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SBD Concept role is to support companies on their effort to re organize their business functions and prepare them to connect with the Global Market It is aiming to developing and implementing growth opportunities regarding commerce, investment, funding and multi-level Strategic Alliances for Public and Private Held Organizations. To develop new forms of viable business models based on strong Business Alliances among companies from different countries that are directly or indirectly related.

Global Economy At A Glance

Global Leaders must reignite the engines of economic growth And Make The Market Work

ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

It is increasingly clear that the latest downturn was fundamentally different from recessions of recent decades. We were experiencing not merely another turn of the business cycle, but a phase of restructuring in the economic order still continues worldwide in different forms. For some organizations, near-term survival is the only agenda item while others are peering through the fog of uncertainty, thinking about how to position them in this new global socio-economic and business environment. The question is, “What will new finally normal look like?” While no one can say how long this economic cycle stage will last, what we find on the other side will not look like the normal of recent years. The new normal will be shaped by a confluence of powerful forces—some arising directly from the financial crisis and some that were at work long before it began.

Obviously, there will be significantly less financial leverage in the system. But it is important to realize that the rise in leverage leading up to the crisis had two sources. The first was a legitimate increase in debt due to financial innovation—new instruments and ways of doing business that reduced risk and added value to the economy. The second was a credit bubble fueled by misaligned incentives, irresponsible risk taking, lax oversight, and fraud. Where the former ends and the latter begin is the multitrillion dollar question, but it is clear that the future will reveal significantly lower levels of leverage (and higher prices for risk) than we had come to expect. Business models that rely on high leverage will suffer reduced returns. Companies that boost returns to equity the old fashioned way—through real productivity gains—will be rewarded. Over the past 30 years, there were two main vehicles through which companies have globalized: Capital Consecration , international strategic alliances from few Business Groups and cross-border Mergers & Acquisitions. Both vehicles were instruments used by companies to increase their global reach and competitiveness but it didn’t manage to create a viable economic model. The concentration of financial power in the hands of very few Financial Groups around the world created severe economic and social problems in national and international level. Especially after the 2008 crisis many small to medium size enterprises disappeared created an enormous size of unemployment in many under developed and developed countries as well. Τhe Global Society must review the functioning of the financial system, redesign the productive forces activate, link and balancing the global market production forces.

Government responses to the global financial crisis took various interventionist forms: State bailouts of firms, cash injections into financial systems, acquisitions of large firms in financial difficulty were often encouraged by Governments (particularly encouragement of mergers in the financial sector). Also, Governments were encouraged to consider “light touch” enforcement to clear otherwise questionable mergers and alliances. Objectives unrelated to competition such as financial stability impacted upon merger clearance decisions, sometimes facilitated by public interest overrides in some national legislation. There was increased acceptance of the “failing firm defence”, enabling otherwise anti-competitive mergers to happen as one of the merging parties would otherwise cease to exist. In terms of remedies, the credit constraints arising from the financial crisis reduced the number of buyers able to purchase divestments, limiting the capacity of competition authorities to impose structural remedies. There were also pressures upon competition authorities to reduce delays and, in some cases, review periods for mergers involving parties in financial distress, to secure financial stability.

Concerns about failures of individual financial sector firms undermining confidence in the whole financial system are quite understandable. In difficult economic circumstances, effective enforcement of competition policy does require flexibility and innovative measures from competition authorities, which should also avoid discouraging harmless or economically beneficial activities as a result of perceived or real difficulties in obtaining clearance. Competition authorities would need to explore alternative options, such as parties identifying a buyer prior to completion, longer divestment periods or imposition of behavioral commitments.

However, undue pressures to relax merger controls in particular, especially though public interest overrides, pose challenges for competition authorities. Over-relaxation of competition rules and enforcement can have adverse consequences on domestic and international competition, impacting negatively on global economic welfare. Inappropriate recourse to the “failing firm” defense to justify anti-competitive mergers should be guarded against – competition authorities should ensure that each case adheres to fundamental competition principles. A balance should be struck between short-term gains in stability and the long-term benefits of sustaining competitive markets. Times of economic trouble are characterized by a distrust or increased intolerance of competition values, with competition sometimes being used as a scapegoat, despite its long-term benefits and instrumentality in relation to economic recovery and growth. In such cases, advocacy activities by competition authorities to explain the issues should be broadened to wider policy areas, while at the same time ensuring that the independence of competition authorities is not compromised.

