With two major global events coming up — the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics — now sounds like a good time for the Brazilian government to announce a startup accelerator program. The country’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation is offering up to $78 million to entrepreneurs that apply to Start-Up Brasil for one of 100 slots. Selected participants will go through a business accelerator for six to 12 months. About one-quarter of available slots will go to foreign companies, but only if they plan to stay for a few years; the government will help them get visas.

Start-Up Brasil director Felipe Matos wasn’t a huge fan of the government when he started his own incubator, but when he was approached to run this project, he “thought that this would be a fantastic opportunity to do something for the Brazilian startup ecosystem.” He believes that businesses can take advantage of a shift towards those who can afford to choose entrepreneurship over other professions. Brazil is the second South American country to create this type of program; Chile began its version in 2010.   StartUp in Brazil

 Apply by November 19. 2013 startupbrasil.21212.com/

India pushes for internationalization of the rupee.  As trade expands like are looking for more settlement in rupees and also open up financial markets so that those who receive rupees can invest back in.  Internationalizing the Rupee

An important report on internationalizing currency.  Internationalization of Currency

The raisin growers in California establish quotas on how much of their crop can be taken to market.  While some elements of entrepreneurship are the same the world over, paying attention to the way things are done locally is a crucial consideration in doing business in another country. How Many Raisins to Sell?

While each country has its own history and style of dealing with women entrepreneurs, some issues are universal: access to capital, open door policies, government support among them.  Julie R. Weeks, head of Womenable, works with American Express to prepare studies of the progress women have made.  Her work is indispensable for entrepreneurs.  Women Owned Businesses

As the battle is waged in Washington over Health Care in the US, a country which pays more money for health than any other country in the world, and life expectancy is lower than many less economically privileged countries, the status of small businesses and their obligations and responsibilities for their employees is tenuous.  What makes sense?  Small Business and Health Insurance

Consider the debt ceiling in the US.  According to Goldman Sachs, without an increase in the ceiling, the Treasury would no longer be able to issue debt from October 17 and would deplete its cash by the end of the month. Much confusion exists about what would happen if the Treasury ran out of cash and could not increase its outstanding debt. The optimistic view is that it could meet its priorities, including debt service, by managing its payments. If so, no default need occur. Jack Balkin of Yale University argues just this. The pessimistic view is that managing its cash flows in such a way would be illegal and possibly impossible – not least because cash receipts fluctuate substantially. But the Treasury, playing a game of chicken, would argue the pessimistic case even if it believed it could cope.

At best, a failure to raise the debt ceiling would necessitate a sharp cut in spending. At worst, the US would default. Analysts at Bank of America Merrill Lynch argue that hitting the ceiling would require the US to balance its budget at once, cutting spending by about 20 per cent, or 4 per cent of GDP. That would push the US into another recession – even if there were no default. The consequences of an actual default, particularly one that lasted for some time, are beyond prediction. Unlike a shutdown, there is no precedent, for good reason. The notion is suicidal. To Debt or Not to Debt, That is the Question  from Martin Wolf in the Financial Times.