TRAVEL WITH AN IMPACT! RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

Startup Lisboa supports the creation of companies and track their first years of activity. Founded in 2011 by the Lisbon Municipality, Bank Montepio and IAPMEI – Portuguese Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation IP, it's a private non-profitable association that provides entrepreneurs and companies mentoring, link to strategic partners, access to investment, help with business basics and networking activities.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN BELGIUM

HOW TO STIMULATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN BELGIUM

Innovation is central to economic growth and business competitiveness. Over the past 10 years, Belgium has worked hard to capitalize on its outstanding research and education facilities and highly skilled workforce by encouraging even more R&D activities with fiscal incentives. This has been a great success, with US companies alone investing $2 billion in Belgian R&D in 2012. However, while Belgium excels in R&D, it still needs to take action to foster a true innovation hub by stimulating something far less tangible: its entrepreneurial culture.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Vice President of the European Commission Neelie Kroes re-emphasized the importance of entrepreneurship in economic growth, saying, “Politicians don’t create jobs, entrepreneurs do.” By using innovative technologies and platforms, app entrepreneurs have created 800,000 jobs in Europe in the past five years alone.

Lisbon dreams of Europe's Silicon Valley tag

Lisbon is betting that hosting the Web Summit, Europe's largest tech event, will spur the growth of startups and draw foreign investors, helping it compete with the continent's main innovation hubs.

While the crisis hammered the Portuguese economy, it also drove change, pushing people to come up with new ideas for businesses—many of them tech startups.

During the first half of the year the number of new companies that were created was 3.3 times higher than the number of firms that went under, according to government figures.

To fuel the expansion of the startup sector the government lobbied hard to bring the annual Web Summit to Lisbon. The tech expo has been held every year in Dublin since its launch in 2010. Some 50,000 participants and 15,000 companies from around the world are expected to attend the November 8-10 event, nearly double the 27,500 people who attended last year. Lisbon  will host the annual event until at least 2018.

Portugal's secretary of state for industry, João Vasconcelos, said he hoped hosting the event will give rise to a new generation of entrepreneurs.

7 things to do as an entrepreneur in Belgium

If you’ve decided that it’s time to focus on your own business and carve out a career as an entrepreneur in Belgium, why not use our handy checklist to make sure you are well prepared and have done everything you need to.

Why Invest In Cyprus

Foreign investors choose Cyprus!

Cyprus is one of the most attractive business destinations in the world due to its location, taxation systems and friendly legislation. It is located at the crossroads of three continents (Europe, Africa and Asia providing investors with the opportunity of easy access to and from each area. Also, due to the country’s membership in EU and the Economic and Monetary Union all foreign investors have to opportunity to access the EU market.

The World Entrepreneurship Week in Cieszyn

Zamek Cieszyn – an institution promoting culture, design and entrepreneurship organized The World Entrepreneurship Week  in Cieszyn. This is an international project run since 2008 in which over 100 countries from all over the world (including Poland) are taking part. All the participants want to develop business initiatives. This year’s motto is BUSINESS IS GOOD, ENTREPRENEURHIP IS GOOD.

What makes Lisbon so attractive

It’s no secret anymore that Lisbon is one of Europe’s up and coming places to be for entrepreneurs, startups and investors. As a communications professional working in the tech scene for over a decade, a few things struck me about Lisbon’s budding tech scene.

Why is there such a fascination with Lisbon from the tech community?

First of all, Lisbon is incredibly attractive to anyone who wants to build a business – the city is fertile ground for risk taking and entrepreneurship. In recent years, a new development model has started to unfold, with a clear Lisbon demonstrating a competitive advantage based on knowledge and innovation. The cost of living is much cheaper that in most other capitals in Western Europe. Combined with that – Portugal’s education system is exceptional – making for a fantastic pool of local talent at competitive prices and fluent in English. From developers to UX experts, through to designers, the entire country is packed with an ambitious multilingual and highly qualified youth.

Never lose your sense of wonder! – Game of Tones at the JA Europe Company of the Year Competition

Having received the title Mini-company of the Year 2016 in Hungary, Game of Tones got the opportunity to represent our country at the JA Europe Competition in Lucerne, Switzerland between July 25 and 27, 2016.

The flagship programme of the organization Junior Achievement is the Company Programme, which offers high school students the opportunity to learn how to move a business idea from concept to reality. To their annual competition, the best mini-companies of the participating 36 countries are invited to introduce themselves and compete for the award JA Europe Company of the Year.