Furthermore, the global nature of markets and the widespread reach of the recent crisis highlight the external impact which economic activities in one country may have on the markets of another. For competition to be enforced effectively, it is vital that countries do not solely pursue their own national interests but take a broader view. In recent years, the EC has recognized the need to “maintain a level playing field and to make sure that national measures would not simply export problems to other member States” and has taken measures to avoid a subsidy race. As the crisis has spread beyond the countries in which it originated, competition authorities should also consider cross-border effects when applying competition policy. Increased coordination and cooperation is fundamental. In this regard, UNCTAD’s Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Competition Policy would have an important role to play. In sum, it is essential that the impact on competition of crisis-mitigation policies be fully assessed from the outset so that the policy objectives they seek to address are not pursued at the expense of competition.

Hellenic Economy & Recession

Greece Is A Country With Great Investment Opportunities In Production , Industry And Services

Greece is an exciting country in the South East Europe with plenty of Natural Recourses, magnificent people with a great appetite for life and creativeness and of course Great History. These combinations make the country an ideal place for different types of investments in many innovative projects covering many business sectors such as Agriculture, Energy, Natural Food Production, Resorts, Tourism and many more. Is what we call “Combinatorial Investing” .Which means Production, Manufacturing and Services.

[wc_fa icon=”book” margin_left=”” margin_right=””][/wc_fa]Political Enviroment

Although the last 6 years the country is undergoing an economic recession due to the wrong political practices and non-functioning banking system Greece has a stainable Political Environment and a very important geopolitical position.The current situation is rather the result of wrong decision and choisies from EU and National Policy Makers and got nothing to do with the real economy and does reflects the capabilities of the Greek Market.The combined EU, European Central Bank (ECB), and IMF rescues were based on the assumption that a dramatic reduction in government deficits was the solution. But this “solution” tends to slow growth, increase unemployment, reduce savings, and hence increase the burden of private sector debt. The idea is that this will reduce government debt and deficit ratios. However, as we will show from the evidence, this did not work due to impacts on the domestic private sector. The question that should be asked, then, is whether this imposed policy mix was wise or what their really objectives were.

Although the country is facing an important public deficit problem which is the main reason that holds back any further economic progress,the opportunity to overcome all this depends on the policy makers will to proceed to substantive Structural Reforms.

[wc_fa icon=”book” margin_left=”” margin_right=””][/wc_fa]Business Opportunities

The country is characterized by sectors that present important competitive advantages offering vast business opportunities for Public and Private investments. The ideal climate conditions and the diversity of its natural resources complement many areas of investment that is rather difficult to meet around the globe .Greece is under a reforming process and at this stage ,as the country is building The New National Growth Model is the best period for Investors to participate in the Nation Renascence.In order to reignite the engines of economic growth, Greece must proceed to immediate political decisions and apply the necessary institutional reforms, activating each separate production force and create a combining portfolio of Private and Public Held investments. Additionally the country must get away of the “wrong austerity programmes” that took in place by the EU and IMF institution.

Investors have a wide selection of alternatives in Greece for their financing needs to implement their projects. The Investment Incentives Law provides strong financial incentives to realize projects in numerous sectors throughout the country. The NSRF (National Strategic Reference Framework) 2007–2013 is the reference document for the programming of European Union Funds at national level until 2013.

Due to the geographical position and culture , Greece is a “door” between east and west between EU and emerging regional markets. Its an excellent gateway -without any trade barriers- to more than 140 million consumers in Southeast Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean .Despite the economic crisis that the country is currently facing, efforts to improve public finances and apply crucial economic reforms are under way. The country is striving to use the crisis as an opportunity to boost its economy by applying a viable New Growth Model . Attracting foreign investment is considered a key to overcome the crisis. Providing the best possible environment for foreign investment is viewed as a top priority with a view to attract market-leading companies and dynamic entrepreneurs, creating thus associated jobs and stimulate the national economy.

Related Reading: McKinsey Report about Greece

Business Enviroment

Although global corporations tend to dominate the business pages, a healthy small & medium sized business sector is essential to a prosperous economy. Small- and medium-sized companies are the growth generators for economies worldwide, the frequent incubators of ideas and inventions and the backbone in many successful economic models through times. Today SME’S sector for being able to grow needs ,access to flexible patient capital, business development assistance customized, robust and sustained business training and solutions, including market information, marketing, management and finance, strategic planning and technology to bolster the business skills and knowledge of the entrepreneurs. It needs market linkages to supply chains and to the vast potential business and community development opportunities and investment projects that will ensure the growth and sustainability of SMEs.It needs a more friendly legislative framework by removing regulatory barriers that are harder for small and mid-sized enterprises to overcome than for large enterprises. In needs the support and collaboration of large scale enterprises and global funds not only for the sake of profits but for the sake of international social stability.

Today Business World Is Characterized By The Following Points:

Capital Concentration

Mergers & Acquisition

Strong Competion

Low Collaboration

The direction, composition and nature of international trade have changed substantially over the past couple of decades, and many of these trends may be related to the proliferation of GVCs. Emerging economies have gained a larger share in global trade and increasingly trade with one another. At the sectoral level, developing countries have diversified their exports and obtained a higher overall share in manufacturing trade. The importance of services trade has also risen. At the same time, much of “global” trade is actually concentrated at the regional level.

