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ICSB Sunday Times Editor’s note:
Pour yourself a late Sunday cappuccino, because this week’s ICSB Sunday Times captures entrepreneurship in transformation. We spotlight the Top 10 MSME Trends for 2026 in Latin America, the launch of the ICSB Academy for students, and celebrate the ICSB Top Five Books for 2025–2026, all against the backdrop of small businesses navigating slow growth and global uncertainty with innovation and resilience. Fresh research on women’s leadership and the research–policy gap rounds out the edition, as we reaffirm ICSB’s commitment to Humane Entrepreneurship — aligning profit, people, and purpose for long-term, human-centered growth.
— Dr. Ayman ElTarabishy
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The Top 10 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Trends for 2026
Latin America
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At the start of the second quarter of the 21st century, MSMEs sit at the heart of a profound economic and social transformation, as small businesses adapt to new rules that blend resources, knowledge, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
ECLAC projects GDP growth in Latin America and the Caribbean of 2.4% in 2025 and 2.3% in 2026, extending a period of low growth. Private consumption—long the region’s main growth engine—is expected to slow, alongside weaker external demand, softer job creation, and continued uncertainty in global markets, trade, and capital flows.
Against this backdrop, the following ten trends capture the central challenges and opportunities shaping MSMEs in 2026: technology, access to resources, innovation, entrepreneurial teams, resilience, and adaptability in an increasingly uncertain global environment. (read more).
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The International Council for Small Business (ICSB) is excited to announce the launch of the ICSB Academy, a new global learning experience designed specifically to empower students with the mindset, skills, and confidence needed to lead in today’s fast-changing world of entrepreneurship and innovation. Through immersive programs, real-world challenges, and direct engagement with global entrepreneurs and experts, the Academy prepares students not just to enter the workforce — but to shape it. At the ICSB Academy, students become part of a worldwide community of future founders, changemakers, and ecosystem leaders. (read more).
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ICSB Member Spotlight
Entrepreneurial Aspiration
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Entrepreneurial aspiration is not a luxury topic. It becomes urgent when societies face persistent shortages in health, water, energy, and livelihoods. (read more)
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CUTTING EDGE RESEARCH
Women’s leadership and sustainable business performance in Moroccan SMEs
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This research shows that women-led MSMEs in Morocco significantly outperform their peers, achieving 9–13% higher annual sales while investing more in innovation, employee training, and international quality standards. It also demonstrates that promoting women’s entrepreneurial leadership directly advances both economic growth and gender equality.. (read more)
by: Fatima Azdagaz, Mariem Liouaeddine, and Omar Zirari
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The Entrepreneurship Research-Policy Gap
A large-scale review of 4,247 entrepreneurship articles across ten leading journals reveals a striking disconnect between research and real-world policy impact: only 11.7% offered clear policy recommendations, and just 1.4% included a dedicated policy implications section. he study concludes that the persistent research–policy gap stems not simply from disengagement, but from a fundamental misalignment between how research is written and how policy must be implemented, underscoring that true impact requires both scientific rigor and real-world feasibility. Read More.
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ICSB Top Five Books for 2025-2026
ICSB is proud to announce the ICSB Golden Book Awards for 2025–2026, celebrating the Top Five Essential Books shaping the future of entrepreneurship, innovation, and small business leadership. This year’s selection reflects the dynamic nature of knowledge itself. Three powerful new titles have entered the list for 2025–2026, while two exceptional works from the 2024–2025. (Read More)
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ICSB began advancing Humane Entrepreneurship around 2017–2018 to redefine how MSMEs create value.
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1- Growth alone was no longer enough — profit had to align with people and purpose.
2- MSMEs needed a new model — ethical, inclusive, and resilient leadership for long-term success.
3- Entrepreneurship is fundamentally human — real competitiveness comes from values, wellbeing, and community impact.
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We are devoted to the interests and advancement of small business globally
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