Many governments in developing countries are making efforts to support the development of micro- and small enterprises (MSEs), as they recognise their important role in employment creation and poverty reduction. However, millions of people who work in MSEs are paid low incomes, have little or no social protection and are exposed to dangerous working conditions. This paradox stems from a policy and regulatory environment that should help the development of MSEs and improve the quality of jobs provided by them, but in practice often establishes biases and stifles growth. Based on studies carried out in Chile, Guinea, Pakistan, Peru, South Africa, Tanzania and Vietnam, this book looks beyond MSE promotion initiatives to analyse the overall policy and regulatory environment. It examines the impact of national business laws and taxation, labour regulations, trade and finance policies; identifies common problems and presents major principles for reform. More than simply helping to create more jobs, this approach aims to help to create more jobs of better quality.

SmartStart Your Business Today! How to Start a Business in Colorado is your road map to avoiding operational, legal and financial pitfalls and breaking through the bureaucratic red tape that often entangles new entrepreneurs. This all-in-one resource goes a step beyond other business how-to books to give you a jump-start on planning for your business. It provides you with: Valuable state-specific sample forms and letters on CD-ROM Mailing addresses, telephone numbers and websites for the federal, state, local and private agencies that will help get your business up and running State population statistics, income and consumption rates, major industry trends and overall business incentives to give you a better picture of doing business in Colorado Checklists, sample forms and a complete sample business plan to assist you with numerous startup details State-specific information on issues like choosing a legal form, selecting a business name, obtaining licenses and permits, registering to pay taxes and knowing your employer responsibilities Federal and state options for financing your new venture Resources, cost information, statistics and regulations have all been updated. That, plus a new easier-to-use layout putting all the state-specific information in one block of chapters, make this your must-have guide to getting your business off the ground.

The increasing numbers of college and university graduates from Africa’s tertiary institutions and the declining prospects for jobs in the public and private sector have reinforced the importance of creating avenues for self-employment. But job creation exposes a serious gap in education policies, for basic skills in entrepreneurship are not taught in most tertiary curricula across the continent. This nineteen-chapter volume provides essential course text material for developing the field of entrepreneurship in tertiary institutions, thus addressing the issue of appropriate pedagogy critical for the emerging field of entrepreneurship development in higher education institutions in Africa. Drawing from Nigeria, West Africa and other parts of the developing world, the volume furnishes much needed empirical information to fashion out appropriate policies and projects within macroeconomic framework to nurture small and medium enterprises as a development tool.

Fulfilling the Export Potential of Small and Medium Firms addresses the question, `How can economic policy contribute to a strong export performance by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries?' In today's increasingly integrated world economy, such a performance can make a significant difference to the growth, employment creation and income distribution of many developing countries. The study uses information from specifically designed surveys of SME exporters in Japan, Indonesia, Korea and Colombia, together with a range of evidence from other sources, to ascertain what types of support within the areas of technology, marketing and finance are most useful to SME exporters and how such support can best be provided to them. The quality of the support systems is found to vary widely among the four countries. Finally, a number of policy conclusions are put forward.