The world is changing with extraordinary rapidity, driven by many influences, including shifts in production and consumption patterns, continuing technological innovation, new ways of doing business and, of course, policy. One of the most significant drivers of change is technology. Not only have revolutions in transport and communications transformed our world but new developments, such as 3D printing, and the continuing spread of information technology will continue to do so. Trade and foreign direct investment, together with a greater geographical spread of income growth and opportunity, will integrate a growing number of countries into more extensive international exchange. Higher incomes and larger populations will put new strains on both renewable and non-renewable resources, calling for careful resource management. Environmental issues will also call for increasing attention.

Economic and political institutions along with the interplay of cultural customs among countries all help to shape international cooperation, including in the trade field. The future of trade will also be affected by the extent to which politics and policies successfully address issues of growing social concern, such as the availability of jobs and persistent income inequality.

Whilst the business world evolves and changes continuously, occasionally it seems like a watershed has been crossed. We see the birth of the Creativity Era, driven by expanding competition, new customer mindsets, technology megatrends and emerging management science, as being one of these points. Responding to the demands of the Creativity Era will require new skills and approaches across a broad range of areas in terms of strategy, process, organization, resources and culture. It will require companies to be much more flexible in terms of business outlook, more agile and responsive to changing circumstances, and also simultaneously able to maintain tight management control of risks. In many cases, adapting to the Creativity Era will need nothing less than full-scale transformation. Companies that are able to understand and tackle the necessary changes fastest will be the ones that will become the future leaders

The Future

The global economy has not yet to fully stabilize. This instability applies not only to developed economies but also to emerging ones, which are experiencing the knock-on effect of advanced economy woes. Recovery efforts are still needed to address both lingering legacy issues, such as rising debt levels, and post-crisis issues, such as increasing unemployment, with the ultimate goal of creating long-term, sustainable growth. Given the crucial role that the financial system plays in any economy, recovery efforts will depend on a well-functioning system of saving and allocating capital, among other factors. Although a number of reforms that address some of the underlying issues within the system have been well received, there are still many issues that remain to be addressed, including effective supervisory frameworks, cross-border bank resolution in times of failure, and the role of the shadow banking system.

In order to reignite the engines of economic growth, global leaders must provide investors, consumers, entrepreneurs, and the like with the trust and support necessary to take risks and innovate. To accomplish this, they need to strengthen institutions through more efficient and effective legal and regulatory frameworks, as well as enhanced corporate governance mechanisms. Instilling trust back in the system could pay dividends as financial markets stabilize, liquidity increases, and capital is allocated to its most productive uses. Although emerging and advanced economies face challenges that will be neither easy nor straightforward to address, long-term sustainable growth can be attained through collective action and international cooperation. Dialogue at the local, regional, and global levels will be critical in providing greater assurance, minimizing negative outcomes, and promoting a more stable financial system. Improvement efforts need to be driven by local-level reforms to ensure that the appropriate financial systems are in place, thereby helping extend prosperity to all.

The emergence of new players in the world economy, intensification of South-South trade and diversification into skill-intensive activities may continue only in a dynamic economic and open trade environment. Current trends towards increased regionalization may be reversed, with multilateral trade relationships gaining in importance. Hypothetical mega-regionals could slow down, but not frustrate the prevalence of multilateralism. Continuing technological progress is likely to have the biggest impact on future economic developments around the globe. Population dynamics are influential as well: For some countries, up-skilling will be crucial, for others labour shortages may be addressed through migration. Several developing countries would benefit from increased capital mobility; others will only diversify into dynamic sectors, when trade costs are further reduced.

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There are studies and reports that are showing that the forces that will shape the future of world trade are complex and numerous. They interact with trade itself and with each other, as well as being influenced by government policy. One thing seems clear: the landscape and nature of world trade are changing fast. As trade evolves, new policy challenges will arise. If properly managed, international trade will further increase prosperity around the globe. What are the main issues, therefore, that policy-makers need to take into account?First of all, a country’s position in international trade is in constant flux. New players continue to emerge. In certain respects, the so-called “emerging economies” are similar to industrialized countries. In other ways, they still confront developing country challenges, especially in certain sectors. Others, sometimes called the “Next-11”, are pushing from behind and have the potential to become leading players in the 21st century. At the same time, a range of poor countries risk being further marginalized. Competitiveness depends on a range of factors, some of which can be more easily influenced by policy than others.Secondly, policy-makers need to take into account the changing nature and composition of trade. Finally, in a rapidly changing international trade environment, policy-makers may re-think current models of trade cooperation. This relates both to form and content. The reality of current practices has overtaken the way trade negotiation agendas have traditionally been set. In today’s world, it is increasingly hard to separate goods from services, and trade from investment.

