What does it take to be an entrepreneur?

What does it really take to be an Entrepreneur?

I think that most people do not fit into the category of Entrepreneur because of their mindset.  A typical person with a typical job is not looking for anything different from what they currently have, so they certainly do not fit into the category of entrepreneur.

If you think along most or even any of the following lines, you may have what it takes to be an entrepreneur.

1) I am looking for something more than what I am doing every day.

2) I am looking for something different than I am currently doing.

3) I would like a new challenge that is more than what I am currently doing.

4) I would like more control over my work life than I currently have.

5) I don't mind working harder than I am currently working, but I would like more freedom to work according to my own schedule.

6) I would like to become more of an owner than I currently am.

7) I would like to profit directly from my efforts instead of sharing my efforts with others in a higher position than myself.

8) I am kind of tired of being just an employee.

9) I don't really see many opportunities for growth in my current job.

10) I want to build something that I could sell for a profit or pass on to a family member when I retire.

If any of these types of thoughts have passed through your mind, you may be someone who would like to become an entrepreneur.

 

Do I have the skills to become an entrepreneur?  If you think you have or are capable of developing these kinds of skills you may have what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur.  Don't worry if you think you may not have all these skills right now.  Some of them are acquired skills that entrepreneurs discover along the way.

1.  Ability to solve problems by using critical thinking.

2. I can lead when necessary and delegate when it is appropriate to do so.

3. I can think creatively when necessary.

4. I have the ability to manage people or groups of people.

5. I can coordinate with people within as well as outside my company.

6.  I can manage my own emotions and help others to control theirs when necessary.

7. I can exercise good judgment and make good decisions on both a short term and long term basis.

8. I realize that in order to succeed, I will have to put the needs of customers first, and set up mechanisms within my company to make sure that this culture is instilled in all employees.

9. I am able to negotiate.  This means I have to be willing to compromise when necessary.

10.  In dealing with critical issues, I will be able to show flexibility and show empathy within and without my company, rather than insist on my way or the highway every time.

If you can see yourself in the top or bottom ten points listed here, then entrepreneurship may be for you.

Best of success in all your endeavors.

 

John Lombaerde

 https://markethive.com/jonlomb/page/standard

 

 

David

China plastic waste ban throws global recycling into chaos

In 2018, China n 2018, China stopped accepting foreign plastics for recycling, causing the trade to divert to South East Asia where cowboy firms are dumping and burning waste.

From grubby packaging engulfing small Southeast Asian communities to waste piling up in plants from the US to Australia, China's ban on accepting the world's used plastic has plunged global recycling into turmoil.

For many years, China received the bulk of scrap plastic from around the world, processing much of it into a higher quality material that could be used by manufacturers.

But at the start of 2018, it closed its doors to almost all foreign plastic waste, as well as many other recyclables, in a push to protect the local environment and air quality, leaving developed nations struggling to find places to send their waste.

"It was like an earthquake," Arnaud Brunet, director general of Brussels-based industry group The Bureau of International Recycling, told AFP.

"China was the biggest market for recyclables. It created a major shock in the global market."

Instead, plastic is being redirected in huge quantities to Southeast Asia, where Chinese recyclers have shifted en masse.

With a large Chinese-speaking minority, Malaysia was a top choice for Chinese recyclers looking to relocate, and official data showed plastic imports tripled from 2016 levels to 870,000 tonnes last year.

In the small town of Jenjarom, not far from Kuala Lumpur, plastic processing plants suddenly appeared in large numbers, pumping out noxious fumes day and night.

Huge mounds of plastic waste, dumped in the open, piled up as recyclers struggled to cope with the influx of packaging from everyday goods, such as foods and laundry detergents, from as far afield as Germany, the United States, and Brazil.

Residents soon noticed the acrid stench over the town — the kind of odour that is usual in processing plastic, but environmental campaigners believe some of the fumes also come from the incineration of plastic waste that was too low quality to recycle.

"People were attacked by toxic fumes, waking them up at night. Many were coughing a lot," local resident, Pua Lay Peng, told AFP.

"I could not sleep, I could not rest, I always felt fatigued," the 47-year-old added.

Toxic fumes

Pua and other community members began investigating and by mid-2018 had located about 40 suspected processing plants, many of which appeared to be operating secretly and without proper permits.

Initial complaints to authorities went nowhere but they kept up pressure, and eventually the government took action. Authorities started closing down illegal factories in Jenjarom, and announced a nationwide temporary freeze on plastic import permits.

