I love working with entrepreneurs in the developing world. They are like sponges, absorbing all the knowledge and insight and advice they can possibly take in. Yet common mistakes prevail among fledgling businesses around the globe; let’s ensure you’re not making them. 1. Big, daring visions are good; starry-eyed delusions can get you into trouble Entrepreneurs are an optimistic bunch. That idealism serves them well and stokes their success. But they sometimes fail

“I’d like to talk to you,” the young man demanded. “Sure, have a seat,” I smiled. I was in Liberia on a USAID consulting assignment. My task was to identify 25 women-led enterprises in the agriculture sector and support them with business training, advisory, and business plans. One hot Saturday I was holding court on the patio of a rural hotel interviewing candidates, and the man had been eying the stream of women who met with me. “I want to know why you are helping only wo

"If you think entrepreneurship is hard, try doing it in a developing country" Listen to my interview with host Eric Dye where we covered the following questions: You have an interesting background in both business and aid work. Tell us more about what you do. So why do you focus on entrepreneurs in developing and emerging economies? Why is entrepreneurship so difficult in low income countries? You’ve coined the term “aidtrepreneurship”. What is that? How can small business ow