The Netherlands: New record: Over 2 million businesses in Netherlands = total population 17.18 million people

On January 1st there were 2,000,404 businesses in the Netherlands - the first time ever this counter topped 2 million, according to figures from the Dutch chamber of commerce KvK. The number of companies in the Netherlands increased by almost 100 thousand last year, an increase of 5 percent, NOS reports.

A total of 230 thousand new businesses opened in the Netherlands in 2019, and 131 thousand closed or went bankrupt, which means that on balance almost 100 thousand companies were added to the country.

The sectors that attracted the most new businesses were construction, health, retail, hospitality, and logistics. The most new companies opened in Flevoland, Zuid-Holland, and Noord-Holland, the least in Limburg.

The proportion of entrepreneurs who were not born in the Netherlands increased by one percent to 16 percent. Almost a quarter of entrepreneurs who opened a business last year were not born in the Netherlands. These entrepreneurs largely work in hospitality, logistics and construction. Many migrant-entrepreneurs are active in the provinces of Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland, and Flevoland.

The average age of entrepreneurs in the Netherlands is around 46 years and has been stable for years. But the average age of starting entrepreneurs decreased slightly, from 36 years in 2018 to 35 years in 2019.

This is partly due to the large number of teenagers, up to the age of 18, among new freelancers - self-employed with no employees. In 2015 there were 1,944 such young freelancers. Five years later that number rose to 6,572.

"More and more young people do not stock shelves or deliver newspapers, but start their own business", Gerdine Annaars, advisor for enterprising young people at the KvK, said to NOS. "A nice and educational way to earn a little extra and a good run-up to a real company."

Two thirds of entrepreneurs in the Netherlands are men, a proportion that hasn't changed in recent years. The proportion of women among starting entrepreneurs decreased slightly last year, from 38 percent in 2018 to 37 percent in 2019. A massive 80 percent of teenagers starting a business were men last year.

Total population of the Netherlands re 2018 census - 17.18 million people

Read more: New record: Over 2 million businesses in Netherlands | NL Times

USA: Looking Into the Crystal Ball: 22 Predictions for 2018

1. The artificial intelligence (AI) hype bubble will burst.

2. Face-to-face interactions will increase.

3. More beauty consumers will move to Indie brands.

4. Mental health house calls will become more common.

5. The money will be in the 35-plus demographic.

6. More people will strive for simplicity.

7. "Big Data" will become "Big Fresh Data."

8. Trust will be tech's biggest hurdle.

9. Artificial intelligence (AI) will drive smart video meetings.

10. The divide between machine learning (ML) haves and have nots will grow.

11. Cybersecurity will be table stakes for executive competency.

12. Ownership will decrease.

13. The subscription model will become standard for all industries.

14. Enterprises will think smaller.

15. Corporate America will increase its role in our political, legal and social lives.

16. Consumers will expect more voice controls.

17. Reach and scalability will continue to remain vexing problems.

18. Data will take the gossip out of the real estate industry.

19. Machine learning will begin to transform business at every scale.

20. Expect to see even more data-driven hires and acquisitions.

21. The tech industry will continue its transformation into an experience business.

22. Wellness will play an even larger role across all industries.

Details: read more click here: Looking Into the Crystal Ball: 22 Predict

EU: Upgrade to the circular economy - a new. profitable way to create environmentally clean businesses

In Dublin, Ireland, like everywhere else in the world, electronics consumption is growing rapidly, as is the associated waste. But one small business, MicroPro, has turned this into a business opportunity.

Three years ago, Paul Maher’s company was the very first computer manufacturer to win a European Eco-label. His pcs are 98% recyclable – compared to 38% for conventional equivalents. They use 50% less electricity and the machines don’t contain mercury, lead PVCs or plastics.

Paul Maher and Ann Galligan developed a business model based on after sales service. The aim is to ensure record-breaking longevity for their PCs, said Paul Maher, the Managing Director: “Our computers are upgradeable via a modular design so they are quite easy to repair or update. All our computers are made of wood or reused wood so no two computers will ever look the same.”

This is called the circular economy: almost everything is reusable. At the end of their lives, these eco-pcs can be used as cash registers or emergency lighting.

Today the company employs 25 people and has an annual turnover of 1.5 million euros in Ireland. It is aiming for turnover of 10 million euros in 5 years and hopes to triple its workforce via partnerships across Europe.

Anne Galligan, MicroPro’s Director, said: “Our business model can be replicated all over the world. At the moment we are in talks with various service centers all over Europe so that our Iameco computers can have the same level of service as they have here in Ireland.”

It is estimated that designing durable products and and reusing raw materials could save EU businesses 600 billion euros, ie 8% of their annual turnover and Shane Colgan, the Manager at the Resource Efficiency Unit, at the Environmental Protection Agency in Ireland says the approach can work across all types of sectors: “Examples would include car-sharing schemes that we’ve seen across cities in Europe and, for example, a factory in Ireland that converts waste plastics into fleece clothing.”

The transition to a circular economy could produce up to 580,000 jobs in Europe. And all this whilst still combating global warming.

Shane Colgan said that the circular economy really is a win-win situation: “The European commission have said that in the period up to 2030 we’ll be able to reduce EU carbon emissions by 450 million tonnes per year through the circular economy.”

Read more: Upgrade to the circular economy | euronews, business planet