QUESTIONNAIRE about school companies by Ted Time from Portugal

1.     Are you satisfied with your cooperation between members of  your school company? Why?

We are all satisfied with our cooperation because as a team we work really well together, we develop our expert services, we outline strategic advantages and we implement important marketing decisions. As a result, we also won the logo contest and the video contest.

2.     Did you have any problems with running your school companies? How did you cope with them?

At the beginning we had to build our team, we had to think outside the box and learn how to build a small business, in fact it was our first time. Also, we were the only company selling a service, so our major struggle was: how to get profit out of this business.

QUESTIONNAIRE about school companies - SOIZ TIME from Poland

1.     Are you satisfied with your cooperation between members of  your school company? Why?

We are satisfied with the relations between workers in our company. They are based on partner relations and mutual respect. We cooperate with each other by planning and taking decisions together. We try to share the tasks fairly.

2.     Did you have any problems with running your school companies? How did you cope with them?

There were minor misunderstandings which we tried to solve together by talking to each other. Sometimes we couldn’t do some tasks in our company by ourselves so we had to ask vocational subject teachers to help us.

3.     To what extend did you manage to accomplish  all plans and activities which you had set  in your business plan?

We managed to organize a few interesting events:

·       a city rally for SOiZ students

·       a city rally for Erasmus + partners

·       class trips to Warsaw and Krakow

·       conducting a game ‘Communication in a team’ in other classes by using Lego blocks

·       St Valentine’s Day contest

·       we also run a FB profile

4.     To what extend did you accomplish your business plan?

We accomplished it successfully in all points.

5.     What was the strength of your school company?

Mutual respect, acceptance, friendly relations, tourism hobbies, eagerness to work and determination in doing the tasks are our strengths.

6.     What was the weakness of your company?

Low financial possibilities and no profit earned from the events were our weaknesses. Sometimes we also lacked enough time to work together.

7.     How successful was the school company and what are you proud of?

Our biggest success was preparing and realization of the school trips to Warsaw and Krakow. We prepared the itineraries, calculated the trips and booked the hotel, all tickets and admissions. We played the roles of tour guides by ourselves.

8.     What knowledge did you acquire while running the school company

Running our company we learned how to run business. All the vocational subject classes taught us a lot. Thanks to them nothing surprised us. We learned how to prepare itineraries, organize events and prepare calculations.

9.     What skills did you get while running the school company?

While running the school company we learned how to monitor organizing trips, how to run a travel agency and how to cooperate in a team which consisted  of students from our class- different personalities. We learned that in order to run a business we need to be determined and eager to do it.

10.  Can you see any opportunities for development of your company as ‘real’ entrepreneurs in the future?

There is a big opportunity for our company to become a big real company because the basis for success is our self-denial, creative people and integrated team. We believe that running the company as a big real one is a big challenge for us but also an adventure, because we all truly love tourism.

11.  What opportunities and threats can you see?

Our age, knowledge of tourism and the market, ability to speak three languages( English, German and Italian) are our big advantages. We are aware of the threats that are waiting for us in current world. Cieszyn is a small town with a lot of travel agencies competing with each other. However,  self-discipline is most important, which we know we can make it!!!

Forget the Meir, Convoi is where it’s at in Antwerp

Tucked neatly behind Waagnatie, on the banks of the Scheldt, you’ll find Antwerp’s newest and hippest shopping centre. Convoi has been created from over 50 shipping containers, which provide retail space to 40 businesses selling fashion, food, and design items for you and your home.

But there are no chains here. At Convoi, the tenants are mostly young and local entrepreneurs looking to try out an idea or product. “I wanted to make it as simple as possible,” says Kim Soeffers, the driving force behind the project. “Convoi gives them a space to test and evolve. Each container comes ready to use with lighting, wi-fi and a selection of fittings. All they have to do is bring their products.”

Entrepreneurial Skills

The Skills You Need to Build a Great Business

What makes someone a successful entrepreneur? It certainly helps to have strong technology skills or expertise in a key area, but these are not defining characteristics of entrepreneurship.

Instead, the key qualities are traits such as creativity, the ability to keep going in the face of hardship, and the social skills needed to build great teams.

If you want to start a business, it's essential to learn the specific skills that underpin these qualities. It's also important to develop entrepreneurial skills if you're in a job role where you're expected to develop a business, or "take things forward" more generally.

Cieszyn Castle

They are the first center of design in Silesia, they show how design can change an enterprise. 

They cooperate with public institutions and they try to find solutions which can make life easier. 

