The European Central Bank (ECB) plan to lower the official interest rate from 0.15% to 0.05% will not work. What’s the difference between 0.05% and 0.15%? Nothing. There will be no increase in requests or approvals for loans resulting from this 0.1% cut. In July 2012, after lowering the interest rates from 1% to 0.75%, Mario…

Energy and physical stamina are personal characteristics that tend to be associated with power. Based on their physical appearance, Nigerians could be compared to US basketball players. This feature can be intimidating, and especially so when it comes along with a loud voice. In fact, Nigerians describe themselves as "loud and proud." This is one…

Philips announced a few months ago that sales of "green products" accounted for 51% of its total revenue last year. Similarly, the Siemens environmental portfolio brought in 43%, while General Electric reported that 19% of the group's earnings came from "clean energy." It is a good sign that the ratio of green products is on the…

Last week I heard a talk by a consultant from Roland Berger who specialized in Sub-Saharan and Southern Africa. He offered some practical advice for doing business in Africa. This is what he said, and some of my experiences of how it holds true: 1. Take market intelligence and customer understanding seriously: product-oriented companies won't make…