Resources

Doing Business in the East Africa Community 2012 is a regional report drawing on the global Doing Business
project and its database, as well as the findings of Doing Business 2012, the ninth in a series of annual
reports investigating the regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it.

Doing Business presents quantitative indicators on business regulation and the protection of property rights
that can be compared across 183 economies—from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe—and over time.

This report outlines the need to provide capital to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries. It shows the impact of this capital on economic development, and the role for International Finance Institutions (IFIs) in the provision of this capital. Finally, it outlines recommendations for additional interventions and further research.

This recently report from the McKinsey Global Institute develops new insights into how the world’s financial assets are growing and being invested, and how these assets could evolve over the next decade.

This report draws on the experience of participants in the Business Linkages: Lessons, Opportunities, and Challenges dialogue held at IFC headquarters on March 14, 2007

While SMEs appear keen to adopt new and emerging technologies, they suffer from a lack of innovation facilities and resources. One way to overcome these problems is to develop “clusters”, which can provide a platform for SMEs in a region to share innovation facilities and new ideas and production resources through closer business networks. This article describes the character of Chinese SME clusters, which are highly concentrated both geographically and by industrial sector. It compares typical regions of SME clusters and analyzes their innovation capabilities.

Data Survey and Case Study Analysis of SEAF Investments

As part of IFC’s (International Finance Corporation’s) contribution to Global Entrepreneurship Week, this note summarizes and analyzes some of the most recent literature and approaches to helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs). It is based on existing material and contains nothing new, relying entirely on secondary sources. Rather, it provides a synopsis of current thinking which might be useful for policy makers, donors, academics, and even entrepreneurs themselves.

Acumen Fund has exited eight investments to date. Each of these investments has been invaluable in shaping Acumen Fund’s investment approach and teaching our portfolio team what works—and perhaps more importantly, what doesn’t work—in business models designed for the base of the economic pyramid (BOP).

The objectives of this year’s survey were to identify the feasibility of consistent cross-country data on SMEs going forward, summarize methodological challenges, and provide a rough estimate of SME financing volume.

The purpose of this document is to provide the initial discussion point for the design and establishment of a sidecar fund in New Brunswick. Such a fund will assist the province’s investors and entrepreneurs establish and cultivate high growth companies. Sidecar or co-investment funds started in the 1980s and have since gained global popularity as national, regional or jurisdictional funds.