Place Based Economic Development with Simon White

Sign in Subscribe

Private Sector Development

Simon White | Specialist in private sector development. Supporting business growth for more and better jobs.

Small Business Development

SME Development Agencies

Over the last few months, I’ve provided advice to a number of government funded national SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) development agencies. Such agencies are very popular among governments, but less so among enterprise development specialist. While they can focus government efforts on supporting the small business sector,

Global supply chains

Global economy drives SME growth and job creation

This article examines how the global economy drives SME growth and job creation. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in economic development and job creation. While the general features of this role are understood, there are many features of this that require more research. Of particular

Blue economy

Blue entrepreneurship

Blue entrepreneurship is about treating our marine environments better and in a more sustainable manner. It creates the opportunity to rethink how we manage resources and generate new economic and employment opportunities. Many local economies around the world rely on the blue economy for jobs and income. Oceans are fundamental

Do financial services lead to SME growth? It depends…

Do financial services lead to SME growth? It depends…

Simon White | This article describes the issues affecting access to finance and SME growth.

Rio de Janeiro and the legacy of the 2016 Olympic Games

Rio de Janeiro and the legacy of the 2016 Olympic Games

As 500,000 people descend on the Brazil’s famous beachside city of Rio de Janeiro this week, local business opportunities are booming. The 2016 Rio Megastore––largest pop-up souvenir store in the city––on Copacabana Beach is doing a roaring trade in officially licensed souvenirs. This is the

The power of entrepreneurial role models

The power of entrepreneurial role models

There is a lot of power in entrepreneurial role models: the people we consider to be successful in business. Role models influence others. If you don’t identify with these role models, you may not see yourself in their shoes. I used to see most businesspeople as men; white men

Does inclusive growth require inclusive business?

Does inclusive growth require inclusive business?

While the world’s economy continues to grow and poverty is on the decline, inequality is increasing and the exclusion of certain social groups remains a persistent problem. In response, governments and development agencies are paying greater attention to social inclusion as a core principle for development. While they have