In The Very Near Future Business Should Rely On A Different Way Of Thinking and:

Unlocking Capital Sources for Growth

Invest More In Business Networking

New Approach Of Competitive Advantage

Global Business Clusters Model

New Economic Thinking

The work on Future economic balance starts with the way we think and act because narratives are powerful drivers of our societies. The organizing narrative today is economic performance, expressed in monetary growth. We live under ever-present cost-benefit justifications in most areas of life. Wellbeing is considered to be directly linked to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) measured each quarter. This system is addicted to short-term profit and ever expanding levels of consumption. When calculating costs and benefits, humans and nature appear only as inputs for our production processes. Products and services including waste products that do not have an official price simply do not appear in this reality. The assumptions behind this modern economic model are that humans are selfish, greedy and insatiable and that markets function automatically, void of personal contact and group psychology.

Modern economics ignores life and threatens human survival on this planet. To illustrate the waste and destruction behind this way of thinking and acting, the World Future Council has coined the phrase “Dead World Model of Economies”. Economic thinking for Future Justice on the other hand is a means to achieve higher ends of social wellbeing and a healthy environment. Flourishing nature, human creativity and positive social relations are the wealth of the future. This narrative acknowledges and supports the intrinsic value of people, nature and community and uses the term “growth” only when referring to developments actually enhancing life. We call this the “Living World Model of Ecological-Social Economies” and observe a growing global consensus behind this outlook on cooperation, production and trade.

Today three interlocking driving forces are changing the rules of business and national competitiveness:Globalization – markets and products are more global. Products by Nike and Virgin are known the world over. Today, even resourcing is becoming global. Thus many companies outsource manufacturing and software development to distant locations.Information/Knowledge Intensity – efficient production relies on information and know-how; over 70 per cent of workers in developed economies are information workers; many factory workers use their heads more than their hands.Networking and Connectivity – developments such as the Internet bring the ‘global village’ ever nearer.The net result is that goods and services can be developed, bought, sold, and in many cases even delivered over electronic networks. Electronic commerce offers many advantages in terms of costs savings, efficiencies and market reach over traditional physical methods

About The Author

The concept has been developed by Stamatis Alamaniotis (Bio info)and is being complemented by independent partners having a common goal to create new forms for sustainable growth for Greek business and other countries. It is an effort to work on a new way of business approach collaborating with individuals, institutions and organizations from private and public sector that are in the same line of thinking about the need of structural changes in the wider business and economy framework.

With more than 20 – year business hands on experience he have initiated and directed strategic projects increasing organizational effectiveness, culture change and profitability. Have worked in various companies and industries assisting them to adapt their business in a fast changing market environment and ameliorate company functions. Have redefined their market position and designed strategies that successfully improved their performance, maintained their competitiveness and achieved the required business goals. Have designed specific communication protocols for the staff to understand and adapt to the internal & external changes, keeping them inspired and successfully increased their efficiency and productivity.Have contacted business process reengineering that facilitated smooth operation for many companies from various sectors and have planned and executed successful Strategic Plans.

Have international business experience on handling negotiations, contracts, contacts with partners and suppliers from EUROPE, ASIA ,AFRICA and the USA and have participated in the development of Strategic Alliances & Partnerships for various business objectives.Have handled in person and developed significant collaborations with international companies such as TOYOTA, PFIZER, CARREFOUR, CLAXO SMITHKLINE, FIANDRE, SALINI IMPREGILO, UPS, HOCHTIEF, BATA and many others applying innovativeManagement methodologies.From 2004 started working as an independent business consultant on Business Development and Business Process Re-engineering subjects for small and medium size companies and have gained hands-on experience on the Due Diligence Process, Mergers, Acquisitions and funding projects.Additionally he is working on an Integrated Business Plan aiming to optimize the Greek Olive Business Industry and improve Greece EVOO international presence (See More at.. www.aristoleo.com )

Collaboration & Partnerships

A very important point in this “building business bridge” venture is our collaboration with public or private held,socio- economic/business organizations or institutions from different countries all over the world. The latest indicators about the global economy are pointing out that there are many similarities among the economies of many different countries all over the world regardless the development stage of their economy.There strong points and weak points…there are threats and opportunities…there bad times and good times.Collaboration between national economies, institutions, business organizations or business individuals is a very vital issue which can help to create a more sustainable economic system.We are always seeking for new collaborations from all over the world,we always will seeking to exchange knowledge aνd experience in order to create reliable business opportunities and build strong relationships and be part of a greater global sustainable socio-economic stability and equality.There must be always open windows between national economies,production forces and everyday people.