The Top Ten Latin American Companies & Why They Matter

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The Top Ten Latin American Companies & Why They Matter

With booming tech scenes in major population centers like Mexico City and Sao Paulo, Brazil, it has been so secret in recent years that Latin America currently has one of the hottest start-up markets in the world. Here are just a few of the best companies operating out of the region, and why investors will be hearing a lot more about Latin companies in the decade to come.

 

  1. Apli

Based out of Mexico City, Apli is currently revolutionizing the Latin food industry by connecting workers with in-demand restaurant jobs. Apli has almost singlehandedly revitalized what many investors once saw as a stalled industry, and the company’s future looks very bright indeed.

 

  1. Rappi

Based out of Colombia and currently developing operations in a host of different countries, Rappi is changing the way that online deliveries are made in Latin America.

 

  1. Movile

As one of Brazil’s leading start-ups, Movile is providing a variety of services to Latin American nations; the company currently handles everything from food delivery to online radio.

 

  1. Grow Mobility

Another Brazil-based start-up with enormous potential, Grow Mobility’s founders took advantage of the poor transportation service operations in their home town of Sao Paulo to launch one of the most successful micro-transport companies in the world.

 

  1. Selina

Much like its direct competitor Airbnb, Selina is currently taking the user-based vacation rental market by storm in South America. Based out of Panama, the company is now worth nearly $1 billion and is growing rapidly.

 

  1. Ecoandino

Founded in Peru, Ecoandino aims to revolutionize the Latin American superfood movement with its healthy offerings; the company is also notable for its commitment to sustainability.

 

  1. PagSeguro

Another of Brazil’s most promising new companies, PagSeguro makes online payments simple and straightforward for its 12 million customers. In Sao Paulo’s thriving and competitive start-up market, PagSeguro is currently one of the best companies for investors to keep an eye on.

 

  1. Magazine Luiza

Like Ikea, Magazine Luiza is hoping to win over upwardly-mobile market demographics with great deals on stylish home furnishings. Another Sao Paulo-based company that is a favorite with investors, Magazine Luiza appears to be taking the Latin American market by storm, and its holdings of close to 800 stores is a testament to the company’s remarkable popularity with the public.

 

  1. Cliengo

As one of Argentina’s most promising start-ups, Cliengo is a client-services company unlike any other currently operating in South America. By connecting small businesses with clients via AI chat applications, the company has wowed investors with its commitment to using futuristic tech to serve a growing customer base.

 

  1. Nubank

By offering a pragmatic and cost-effective alternative to Brazil’s high interest credit card industry and limited financial system, Nubank has disrupted the personal banking world in Latin America in a very big way. Indeed, the company is now regarded as one of the most promising start-ups in the region.

Effective Resources to Help Strengthen your Family’s Finances

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Growing up in my community, we didn’t talk about finances. The husband went to work and brought home the paycheck. The wife took care of the household and was given an allowance for household necessities. Talking about money and saving for the future weren’t spoken about and bringing them up resulted in an argument. Times have changed and speaking about finances is encouraged in families, even with young children. High schools teach Economics (or Student Finances) to help students understand the basics of running a business as well as accounting (e.g. budgeting). There are numerous books on finances, especially those to help families be smart with their money. The books below offer great tips and plans to get families started (or continue) on a bright financial path. 

 

  1. Rich Kid Smart Kid: Giving Your Child a Financial Head Start — This book is from the author who wrote Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki. He continues to educate people about finances (e.g. financial literacy) and now focuses on teaching parents how to give their children a financial head start. It provides the practical guidance needed to teach children to be financially responsible. The foundation of the book is education – learning about personal and financial success in today’s world. Kiyosaki points out that we are now in the Information Age, which is drastically different from the Industrial Age. Children have different obstacles than their parents and must learn to navigate them, and it starts with smart money management. 
  2. Family Budget Book: Gaining Control of Your Personal Finances — This is geared for families to help them gain control of their finances. This book offers “real world” advice and worksheets to help you apply what you have learned and to make it a habit. You’ll learn to address unexpected costs and to plan for future goals (e.g. a vacation). Also, you’ll uncover where your money goes when creating a budget — one that’s easy to manage and stick to! 
  3. The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who Are Grounded, Generous, and Smart About Money — I choose this book not only for its title but also for the great advice it gives parents on talking to their children about money. The author shares his experiences with finances and those of families of various backgrounds to illustrate the importance of money management. Parents should talk to their kids about money, even answering the difficult questions about its nuances. This book will help parents to raise grounded kids who are financially smart. 

