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Entrepreneurship in Colombia

Hello All

I will be traveling to Colombia for the first time in December. I will spend most of my time in Medellin and a few days in Bogotá as well. I am currently in an Entrereneurship program at Case Western and have taken an interest in the Entrepreneurial process in Latin America. I am curious to see how the entrepreneurial process in Colombia compares to elsewhere. What sort of growth is taking place? What types of businesses are people starting? I would appreciate any input on this subject. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I should look or people I should talk to while I am there?

By Halliday on Oct 23, 2005, 17:35 in Friendly Talkzone.

veky_81 says on Oct 23, 2005, 19:24:

small businesses You might try to just talk to small business owners. Most of the start-ups there are small (lifestyle businesses)anyways. Not sure for anything in the tech sector (yes there are a few, lol)

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Dolfi says on Oct 24, 2005, 00:36:

You´ll surely meet many entrepreneurs who just started something like a roadside stall selling arepas or shinhg shoes.

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Bill1243 says on Oct 24, 2005, 11:58:

note Pay special attention to the infrastructure there. Doing business there is very tough. Things we take for granted here are very tough to deal with there. Just mailing a letter is hard, not knowing if or when it will get there. Paying bills is tougher. Internet speeds are slower. Getting paid is harder. Depending on the business you might have to pay off people. And on and on.

I have seen so many people go down there and start a business .... most regret it.

I am thinking of having a business there, but only over my computer, and not having to deal with anything else there.

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Halliday says on Oct 28, 2005, 20:05:

role of academia and such? Does anyone know what role academia plays in venture creation? Any good business schools? Are there business launch competitions or tech transfer or anything like that? I know these questions may sound silly, but you might be surprised what you can find. And Colombia has a high literacy rate and a fair amount of technically trained people.

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Halliday says on Mar 14, 2006, 15:54:

Reflections The trip was great. There was a center in one of the poorer neighborhoods where an NGO was trying to help locals set up small businesses. There was also a lot more development than when my GF was there 4 years ago (or so she said).

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