The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has expressed concern over the fact that banks in the country are asking for collateral while lending to SME sector when the amount is as low as Rs 5 lakh. Also, the central bank has observed that banks are not analyzing their SME portfolio in a proper way. Addressing [...]

Running a small business requires a focus on the present daily operations. With time restraints looking ahead becomes difficult. However, in order to succeed you need to know what’s ahead to better plan and avert danger. The 21st century presents plenty of changes that will impact your small business in the future. Here are 8 [...]

Many cubicle workers hate their jobs and secretly wish to start a business. It’s the Dilbert environment with a overbearing boss watching every move and taking credit for good ideas that feeds the dream of entrepreneurship. If ever there was a better time to start your own business now would be it. Entrepreneurs today have [...]

The process of starting a business involves key steps from choosing a business name to selecting a business structure. Once your doors are open, the first 90 days of being in business sets the foundation for successful survival. Learn what you need to know during the first 90 days of starting a business. Get the [...]

If you think you have found the one business opportunity that will bring you freedom, fame, and plenty of profits,does it meet the 8 simple rules? Emotion and passion is an essential ingredient to business success, but hold off on that inner fire until your business opportunity can pass the 8 simple rules to see [...]

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which have taken big strides in developing new products, can look forward to central assistance in securing intellectual property rights. The prospect of getting assistance is looking up with the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) ministry offering a Rs 55-crore IPR-facilitation package for implementation over the next four years. [...]

–Contributed by Vasant Prabhu Did you know that the word ‘Budget’ in French means a leather case? Well the bag of goodies from the finance minister this year around was expected to be a more tempered one keeping the upcoming general election in mind. And it didn’t disappoint the purists or the critics either. But [...]

–Contributed by Vasant Prabhu As the Rupee tumbles to new domestic lows while appreciating against the Dollar, Software companies are running for cover, literally, covering their receivables (revenue cash flows from overseas operations) against Foreign exchange fluctuations. The Rupee depreciation is however not bad news altogether, on the positive side it is an indicator of [...]

Walter D’Souza, convener, Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Committee on Agro Exports and Agri Export Zones, on Friday said that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) needed a comprehensive programme for improving technology and better access to credit. Inaugurating an SME workshop on ‘Growth opportunities for exporters’ organised by the FIEO and ICICI, Mr. D’Souza [...]

–Contributed by Shweta Gulati A carbon exchange is like a stock exchange for pollution.  The idea of trading in greenhouse gases has its roots in the Kyoto Protocol.  This is the international treaty to reduce levels of gases that trap heat and are linked to climate change. It provides a market for businesses to trade [...]