COLOMBIA, ATTRACTIVE FOR BUSINESS

In the previous measurement of the Doing Business 2017, Colombia was in the fourth position, below Mexico, Chile and Peru. Today, Mexico remains the first, and Colombia, the only Pacific Alliance country that improved its position, is second.

The fourteenth edition of Doing Business 2017, "Equal Opportunities for All," revealed that Colombia was the only Pacific Alliance country that improved its position with respect to last year and became the second state of Latina, after Mexico, Where there are better conditions for doing business.

In the previous measurement, Colombia was in the fourth position, below Mexico, Chile and Peru. Today, Mexico remains first, Peru third and Chile fourth. Daniel Velandia, director of research at Credicorp, said that the new ranch may be due not only to the country's macroeconomic strengthening, but to the political and economic uncertainty that Chile and Peru have experienced in the last eighteen months.

However, Velandia acknowledged that credibility in the institutions, the pro-market attitude promoted by the Government and the improved security conditions that Colombia has had in this period contributed significantly to the country receiving a score of 70.92 points.

Globally, Colombia rose from 54th out of 189 countries in 2016 to 53 out of 190 that were measured this year. For the third time in a row, it consolidated its position as the second largest economy in the world. Credit for the business fabric, surpassed only by New Zealand.

The report analyzes ten areas of a company's life cycle and emphasizes the categories that determine the ease of starting new business. According to the study, the country improved in five of the variables measured, had a decrease in four and in one maintained the same position of the previous year.

For example, in the Aperture category of a company, Colombia became the first country in the region to reach position 61, while Mexico, Peru and Argentina occupied positions 93, 103 and 157, respectively. The report highlights that Colombia made it easier to start a business by reducing registration procedures, from 8 to 6 procedures and from 11 to 9 days for the opening of a company. According to the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, María Claudia Lacouture, these measures prompted the opening of 138,786 companies between May and September 2016, 14.7% more than in the same period of 2015, where there were 120,921 new companies.

The Doing Business 2017 acknowledged that Colombia is the country that has made the most reforms to protect creditors and facilitate credit for small business owners. Lacouture said that Opportunity Banking and Bancóldex, disbursed nearly six billion pesos between January and September this year and have benefited 95,452 businesses. "The country's goal is to increase business productivity by 15% by 2018. These results indicate that we are on a solid path and that we have to continue to strengthen companies to generate added value and insert ourselves into global value chains."

Taken from: http://www.elespectador.com/noticias/economia/colombia-atractivo-hacer-negocios-articulo-662209

FIVE STEPS TO WRITING BUSINESS DOCUMENTS

The writing exercise requires scrutiny and specific formats; as a rule have as purpose: precision and clarity, simplicity in reading is a highly valued element as this leads to the completion of reading a text in full. Writing is a complex activity whose abilities develop over time.

Within the broad field of writing, there is the drafting of business documents, its structure deals with linear schemes, omits all ambiguity and is intended to communicate to a recipient aspects concerning companies. Here precision is a vital requirement; its methodology involves the mastery of formulations to meet concrete goals.

There are numerous business documents in corporations, their list competes to a separate writing, however here are some examples: speeches, reports, worksheets, applications, campaigns, minutes, agreements, fax, letters to various recipients, proposals, Contracts, manuals, etc.

Here are 5 basic tips for writing business texts:

1. Know the type of document that is requested. The employer usually assumes that the worker knows what each type of file is about and how it is written; the writing of professional texts is learned from academic training, however can be forgotten by the disuse. To remember it is necessary to first look for the definition, a suitable format and finally stick to the style demanded.

2. Know the structure of each institution. In business texts, innovation is often not permissible, it is necessary to stick to the formats, to place the institutional seals where they should go, even if there is doubt about their form, it is necessary to consult it before acting unilaterally. It is valid to make suggestions but do not lose sight that every company has a work inertia to be respected.

3. Absolute domain of the word processor. It is necessary to be trained about the multiple options offered by writing programs, their design is made to simplify their use, however their ignorance propitiates that we have elementary errors in the time of writing and give a specific form; There are forums where it is possible to resolve doubts, in addition to using the help icon of our own processor.

4. Originality. Appealing creativity in a business text is an intricate task, however the reader will appreciate it; The use of forms is not something old fashioned but is an element that will give character and formality to our writing.