Thirty-three factories were closed down, although activists believe many have quietly moved elsewhere in the country. Residents say air quality has improved but some plastic dumps remain.

In Australia, Europe and the US, many of those collecting plastic and other recyclables were left scrambling to find new places to send it.

They face higher costs to get it processed by recyclers at home and in some cases have resorted to sending it to landfill sites as the scrap has piled up too quickly.

"Twelve months on, we are still feeling the effects but we have not moved to the solutions yet," said Garth Lamb, president of industry body Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia.

Some have been quicker to adapt to the new environment, such as some local authority-run centres that collect recyclables in Adelaide, southern Australia.

The centres used to send nearly everything — ranging from plastic to paper and glass — to China but now 80 percent is processed by local companies, with most of the rest shipped to India.

"We moved quickly and looked to domestic markets," Adam Faulkner, chief executive of the Northern Adelaide Waste Management Authority, told AFP.

"We've found that by supporting local manufacturers, we've been able to get back to pre-China ban prices," he added.

Consume less, produce less

In mainland China, imports of plastic waste have dropped from 600,000 tonnes per month in 2016 to about 30,000 a month in 2018, according to data cited by a new report from Greenpeace and environmental NGO Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives.

Once bustling centres of recycling have been abandoned as firms shifted to Southeast Asia.

On a visit to the southern town of Xingtan last year, Chen Liwen, founder of environmental NGO China Zero Waste Alliance, found the once-booming recycling industry had disappeared.

"The plastic recyclers were gone — there were 'for rent' signs plastered on factory doors and even recruitment signs calling for experienced recyclers to move to Vietnam," she told AFP.

Southeast Asian nations affected early by the China ban — as well as Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam were hit hard — have taken steps to limit plastic imports, but the waste has simply been redirected to other countries without restrictions, such as Indonesia and Turkey, according to the Greenpeace report.

With only an estimated nine percent of plastics ever produced recycled, campaigners say the only long-term solution to the plastic waste crisis is for companies to make less and consumers to use less.

Greenpeace campaigner Kate Lin said: "The only solution to plastic pollution is producing less plastic."

David

Bitcoin (BTC) Price Weekly Forecast: $10K Holds Key For Recovery

Bitcoin (BTC) Price Weekly Forecast: $10K Holds Key For Recovery

There was a major downward move below the $10,000 support in bitcoin price against the US Dollar.

The price is currently correcting higher, but upsides remain capped near $9,800 and $10,000.

There is a major bearish trend line forming with resistance near $9,980 on the 4-hours chart of the BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken).

There could be a short term upside correction, but the bulls are likely to struggle near $10,000.

Bitcoin price is facing a lot of hurdles on the upside near $10,000 against the US Dollar. BTC remains sell on rallies as long as it is trading below the $10,000 resistance.

 

Bitcoin Price Weekly Analysis (BTC)

In the last weekly forecast, we discussed the possibilities of a downward move below $10,000 in bitcoin price against the US Dollar. The BTC/USD pair did move down and broke the key $10,000 and $9,800 support levels. Moreover, there was a close below the $10,000 pivot and the 100 simple moving average (4-hours). Finally, there was a break below the $9,800 and $9,500 supports as well.

A new monthly low was formed near $9,300 and the price is currently consolidating losses. It is testing the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the recent decline from the $10,717 high to $9,308 low. However, there are many hurdles on the upside near the $9,800 and $9,900 levels. Additionally, there is a major bearish trend line forming with resistance near $9,980 on the 4-hours chart of the BTC/USD pair.

Moreover, the 50% Fib retracement level of the recent decline from the $10,717 high to $9,308 low is also near the $10,010 level. Therefore, upsides are likely to remain capped near the $9,800 and $10,000 levels. Above the trend line, the 100 SMA is waiting near the $10,150 level. The 61.8% Fib retracement level of the recent decline from the $10,717 high to $9,308 low is also waiting near the $10,170 level.

On the downside, an immediate support is near the $9,500 level. If there is a downside break below the $9,500 support, the price may continue to move down below the last swing low at $9,300. The next key supports are near the $9,100 and $9,000 levels.

Looking at the chart, bitcoin price is clearly trading in a downtrend below $10,000. In the short term, there could be an upside correction, but the $9,800 and $10,000 levels are likely to act as major sell zones in the coming sessions.

 

Technical indicators

4 hours MACD – The MACD for BTC/USD is slowly moving into the bullish zone.

4 hours RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for BTC/USD is slowly rising towards the 50 level.

Major Support Level – $9,500

Major Resistance Level – $10,000

 

 

Aayush Jindal

David