Starting in Guatemala - Rob
My first task here in Guatemala has been to investigate the steps required for foreign investment. I’ve been meeting with trade officials from the embassy, local chambers of commerce, and Guatemalan institutions like the aptly named, Invest in Guatemala.
Guatemala is a country open to foreign investment and the procedures are relatively straight forward; at least on paper.
My next step will throw me into the Guatemalan education system as I learn about its needs and the issues its facing.
The last few weeks have been a test of my MBA skills. I’ve run the gamet from business modelling, finance, accounting, marketing, issues in corporate strategy, human resources and sustainability, all the while dealing with a developing economy experiencing its own growing pains.
The outcome of the feasibility study aside, it has been an entrepreneurial adventure into Guatemala.
There is so much opportunity here and the desire to grow as a country and as an economy. There are, however, the inevitable hurdles, drawbacks and those conditions that prevent more economic growth. Some business strive to move forward, some don’t want any change at all, and some are stuck in the past and the ways that have worked here for thousands of years.