Every year Castle starts making events in January - they makes concerts, workshops, lectures, meetings for kids, teenagers and adults.

Made in Italy: a key driver for the scaling-up of your startup

Italy is celebrated throughout the world for its art, culture, creativity and manufacturing quality. These are the foundations on which the unique supply chain for “Made in Italy” products is built. Italy has brought industry, culture and lifestyle together in a way that does not only concern design and the superb quality of fashion, food and furniture, but also sheer artistic expression in all of its forms. Tellingly, a (1)KPMG report recently stated that “Made in Italy” is the 3rd best-known brand in the world. By establishing your startup in Italy, you will have the chance to leverage our most celebrated sectors, add value to your products and scale up your business.

Back on track!

Iconic "Syrena" , again conquers the hearts of Polish people. 

This iconic car, was made in Poland in 1955, and the company had finished the production of the car in 1983, after releasing over 520 000 units. 

Thanks to European Union funds, in Kutno a production of a new model of Polish car „Syrena" will start gain. However, this is not gonna be a car being sold on a large scale, but only in several hundred copies annually. Amateurs of Polish "Syrena" are already getting excited.

From the production line, in the first year will come  50 copies of "Syrena S201" , which shape will be modeled on its previous model. The design of the car is made by Bartosz Andrzejewski , a student from Warsaw Academy of Art. Components for "Syrena" will be made in Kutno. The engine with the capacity of 1,4l and power of 90KM and manual gearbox will come from General Motors. 

Modern "Syrena S201" will be equipped in ABS, air bags, air conditioning, electric windows and mirrors and electrical power steering. The car has already received his homologation, of Industrial Institute of motorization. 

Photos of Syrena on:https://www.facebook.com/NowaSyrena  

Photo source: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/93945/wacky-syrena-meluznya-r-is-a-394bhp-1100kg-racer-from-poland 

20 words you need to talk about....

20 words you need to talk about…

Startups and Entrepreneurship

A

Accelerator – Business organizations that offer professional services to help accelerate startups (consulting, management coaching, mentoring, financing). They are very similar to incubators but they can take an equity stake in the company they host.

Web Grocery Basket

Local Entrepreneurship: Web Grocery Basket (www.zoldsegkosar.hu)
Web Grocery Basket by Zoltán Rácz, Hungary

This Szeged-based company sells vegetables and fruit. Every Wednesday, the company buys healthy and fresh vegetables and fruit from the same local farmers, who are committed to organic and ecological farming. Then, on Thursday, they sort them into boxes or baskets, which they deliver to five surrounding towns and the capital. The customers can pick up their baskets (which they have ordered online) at one of the delivery points, which can be a school, a yoga club or a private house. The Waldorf School in Szeged was one of the first delivery points, when the company was started three years ago.

In Bruges, beer to flow underground

Bruges, Belgium (CNN)Under the streets of the medieval Belgian city of Bruges, a full two-mile pipeline is being built -- exclusively for beer.

The pipeline, which is expected to be completed this summer, will pump beer at a speed of 4,000 liters (about 1,057 gallons) an hour from De Halve Maan Brewery in the center of Brussels to its bottling plant outside the city. 

"I think we are the very first ones to do this ever in the world," says Xavier Vanneste, whose family has run the brewery for 160 years.

How to open business in Cyprus!

Many people turn to self-employment or start their own business when they start a new life abroad, although this can be very risky indeed in a foreign country.

If you’re thinking of doing this in Cyprus, you must do plenty of research into the country and its history, people, culture and of course business environment. In theory, now that Cyprus has joined the EU, other EU citizens can work as a self-employed person or start a business in Cyprus without restriction. For example, EU citizens are now able to start a business without needing a local Cypriot partner and there’s no minimum investment required.

IIIrd Women Congress in Cieszyn Silesia

   

Women congress

Women’s everyday space’, ‘Education develops and enriches’ – these are the mottos of this year’s IIIrd  Women Congress in Cieszyn Silesia. Creative Women Club Association organized a two-day meeting which was held 16^th-17^th October 2015 in Cieszyn.
     The Congress is an event aimed at both women and men. It was prepared for the first time three years ago by Creative Women Club Association, which has been working in favour of women for seven years. The IIIrd Congress was held under auspices of the vice-marshal of Silesian Province – Aleksandra Skowronek, the member of Polish Parliament  - Miroslawa Nykiel and the rector of The university of Dąbrowa Górnicza – prof. dr. Zdzislawa Dacko-Pikiewicz.