Doing Business

Our "Doing Business" column looks at why course corrections, when too big or too frequent, can do more harm than good to new businesses.

A look at the human tendencies that draw shoppers to Black Friday like a moth to a flame. (A flame that's half-off, one day only.)

The balancing act between profits and social impact is not an easy one to achieve. In defining the category of social entrepreneurship or social investment, many gray areas have emerged, and sometimes it’s hard to determine when a venture is truly social.

The startup world is going crazy for apps in Costa Rica, as around the globe - but real estate on your little screen is more expensive than most hopeful entrepreneurs care to consider. "Doing Business" takes a look at the challenge of creating a solution that people will actually use.

Being aware of the differences between the types of startups and the advantages and disadvantages of each can help entrepreneurs better prepare for the road ahead and make better decisions when making the leap.

Many local companies are still using the same bag of tricks to attract the best and brightest. If your current company or your future startup wants to make its people a competitive advantage, here are three changes you can start with - in this week's "Doing Business" column.

The right pieces seem to be there, but they’re not matching somehow. Entrepreneurs are still not talking the investors’ language; the investors are not yet very familiar or comfortable with the augmented risks of venture capital; and expats don't necessarily have the networks to find the right projects.

Costa Rica’s healthy democracy and active civic participation are something to be proud of. Many organized groups have ensured that economic interests do not overpower environmental or social aspirations. But this capacity of Costa Rican society to raise its voice and create pressure is merely a tool – a tool that can be used for both noble and selfish purposes.

It is usually the most articulate entrepreneurs, the most charismatic, and the best communicators, who end up in the qualifying rounds. Since competitions don’t spend much time checking facts and figures due to volume and time constraints, what really creates the impact is the story, and that is creating a new breed of entrepreneurs: great storytellers for competitions.

This managing of expectations and experience design is where a project called Osa Trails, or Caminos de Osa, has done its magic. An initiative of several public and private organizations, Caminos de Osa is betting on collaboration to pull off a feat no one else has yet accomplished: the delicate balancing act of natural conservation, community empowerment and economic development.