  leverage a sale	and  (b)  cannot nurture sales opportunities
(a)  up-sell, cross-sell, and re-sell	and  (b)  cannot deliver satisfactorily
(a)  work more efficiently	and  (b)  do not work effectively

You can optimize your sales and achieve reliable sales growth.  The course to maximum sales exists and may be easy to follow, depending on the condition of your company.  In order for any sales solutions provider to give you meaningful direction for sales optimization, their direction must be “state-specific.”  State-specific direction refers to specific conditions or existing situations in a company such as its place in the market, its brand identity, its resources, products, services, competition, salespeople, etc.   The most valuable sales solutions are based on state-specific details, which directly relate to a company’s actual sales potential and commitment to a performance level. 

Summation

If the vision you have for your business includes fulfillment of your sales potential, your sales standard, the four pillars of sales, and a state-specific sales program aimed to achieve optimal synergy among the parts of your Sales operation, then you are on the right track for maximum sales.  

Sell well!

Copyright © 2014 esm4, Inc.  All rights reserved

Author:  Steve Young is founder and President of esm4, Inc., an original sales solutions company dedicated to the greater sales success of its clients, and setting the standard for high-quality sales solutions services. 

If you’re interested in more information on this or another sales-related subject,

we invite you to contact us: service@esm4.com.

Climate Change Book ZERO-FIFTY Explains
How to Make the World Zero Carbonby 2050
By Alexa James-Ratzlaff

UK based designers create a graphically charged book that tackles climate change head on, providing an all-encompassing global proposal on how to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2050.

Award winning sustainability designers David James Arnold and architect Alexa James Ratzlaff have officially launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund their upcoming climate change book, ZERO-FIFTY.

Designed to look like a magazine, ZERO-FIFTY presents the complex issues of climate change in an innovative, playful, and appealing way, with content that includes future city visions, ground-breaking energy generation technologies, and enlightening infographics. Its chief objective is to educate audiences of all disciplines, not only about the problems the planet is facing, but also the solutions. Take a look at their video trailer by clicking the image below.

Climate change has been described as the biggest challenge mankind has ever faced, and scientists believe that if the world continues to emit carbon at the current rate, our planet will be beyond salvation in less than a decade. “The question is however, what can we do about it? Most books and documentaries that tackle climate change only write about the problem, not the solution,” David explains. “ZERO-FIFTY aims to bridge that gap by demonstrating what it really takes to reduce man-made carbon dioxide to zero and prevent climate change.”

ZERO-FIFTY starts off by providing a vision of what our world would look like if mankind chooses to do nothing, business as usual – climaxing to a vision of the earth when global average temperatures rise by up to six degrees in 2100. The rest of the book then focuses on how this can be prevented by reducing the amount of energy the world consumes over the next 35 years. This includes explaining how to substantially reduce the amount of energy buildings, vehicles, and factories expend with minimal disruption to modern lifestyle. Finally, the book demonstrates how to power the remaining energy demand using existing zero carbon energy generation technologies and a selection of highly innovative urban energy generating towers –
transforming cityscapes around the globe.

The authors have decided to self-publish – “We want to publish ZERO-FIFTY both as an app for tablet devices and a physical book. Most publishers weren’t too keen on that idea. On top of that, with all the parties involved, the book becomes more expensive than it has to be, and, by publishing ZERO-FIFTY independently, we can print the book just the way we want to – using certified recycled paper and vegetable inks,” Alexa explains.

To self-publish, ZERO-FIFTY is currently raising funds on the popular crowdfunding website Kickstarter.com until March 1st. On Kickstarter, anyone can pledge towards ZERO-FIFTY in exchange for a variety of rewards, including signed copies of the book, personalized postcards, presentations to companies, and invitations to the ZERO-FIFTY launch party. The catch is however, ZERO-FIFTY must meet its goal of £20,000 by March 1st or it will not receive any funding. “We believe that ZERO-FIFTY will have a really positive impact on the way people think about Climate Change,” says Alexa. “That’s why we are really hoping to gather enough interest so that our backers can help us help the planet.”

More information at: http://www.zero-fifty.com/

World Entrepreneurship Summit 2014: South America and the CaribbeanMercy College, Feb 18th, 2014

By Malko Ebers, Madeline Tanamal

The World Entrepreneurship Summit (WES) 2014 showcased South America and the Caribbean and was attended by entrepreneurs, country representatives and thought leaders. The hostr New York Business Consultants believes that the region offers amazing business opportunities not just in tourism and offshore banking but in sustainable agriculture, infrastructure investments, retirement and energy.. WES 2014 aims to promote entrepreneurship and to bring investors, partners and opportunities together.

The first session of the summit was presented by Mr. Eduardo Urdapilleta, the director of business analytics at Citibank. Mr. Urdapilleta outlined several opportunities and challenges of doing business in Latin America. Latin America is characterized by a growing export economy, growing middle class and stronger participation in the global market. However, to succeed in the Latin American marketplace it is important to understand the specifics of culture, regulation, taxes and consumer preferences. Partnerships are key!  


The second session discussed the project development and investment opportunities in Belize, presented by the Assistant Vice President at US Oil Properties, Mr. Lovoy Rubin. Petroleum oil is the major pie of Belize's export, around 29% of it. Other big upcoming projects/ investment opportunities are the areas of agriculture, tourism and eco-tourism.


After the second session, our keynote speaker Ms. Karen Hoyos from Colombia shared her entrepreneurial success story in media, training and coaching. The participants were blown away by her testimony and finding her life's purpose. Karen's seminar quickly lift up everybodys spirit and ended with the final message to believe in yourself to make dreams come true.


Session three looked into the topic of energy and sustainability.  Mateo  from MADEL International Corporation talked about a green business project that will solve Haiti's trade deficit and that will bring jobs and prosperity to the country through sustainable greenhouse farming. The project will include building a sustainable farming operation, training school and housing - a sustainable community that will be not only to able to support its own food production but also able to export food to the world. The energy discussion continued with a presentation of Prof Peter Fusaro from Columbia University on how to bring renewable energy to the Caribbean, in which biomass and sun energy are seen as the solutions to Caribbean's high electricity price and dependency on oil. As for cleantech opportunities in Brazil and the Americas, Mr. Antonio ValleNetto, US/ Canada manager of Bunge Environmental Market suggested solar and wind energy as the prime energy sources for the Caribbean..


The summit ended with a panel discussion with three Caribbean entrepreneurs, an amazing entrepreneurial couple  behind the success story of Kreyol essence, Mr Stephane Jean-Baptiste and Ms. Yve-Car Momperousse. The discussion was modertaed by Bertrand Gervais of Success Mentor Education. Kreyol essence is a all-natural women's beauty products and uses all ingredients from the Caribbean.

Performers for the summit included Argentinian musician Mr. Guillermo Silveira and alive ministry singer Dr. Nyjeri Norman. Art exhibitions by award winning artist Mr. Vicente Gomez and sketches by Ms. Elllen Stedfeld.


The World Entrepreneurship Summit 2014: South America and the Caribbean was sponsored by Mercy College, Colure, Tiffin Wine, Organo Coffee, Karen Hoyos International and Ampleen. 

The economy of South America and the Caribbean offer many business opportunities today. Contact us now and let us help you take advantage of these opportunities as well. more information at www.newyorkbusinessconsultants.com