‘Visit to Albania – A Diamond in the Rough’ by Ted Landgraf

November 29, 2014

Happy Independence Day to Albania!

I was asked to write this article about our research of Albania, our connections we have made with businesses and individuals in Albania, the opportunities that are available now and potential ones in the future, and the overall global potential available from and to Albania.

In August, 2014, I had the opportunity to meet with many individuals and organizations in Tirana, Albania. Above the Standard Procurement Group®, Inc. has worked in many nations around the globe over the years, but what I found during my visit in Albania was an eye opener.

Above the Standard spent time, money, and resources to make connections and conduct research before going to Albania for more than two years.  Our focus was to identify and see if there are potential market places, entrepreneurialism, best practice, and other areas.

Being that I have done business in many nations and have traveled extensively around the globe, I have become more discerning in what is a good risk and what is not.  What DoingBusiness.org showed Albania to be on paper was mirrored by what I experienced on the ground during my visit.  Doing Business is a well-respected organization that ranks many nations around the globe in many categories for risk, opportunity, practices, and other areas in what to expect from doing business with a specific nation.

To view how Albania continues to rise up the ranking, go to Doing Business / Albania and you will see how Albania is growing in a positive manner.

What I experienced personally was wonderful in many ways. Some of these areas were / are:

 

►Education is a very important part of Albania;
►Many languages are taught and it is normal to write and speak several languages;
►The spirit of entrepreneurialism can be found throughout many areas;
►The desire to have a better life is strong;
►From hundreds we had personal interviews with before going, many shared their openness for best business practices, a desire for business excellence, global participation, desiring to grow, and learning new business areas; and
►Even though there are some business practices that need to be changed, the overall unanimous efforts forward are of change for a better nation and economy.

We purposely set up meetings with business owners, individuals who had long careers and had been downsized, executives, business development professionals, non-profits, Government people, entrepreneurs, and so forth. With each person we met, we found a common thread of spirit that desires more than just being second. Albanians want change and desire to do something to become a nation of best in practice people, create greater opportunities, provide help to those in need, and create generational opportunities. In fact, we found several that are doing something about it to bring change from all areas.

There is a proverb that illuminates truth throughout history, shows the present, and is true for the future for any nation: “A nation divided against itself cannot stand.” Well, many individuals in Albania are coming together to become more unified for an outcome that will bring greater outcomes. Above the Standard is continuing to develop relationships with the right people in Albania for global outcomes.

I found the people to be wonderful, the food amazing, the coffee delicious, the market places quaint, and the hunger for more change for the better to be vibrant in many areas. Albania is a beautiful place in many ways. You definitely want to visit and experience the thousands of year’s history, the current change, engage in potential areas and opportunities, and the spirit of expectancy for what is coming.

Ted Landgraf

CEO / Founder

© Above the Standard Procurement Group®, Inc.

 

 

DoingBusiness.Org Ranking for Albania (2014 versus 2015)

As you can see, the rankings have gone up for Tirana, Albania, from 2014 to 2015 by 40 rankings. There are some good things taking place to bring more stability, opportunity, and potential growth areas.

ECONOMY OVERVIEW

REGION	Europe & Central Asia
INCOME CATEGORY	Upper middle income
POPULATION	2,773,620
GNI PER CAPITA (US$)	4,700
CITY COVERED	Tirana

 

DOING BUSINESS 2015 RANK	DOING BUSINESS 2014 RANK***	CHANGE IN RANK
68	108	40

DOING BUSINESS 2015 DTF** (% POINTS)	DOING BUSINESS 2014 DTF** (% POINTS)	CHANGE IN DTF** (% POINTS)
66.06	59.79	6.27

 

TOPICS	DB 2015 Rank	DB 2014 Rank	Change in Rank
Starting a Business	41	45	4
Dealing with Construction Permits	157	189	32
Getting Electricity	152	153	1
Registering Property	118	136	18
Getting Credit	36	19	-17
Protecting Minority Investors	7	7	No change
Paying Taxes	131	144	13
Trading Across Borders	95	93	-2
Enforcing Contracts	102	102	No change
Resolving Insolvency	44	41	-3

 

Photo credits (Ksamil islets): Artur Malinowski / Flickr