It wasn’t that long ago on Monday, 29 June that an ICSB workshop on the Society for Arts Entrepreneurship Education with Todd Stuart and Josef Hanson was held. That workshop prompted by membership of this dynamic body. Indeed, the workshop resonates with my
newfound love in exploring the intersection of business (including marketing & entrepreneurship) with the Arts.

Just to provide a brief context, in my recently published book chapter on Arts Marketing, I explored the longstanding debate between the notions of ‘arts marketing’ vis-à-vis ‘marketing of the arts’. That study delved into various art forms – visual, poetry, literature, music and the performing arts (theatre, dance, film and music), and the intersections of these forms, and provides insights on how to mitigate any identified challenges confronting the arts marketing discipline – arguably the ‘new normal’ of cultural products and/or production, embellished with heritage cues – and sometimes discussed under the label of the ‘creative industries’ (Read more…).

Things can change quickly in life. The security of one moment can quickly become impermanent before we have a chance to realize it. This is certainly the case with the crisis that has resulted from the global outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Millions of people globally have been infected, and thousands have already died from the outbreak. The general public is advised to remain socially distant from one another and to regularly wash their hands. The global economy has gone into freefall, a recession, if not a depression, now seems likely. Panic buying in the shops is common practice.  No one knows what tomorrow holds.

What seemed certain only a couple of weeks ago, no longer does. People are worried about the most basic things in life; putting food on the table, keeping a roof over their heads, being able to see friends and family members. People are fearful about losing their jobs, adverse effects on businesses, not to mention becoming sick due to the virus. They want to know that they and their loved ones will be safe. This is before we mention the looming emergency facing healthcare providers globally.  It is imperative that we salute the brave and heroic acts of doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, hospital cleaners, and many others who are putting themselves in the frontline to serve the public and the common good (Read more…).

2020 and a dawn of a new decade welcome MSMEs with many exciting opportunities for growth and prosperity, yet it comes with hazards and challenges. Recognized globally for their contributions to innovation and improving economic conditions, MSMEs are the number one job creators across the world.

Last year, ICSB reported that one of the biggest challenges inhibiting the growth of MSMEs was not technology or macro-level issues but with the entrepreneur or small business owner and the power of belief or the lack thereof. Other trends on the 2019’s covered common prevailing topics like the impact that the world’s 1.8 billion youth have on the economy. The population of young people (ages 10 to 24) in the world is at an all-time high.

The other major issue projected in 2019 was that global trade wars will have a major impact on MSMEs. The gloves have come off between the two largest economies in the world, and the imposition of tariffs by each country has plunged the world economy into turmoil.

For 2020, we see major trends continuing yet with three new remarkable changes to the landscape for MSMEs. It is astonishing what a difference a year makes! Here are ICSB’s 2020 Top Ten Trends for MSMEs: Please scroll down to read the Top Ten Trends (Read more…).

The importance of micro-, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in national economies is well known, as well as is their global impact, since, by number, they dominate the world business stage. But notwithstanding the wide acknowledgment of MSMEs’importance to national economies, they still face difficulties that need to be addressed, such as informality, low productivity, and limited access to finance. When Argentina, with the support of the International Council for Small Business (ICSB), decided in 2017 to present a resolution to the General Assembly of the United Nations establishing June 27 as MSMEs Day, the idea behind it was to showcase the importance of these enterprises in the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and raise awareness about the difficulties these enterprises face.

In this context, it is important to highlight two main aspects that are frequently interlinked. The first one is access to finance and financial inclusion. The second one is the empowerment of women (Read more…).

As the peak day approaches on April 19th, Europe begins to look past the immediate health demands to find that the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that compose their societies are struggling. The continental balance now interacts between the safeguard of the healthcare system and that of the rest of society. Therefore, despite Europe’s push for globalization, the menace of COVID-19 returns each nation to reflect on what is best for their country critically. This has become a moment to rethink our embedded ideals of globalization and sustainability, as well as the values of society and the role of the state within the economy and social life. Europe, being a system of social economy, the group of nation-states, finds itself as the embodiment of responsibility. As a result, personal freedom and human rights, which are typically both guaranteed, suddenly feel at odds. As many changes were demanded in such a short period, we see and feel the support of a stable government that has acted with resilience. However, since the focus of the state is on the immediate physical needs of their nation, there remains an opportunity for change for entrepreneurship and innovation. Therefore, in this time of grief and confusion, we can find excitement and purpose.

Europe, as much of the global community, saw COVID-19 as a Chinese problem. With only the example of the Spanish Flu as a guide for expectations, the continent was shaken when within a couple of weeks, everything changed. Looking at current rates of the coronavirus per national habitats, we notice that China is no longer the hotspot of COVID-19, but rather, Europe is. The exponential development across the continent leads to only one solution: breaking this steep and continuously growing curve. As Europe prepares for its peak dates by creating and distributing more intensive care beds, employing more staff, and reorganizing resources, it seems the race remains against time (Read more…).