Entrepreneurship is going global, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2007 report, released Friday. In some of the 42 countries covered by the survey, 40 percent of early-stage entrepreneurs anticipate that at least one-quarter of their customers will come from outside their country. To promote expansion of global trade, the report recommends that entrepreneurs around the world organize in order to achieve political influence to liberalize global trade and investment policies. The report is directed by Babson College and the London Business School. Some other findings in the report:
-- Among middle- and low- income countries, Latin America and Asia have the highest rates of early-stage entrepreneurial activity; Thailand, Peru, and Colombia had the highest rates;
-- Among high-income countries, Iceland, Hong Kong and the United States show the highest levels of entrepreneurship. The lowest rates were found in Austria, Puerto Rico, and Belgium.
-- Early-stage entrepreneurs are more likely than established business owners to claim that they offer innovative products and that they face less competition in the marketplace. They also claim to use technologies that were not available to them a year earlier.
-- Men are more likely to start a business than women. Although the gender gap is present among all age groups, it is relatively small for countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
-- The World Bank and the World Trade Organization exert a growing influence on entrepreneurs and their opportunities through international trade agreements and other efforts to deregulate the global economy.
Journal of Commerce