Understanding Risk Management

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Everything we do involves a degree of risk, but, without taking on those risks, we would never achieve anything. This is where risk management comes in. It’s a process of analyzing a situation to determine the risks of taking on a particular project. In some cases, those risks may be minimized, so the chances of success are made more likely. This process of managing risks helps us to move forward more efficiently, so we can evolve as a society.

A Deeper Look at Risk Management

The larger the project you’re undertaking, the more in-depth your risk analysis must be. For instance, a corporation taking on a new project will have to look into how the risks will affect the entire organization. A failure may affect every department within the organization, so it’s important to understand and prepare for these risks. ERM, or enterprise risk management, is a system that analyzes the risks for every department within the organization. This type of risk management process will even explore what risks the organization’s outlets will face.

In doing their jobs, risk management professionals must also determine ways for minimizing risks. This may involve recommending more insurance for the business, which will allow the business to continue operating. Risk managers may also have to consider how the health and safety of the business’ employees will be affected by the venture. Everything from ensuring the continued management of the company to addressing the possible financial fallout must be considered.

Businesses aren’t left to try to analyze these risks on their own. Today, there are many organizations that create and publish risk management standards. These companies will come out to audit your business or help you analyze how a proposed project will affect your company. These standards are often followed uniformly by many businesses within a given industry to ensure every company is following similar guidelines. This helps keep risks somewhat level among every business, which may make the playing field more even. Adhering to a set list of standards helps organizations better understand the risks of operating in a highly competitive environment.

While every endeavor includes some degree of risk, it’s important to separate good risk from unnecessary risk. This process of analysis can help you achieve success more often by limiting your exposure to bad risk. Regardless of what type of project you’re pursuing, thorough risk management can help you develop a more successful strategy.

3 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Lower their Stress Levels

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Being an entrepreneur can be extremely stressful. Just like everyone else, entrepreneurs still have bills to pay and in some cases even a family to support. As their business grows, more and more people become dependent on them for their livelihood as well. This can place an incredible amount of pressure on entrepreneurs. The higher your stress rises, however, the less capable you are of making calm, rational decisions which can actually jeopardize your business. For both business and health reasons, it is important to keep stress levels in check. Here are three ways entrepreneurs can lower their stress levels.

 

  1. Unplug

 

It is vitally important for entrepreneurs to take some time every day and every week to simply let the world run without them for a while. While this can in and of itself be stressful for an entrepreneur, it is important. If you don’t, you will eventually burn out. Vacation is also critical, so don’t put it off “until you get your business up and running.” Without taking time for self-care, you won’t make it that far.

 

  1. Delegate

 

For an entrepreneur, delegation is similar to a new parent hiring a babysitter. It is just as nerve-wracking and just as important. While your business may be “your baby” it’s going to take a village to make it a viable proposition – just like raising a child.

 

  1. Take good care of your health

 

Exercise, eating a healthy diet and getting a good night’s sleep might be some of the hardest challenges for busy entrepreneurs, but they are also the most important. Building a business is a marathon, not a sprint. If you put managing your own health on a back burner while you are building your business, there is a good chance you won’t be around to enjoy it once it is viable – if it ever even makes it that far. In addition, all three of these activities work together to help you reduce stress. 30 minutes of brisk exercise can help burn off adrenaline and even help you get a better night’s sleep. A good, healthy diet can give you energy to make it through the long days and even get a good workout in at the end.

Understanding the Latest Passport Changes

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Passports are a requirement for international and domestic travel. Increased threshold of threats to security, especially terrorism, are prompting most countries across the globe to revolutionize their passport regulations and requirements. The US and other European countries have been on the forefront as far as the introduction of the new passport changes and requirements are concerned. Here is an overview of what has changed or is expected to change in the near future regarding how you apply and use your passport.

