Entrepreneurship should not be an uphill battle via CIPE Development Blog
The NPR ran a very interesting story today on the realities of doing business in Egypt from the perspective of several young entrepreneurs. NPR reporter visited Speed Send, a company co-founded by 33-year-old Ahmed El Sherif six years ago that sells office supplies online. When asked about the largest obstacles to starting his business, El Sherif named several problems common not just in Egypt, but many other developing countries, especially in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA):
Scarcity of reliable market data that would help gauge the potential customer base, draft an accurate business plan, and conduct market research,
Difficulties in obtaining bank loans by a start-up; banks only lend to profitable businesses,
Lengthy procedures for registering a business; at the time...