Word: entrepreneurs
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...problem with the French," former U.S. President George W. Bush purportedly once said in a snarl of disgust, "is they have no word for entrepreneur." That quote is probably apocryphal - which is a rather good thing for W. on more than just the linguistic score. French government officials this week reported that the number of new private businesses launched in June set an all-time record. By the end of 2009, they estimate, France will be about half a million new firms better off. In 2008, just 328,000 new firms were created...
Surging French private enterprise in the middle of the world's worst economic crisis in 50 years? Something's up, right? Indeed there is. The motor driving France's bustling start-up action is an innovation known as the auto-entrepreneur - a government scheme introduced in January to facilitate the formidable process of founding a small business in France. The scheme cuts through the jungle of administrative red tape usually required to launch a company and dramatically lightens the heavy taxes and social charges other companies pay. While regular outfits face set charges whether business is booming or bust, auto...
...surprisingly, the scheme has accounted for more than half of all new companies founded thus far this year. "The auto-entrepreneur plan has been an impressive success, beyond what we'd been counting on," says Hervé Novelli, secretary of state for small- and medium-size businesses...
...answering that call? For now, two-thirds of auto-entrepreneurs are men, who, on average, are age 40. About 33% are salaried employees starting up a sideline business, 25% are unemployed and 6% are retirees. Later this year, the program will take private enterprise to the public sector by opening auto-entrepreneur to civil servants. If it continues at its current pace, the scheme will prove that France not only has a word for entrepreneur, but also a growing army of people it fits. Read "Much Greater Paris...
...conversations that Patrizia D'Addario says she secretly taped with Berlusconi before, during and after the night they spent together at the Prime Minister's private residence in Rome. Berlusconi has said he doesn't recall D'Addario and has denied ever paying for sex. Giampaolo Tarantini, the Bari entrepreneur under investigation for alleged prostitution and corruption, maintains his innocence, saying he brought attractive women to the Prime Minister's residences only to make a good impression. (See pictures of Berlusconi at the recent G-8 summit...