...Looking back, it was a tough week; one in which the harsh weather added a layer of unfriendliness.

And yet, knowing that at least 40 more people had somewhere to rest offered a sense of warmth and comfort even the hostile weather couldn’t dissipate.

51 weeks a year my good old friend Peter is a very reputable man. He works as a teacher, loves cooking and watching football on TV and regularly supports some older neighbors by carrying their groceries up the stairs. Peter lives in downtown Cologne, Germany – and this is an important point for our story. For insiders, there is a very brief and a very simple explanation why his life changes completely for one week each year. Sounds strange to you? Well, let me explain:

Cologne is famous for its carnival. Officially...

...Sixty seven years ago, Army Private First Class John Alfred D’Amore served in US armed forces in Belgium during WWII. During that time, he was in love with a woman, Rose Archie, who later became his wife. Fitting with his lastname D’Amore literally meaning “of love”, the young soldier carefully and secretly carried a keepsake box of photos and love letters from his fiancée Rose. As the ravages of war ensued, the keepsake box was lost but the soldier safely returned home to marry his sweetheart and build a family.

It was only this past June that the small wooden box was rediscovered by a woman cleaning an attic in the Ardennes region of Belgium and the adventure of finding its rightful owner began.

When FedEx Express stepped in to ensure the keepsake box arrived safely in the hands of John Alfred D’Amore, the surprise package was delivered in its rightful style-- hand delivered by FedEx couriers who are also US Veterans....[Read More]

t was exciting to find out that almost 90% of the SMEs surveyed for this report are planning to do business in emerging markets in the coming year. Where? According to the study, the top-10 emerging markets are: China, Brazil, India, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Poland, Czech Republic, Morocco, Romania and Turkey.

Another interesting fact, the onset of the financial crisis has had an unexpected positive effect: far from slowing this growth process, it has actually served to accelerate it.

Beyond the dramatic excitement and showmanship, we’re confident all of the attendees appreciated the spirit of the JA-YE experience: the culture that arises when young entrepreneurs from all over the world get together, what we call the celebration of the “entrepreneurial spirit”. These up and coming youngsters really got off to a flying start and got a genuine taste of what real business is about.

Let us set the record straight: JA-YE is everything BUT a classroom. It is about having an idea and believing in it, then getting out there and working hard to make it happen.

And while all of the young entrepreneurs are different, they share one commonality; they took a risk and went for it.