5. Review and correct. Time is sometimes an enemy in corporations, however we have to take time to read aloud our writing and ask others to read it, in this way if there are errors in the writing, confusion in the times Verbal or syntax errors, can easily be corrected. It is better to deliver a well-made document with delay, than an incorrect one right away.

Writing correctly is an exercise that is useful for a lifetime, do not neglect eventually the possibility of entering a workshop of reading and writing, regardless of the career that has been studied, what will be added to the learning process.

HOW TO STUDY FOR AN EXAM?

Examinations are serious business and require solid preparation. Just like an Olympic athlete cannot hope to make the grade without lengthy preparation, you cannot expect to get optimum results on an exam with the minimum, last-minute effort. However, by following some simple guidelines, you can achieve your goal of acing any exam.

1. Study through the module. Mid-term and year-end examinations measure your ability to understand and recall information that was taught over weeks and months. That means you need to study a lot of material. By setting up and following a study schedule throughout the year, you can be very well prepared and can expect to do well. On the other hand, if you squander your time through the module and expect to catch up  study in a few days or nights, you will not only place yourself under extreme psychological pressure, but also end up with lower marks than you were capable of achieving.

2. Find out about the exam. Make sure you know all there is to know about the format of your upcoming exam. You should know the length of the exam, the style of the exam (objective, subjective, or both), and which sections are worth the most points.

3. Listen and look for clues. In the weeks before a mid-term or final exam, your professor will probably drop a lot of hints about what will appear on the exam, so listen carefully in class. Also pay attention to whatever your teacher writes on the board as it may give you clues about what sections of your course are guaranteed to be on the exam. Equally important, listen for what not to study.

4. Make a study schedule for the few weeks before the exam. Make a list of all your subjects. Divide the amount of chapters you need to cover in each subject by the number of days. Figure out how many hours you have to devote to each subject and each section. Stick to your schedule, no matter what!

5. Organize your study material. Have all your filed notes, old tests, and textbooks in one place to save time. Clear away unnecessary books and papers from your study area. Take away any non-study related material, which could distract you.

6. Use your strongest learning style. Use your dominant learning style to help you study more efficiently and effectively. For example, create review materials such as recorded tapes if you are an auditory learner. Draw mind maps to outline all the main points, if you are a visual learner. Make up matching cards and games to aid recall, if you are a kinesthetic learner. 

7. Study alone or in a group. By now, you should know what works best for you. Some people need privacy and silence to concentrate and remember information. Others benefit from the camaraderie of study groups. Try both ways and find out what works best for you.

8. Use your textbook wisely. Today’s textbooks are designed to help you succeed. Pay attention to headings and subheadings, highlighted sections, key terms and definitions, and review questions. They are designed to draw your attention to the most important elements, which you should know.

9. Write questions for yourself. Go through all your material and write questions to test yourself. You may be surprised to find a number of similar questions appear on your actual exam. It’s no use reading and rereading material without stopping to find out what you actually recall. If your questions are written on index cards, you can put away those which you can answer correctly and keep practicing the rest.

10. Practice a lot. After reviewing, spend the majority of time on output activities which test your recall. You could do this by using mind maps, flashcards, mnemonic devices, diagrams, songs or presentations. You could also try to teach someone else the material; it’s a great way to check what you know, understand and remember.

11. Review regularly. Set up a schedule, which allows you to review once and ideally, review again. This enables you to discover what you need to spend more time on and what comes easily to you.

12. Know practical details. Make sure you know the exact date, time and location of your exam. Mark it in colored marker on your calendar and in your diary. Visit the location in advance at the same hour as your exam is scheduled to take place to get an idea of how long it takes you to get there.

13. Maintain your health. Nourish your brain during the pre-exam period. Eat the best foods, drink brain-boosting juices and smoothies. Avoid junk food, caffeine, and nicotine. You need all the resources possible to remember vast amounts of information and think clearly during your exam. Feed your brain and energize your body with the best nutrition available.

14. Avoid cramming. The term cramming refers to stuffing loads of information into your brain in a very short period, such as the night before the test. If you follow the strategies on this website, you should not need to cram. If you absolutely have to cram, review only the highlighted info, key vocabulary, and most important topics. Dont try to cover as much as you might have if you had studied systematically throughout the year, or even in the pre-exam period.