Every election brings uncertainty to the business community. The latest US Presidential election is no exception. But here’s a word of advice: regardless of who occupies the White House, Downing Street or whatever the government buildings are called in your country, entrepreneurial small business owners will have to rely on who we’ve always relied on to be successful—ourselves, our employees, and our customers.

From buildings and bridges to clean energy and clean water, Bentley Systems has been sustaining some of the world’s most significant infrastructure projects for close to 30 years.

When we think of infrastructure we tend to think about the hardware involved, be it the materials used or the equipment and tools to bring structures and buildings to life. What we tend to take for granted are the software solutions involved and how crucial they are to the entire process.

By embracing change and innovation, PetroSA is opening up new horizons for South Africa’s energy sector.

As the leading economic power in Africa, it’s no surprise that South Africa is a key player in the African oil industry. Liquid fuels are an important component of its energy sector, with the 2012 BP Statistical Energy Survey revealing that, in 2011, South Africa consumed an average of 547,250 barrels of oil per day.

The Finnish telecommunications organisation Finnet is piloting a new concept in home computing that could revolutionise the way we operate. Jarmo Matilainen, MD of Finnet Association talks about delivering a complete cloud-based solution to the home user.

Through the successful implementation of its various projects, CAT Telecom is striving to lead the way in providing wireless multimedia services in one of Southeast Asia’s most economically dynamic nations.

With a GDP worth $602 billion, Thailand is the second largest economy in Southeast Asia. Having enjoyed the world’s highest growth rate from 1985 to 1996, during which time it averaged 12.4 percent growth annually, the country is today considered to be a newly industrialised, emerging economy.

Come 2017, the agency anticipates global coal consumption to stand at 4.32 billion tonnes of oil equivalent, compared to 4.4 billion tonnes for oil itself. In its report, the IEA states that increased demand from India and China is fuelling this push.

"Coal's share of the global energy mix continues to grow each year," says IEA executive director Maria Van der Hoeven. "If no changes are made to current policies, coal will catch oil within a decade."

This is a difficult time for the coal industry in the United States. Janet Gellici, CEO of the American Coal Council, talks about finding a way to overcome the challenges.

The coal industry provides over 40 percent of the United States’ electricity, but it seems to be under attack from all quarters. Just because you’re paranoid, the saying goes, it doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.

Zimbabwe is starting to make up for lost time, but economic development will depend on robust infrastructure, including the sound telecommunications network being built by a community of private and state players under the watchful eye of national regulator POTRAZ.

Global telecommunications group Millicom is helping to foster women’s entrepreneurship in the fast growing African mobile financial services industry.

In a public-private partnership with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), it aims to provide over 4,000 women throughout Tanzania, Ghana and Rwanda with support and training to set up a business as a Tigo Mobile Money agent, contributing to financial inclusion for themselves and thousands of other people.