Gaining an understanding of Family Business in Bolivia

I recently had the opportunity to travel to Santa Cruz Bolivia to present several lectures at the Universidad Evangelica Boliviana. The President of the University, Dr. Timoteo Sanchez is a long-time dear friend of our family. The privilege to speak to many of the business students in this developing country was an exciting opportunity. One of the requirements for graduation is each Business Administration student must develop a practical and applicable business plan, and because of that most of the students are already involved in a micro-business. I found these students to be engaging, eager, and open to learning. It is my hope and prayer that we can continue to support these students as they move toward graduation and the business world.

In Bolivia and in Santa Cruz in particular there is not an emphasis on the trans-generational transfer of a family business or just the Business Family. The economics of this developing country of 10 million people are extremely difficult for families and businesses. Most of the micro-businesses and SME’s are focused on survival and finding enough sales to survive. Our desire is to provide additional education for Santa Cruz families in business as they build their business, economic culture, and families.

Another exciting part of this visit was the opportunity to meet with several business people, government representatives and trade representatives. These discussions were the direct result of Timoteo’s relationships as President of the University. While all these individuals are very concerned with the political process occuring in Bolivia, they are also very optimistic about the opportunities Bolivia has for the growth of business and Business Families.

If you have an interest in supporting the UEB or in learning more about the Business Families in Santa Cruz, please email me at: steve@netfamilybusiness.com