News – Page 35 – Thailand Business Directory

Capitalism: A means, not an end

Adam Smith’s notion of the ‘invisible hand’ has guided multitudes of people to promote ends which were not parts of their original intention. The market economy enjoyed its en vogue status throughout the 20th century and into the early 2000s. However, after the subprime crisis in the United States and the ongoing Eurozone crisis, questions have been raised on the efficacy and value of capitalism as the world’s economic system. (more…)

Thailand is kitchen of the world

The importance of food and agriculture to Thailand is undisputable. About 40% of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihood and it contributes to about 10% of GDP. The country is the world’s leading rice exporter and has successfully positioned itself as the “Kitchen of the World,” with the annual value of food exports expected to exceed 1 trillion baht in 2012. Thailand has also reduced overall poverty levels in recent years. It has recorded consistent economic growth and at the macro level is a food surplus country. However, access to sufficient affordable and nutritious food at the household level is a critical challenge, particularly in remote rural areas – as in many parts of Asia. In fact, Asia’s food security challenges are formidable. The region is home to more than 60% of the world’s population and some of the world’s fastest growing economies but has only 34% of the world’s arable land and 36% of the world’s water resources. Complexity is added by …

Innovation to an Existing Business Can Limit Risk

If you are an entrepreneur starting a business for the first time, I recommend that you find a product concept that is already accepted and improve on it, rather than tackling that ultimate disruptive technology. Notice that I’m not suggesting that you steal someone else’s idea, but simply limit your risk by adding innovation to a proven entity. Evidence of success using this approach is all around us.

Continued here: Learn to sell. Don’t believe the old myth that “if we build it, they will come.” Selling is a learned skill, and takes effort, just like building a product. Everyone in your startup, especially the entrepreneur, needs to understand sales, and needs to be a salesman. Innovation to an Existing Business Can Limit Risk Long–established and newly emerging industries With steady economic development and strong support industries, Thailand's industrial production has grown and diversified rapidly both in long–established and newly emerging industries. …

World Economic Forum on East Asia 2012

The 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) together form an important strategic and economic region with a combined population of over 600 million, a nominal GDP exceeding US$ 1.8 trillion, and a growth rate for the region expected to exceed 5% in 2012 despite ongoing economic turmoil in the Eurozone and the United States. The ASEAN Economic Blueprint has established concrete targets to form a single market and production base by 2015. (more…)

5 Ways to Hire People Who May be Smarter Than You

Helpers do what you say, while good help does what you need, without you saying anything. People who can help you the most are actually smarter than you, at least in their domain. Top entrepreneurs spend more time putting the right team in place to accomplish their objectives than they spend on any other components of their job. Some entrepreneurs are so in love with themselves (narcissistic) that they insist on answering every question, and making every decision (more…)

Don’t be Too Busy to Do Some Reflective Thinking

Startups and entrepreneurs are drowning in the information overload, where the volume of data created is like a new Library of Congress every 15 minutes. That creates a huge gap between data and meaning, and makes quick decisions and action ever more difficult. We all need to take a little more time to think

Original post: Think big. Thing new. Think again. In other words, make sure your solution will scale up. Professional investors will tell you they look for business plans that can credibly project revenues of at least $20M within five years, or they won’t justify an investment. Don’t be Too Busy to Do Some Reflective Thinking Growing economy Economically, this country of 67 million people is characterized by steady growth, strong exports and a vibrant domestic consumer market. Abundant natural resources and a skilled and cost-effective work force help attract foreign investors, and enable them to prosper and develop industry in Thailand.

10 Concrete Steps to Assure Business Innovation

Continuous innovation is required to survive in all businesses, beginning with a startup, and increasing in importance as your business matures. Technologists often insist that new things can’t be invented on a schedule, but successful companies seem to be able to do it on a regular basis. (more…)

6 Key Attributes of a Winning Business Culture

I’m seeing a renewed appreciation of culture and values in business these days. Maybe it’s just another example of nature abhorring a vacuum, but I prefer to think it’s a natural evolution of the pervasive social networking communities, where people relate to and expect to interact with businesses and products they like. (more…)

You Can’t Be the Victim as an Entrepreneur

People with a victim mentality should never be entrepreneurs. We all know the role of starting and running a business is unpredictable, and has a high risk of failure. For people with a victim mentality, this fear of failure alone will almost certainly make it a self-fulfilling prophecy. I’m sure you all know someone who is the perennial victim

Continue reading: Manage risk. Without risk, there can be no innovation. Not every idea can, or will, be a winner. Fear of failure will kill innovation, but reckless disregard for risk will kill a business. The successful entrepreneur is able to find the balance between these two extremes. You Can’t Be the Victim as an Entrepreneur