 

  1. Passport Makeovers

 

To enhance the speed of processing of passengers in airports, passports are being incorporated with microchips designed to hold passengers’ data. The machine-readable microchip will make it possible for instant changes to be affected across all airports and countries. For instance, the microchip can be instantly updated across all airports, thereby affecting travel restrictions more effectively at the touch of a button.

 

  1. Improved Security Features

 

To make passports more tamper-proof, new security features are expected to be incorporated in order to decrease the prospects of criminals defrauding customs agencies and personnel. The data chip will be virtually impossible to replicate, thereby eliminating prospects of forgery and other forms of malicious tampering.

 

  1. Strict Application Rules

 

In order to curb the increased threat to national security, governments, led by the United States, have revised rules and regulations for applying for passports. For instance, if a passport photograph does not meet a certain requirement of clarity and size, the application will be turned down. Other aspects include the restriction on the use of eyeglasses on passport photographs and the requirement to produce proof of US citizenship, including birth certificates among other requirements which make the application process watertight.

 

  1. Passport Renewal Regulations

 

Governments across the globe have enforced a 6-month validity rule requiring all passport holders to have their passports’ expiry date not less than 6 months from the time of entry to a country. This implies that you will have to renew your passport way in advance before the 6 months travel restriction period. Individuals having passports expiring within 6 months will be denied entry. The entire passport renewal process has been made much simpler in most countries as one can renew online at the click of a button.

Top Three Franchises for 2019

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When you think of a franchise, you think of food — Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds. Both of these companies have strong brands and bring in a great deal of money. We even see ads looking for people to become franchisees. What exactly is a franchise? And why do people buy into them? When you (the franchisee) buy a part of a business from the owner (franchisor), you are getting the rights to sell the company’s products and/or services as well as use its brand, processes, business model and equipment. Although you pay the franchisor an initial fee and royalties pertaining to the business, you do get support and use of the trademark. It’s important to note that the franchisor retains the license to the business whereas the franchisee can only use it. The franchisor grows his business through the franchises. It is not the same as growing a business by increasing its locations (e.g. Starbucks).

People are quick to buy a franchise because they are essentially cash cows. They also want to learn how to manage a business. That said, let’s take a look at some franchises that will be popular this year.

  1. McDonald’s — This will always be a popular franchise. The company started out as a small hamburger shop and became a multi-million dollar corporation. Brothers Maurice (Mac) and Richard McDonald opened their restaurant in 1948 in San Bernardino, California. Restaurant equipment salesman Ray Kroc saw how the brothers sold their food cheaply with a self-serve counter and came up with the idea of franchising the restaurant. The first franchise opened in 1954 in Des Plaines, Illinois. McDonalds continues to grow based on its brand, quality of food and reinvention (e.g. renovated restaurants).
  2. Dunkin Donuts — The fast food chain is now called Dunkin (or DD). The franchise decided last year to drop the “Donuts” and focus on beverages. Like McDonalds, the chain has grown due to its brand, products and convenience. It was started by William Rosenberg in 1948 and was originally called Open Kettle. The mission was to sell donuts and coffee quickly. However, after meeting with consultants, it was changed to “make and serve the freshest, most delicious coffee and donuts quickly and courteously in modern, well-merchandised stores.” The name was changed to Dunkin Donuts in 1950 and the first franchise opened in 1955. The mission holds true today with numerous franchises across the nation.
  3. The UPS Store — Originally called Mail Boxes Etc., this postal services company grew and embraced technology. It created the “business services category” with its digital capabilities for small businesses. In 2001, UPS acquired Mail Boxes Etc. and became the world’s “largest franchisor of retail shipping, postal, printing, and business services centers.” In 2003, the UPS Store Brand was introduced. In 2012, the Mail Boxes Etc. was absorbed into the UPS Store. Last year, the UPS Store was ranked #1 by Entrepreneur Magazine’s annual “Franchise 500.” There is no doubt this franchise will continue to be popular.