Start Small With a Passion and Determination and Then Go Big

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Whether it was in someone’s garage, a local café, or a car traveling to their first customers, many multinational companies started small with the passion, vision, and determination of a few individuals.

Ask any Founder/CEO and they will likely tell you something similar to this: the road from entrepreneurship to executive can be daunting and will take time. While this is true, there are ways to make this road a straighter path.

Here are a few things to know about to make your journey easier.

High-Tech Middle Market Companies in Emerging Economies: This Could Be Your Moment

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Emerging economies face daunting challenges.  One in particular is creating a positive climate for growth, one in which companies large and small can find markets inside and outside the country.

Brazilian media and private equity leader Eduardo Sirotsky Melzer has a message for high-tech, middle-market companies (e.g., typically a $300 million to $500 million investment per deal) in emerging economies: This could be their moment.

Melzer says, "People are told to launch enterprises that are adjacent to something they already do. But that mind-set will never lead [them] to start a truly new business."

One question asked of him in the strategy+business interview:

Do you see companies starting in Latin America and then moving into more of a global or regional focus?

MELZER: One challenge for Brazilian companies is to develop global brands that can succeed in North America, Europe, and Asia. I think it’s partly a mind-set issue. These middle-market companies, in particular, have to have the willingness and energy to think globally.

Read more about Eduardo Sirotsky Melzer's interview with strategy+business:  Start Small and Think Globally.

National Small Business Week May 1-7, 2016

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As the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet announced that this year’s National Small Business Week will be held from May 1-7.  This year’s theme will be “Dream Big, Start Small.”

At the same time, Small Business Person of the Year winners from the 50 states will be named.  All of the winners have been invited to attend the ceremonies in Washington, D.C on May 1-2 where they will be awarded their individual awards along with recognition of the runners-up and the naming of the 2016 National Small Business Person of the Year.

If that is not enough, announcements will be made for the 2016 National Small Business Week awardees for 17 different categories ranging from exporting, outreach, contracting, lending, disaster recovery to manufacturing and research and development.

Learn more:  National Small Business Week

Today in Global Small Business: Start Small When Thinking Big

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What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• Why it pays to start small when thinking BIG.
• How successful SMEs are reinventing global business.
• Why it's important to bridge the global digital divide and provide easy and affordable access via the Internet to millions across the world.
• The global village (Internet) is alive, well and growing -- see for yourself on the numbers.
• How the exponential growth of technologies will transform industries and pose new opportunities—and hurdles—for business and society (2011). 
• How surging service exports can augur a healthier UK trade future.