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As jobs are scarce worldwide, women in some countries are finding it harder than ever to find a job. There are still many places where women are not allowed to work, and in almost the entire world women are faced with less opportunities to get ahead than men. This is not only unfair, but a business mistake. Especially now, when the world is faced with a financial crisis, both men and women should be given equal opportunities. Also, including women in the workforce allows for more innovation in the economy as there is a larger diversity of ideas.

Watch this to hear the story of women trying to make it in the world of construction. It is important to give both men and women the chance to prove themselves capable of doing any kind of work because the world of business needs some renovation.

Gas prices have been fluctuating in the past few weeks without following a certain trend. The volatility is minimal however, when compared to last summer's record-setting high prices. Many people started using public transportation more often, or buying more fuel efficient cars. Others looked toward hybrids. This increased the pressure on car companies to produce zero-emission vehicles at an affordable price. Nissan was one of the companies to rise to the challenge. Spokespeople for Nissan express confidence when saying that their new electric car will sell exceptionally well because it is what the consumer wants.

In light of the current state of the global economy, people will want to cut down on expenses, while still enjoying the leisure and relaxation afforded by tourism. Here are the , which include several options for the cash-strapped consumer:

1. Domestic tourism—This year will see a boost in domestic tourism as tourists will go around their own countries more than flying to another. This is one of the cheapest ways to travel and may help balance out the anticipated lack in foreign tourists.
2. Travel to nearby countries—As many people still want to explore countries other than their own, the next best thing is going to neighboring countries where they’re not expected to spend as much as a jet-setting spree. Europeans may go backpacking across their continent; Americans may go either north or south; and Asians may island-hop around the tropics.

There’s been a lot of talk lately about a new global reserve currency, or how the . One little-examined currency issue, however, is the role of virtual currency. Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing-Games such as World of Warcraft, which has nearly 11 million players worldwide, use an in-game currency system, where players can buy items, creatures, or even services from other players with virtual “gold”. In , where a huge online gaming community exists, government officials are worried that, to some degree, virtual currency could replace the actual currency, and might .

One month ago we about the Top 10 Global Small Busines Trends for 2009. Apparently this is still a hot topic, and Emergent Research has compiled a more pointed list of for small businesses in 2009:

Economic Trends

1. The recession drives small business innovation.

2. Government plays an increasing role in the economy.

3. Global infrastructure and stimulus spending.

4. The number of small businesses will increase in 2009.

5. Small business globalization will temporarily slow.

Flying has been the dominant travel option in our lifetimes, mostly due to its speed. However, disgruntled travelers have often been fed up with the long lines, invasive security checks and the occaisonal canceled flight. In light of these issues, another mode of traveling has been attracting customers the past few months – luxury trains.

“Less is more.” It is a phrase often used and many tend not to believe it – especially when it comes to business. This lesson especially applies to small business entrepreneurs would be worried that they do not have enough capital to achieve their goals. When a company is operating on a tight budget, it will tend to have a lean cost structure and accordingly perform much better than a company that has received a lot of cash from venture capital firms.

You may be surprised to learn that produced half of the world's coffee at one point. Although the nation doesn't enjoy this kind of pick-me-up dominance anymore, they still are the key player in the global market, and produce one-third of world's coffee beans. Despite the shear quantity of coffee coming out of Brazil, most consumers are more familiar with  beans, and and beans seem to be gaining in popularity. It's said that because of Brazil's large-scale production, the quality suffers. Poor quality controls and an economic crisis in the 80's and 90's led to less local consumption in Brazil. Their best beans were exported while they had the leftovers. I can see why coffee didn't appeal very much to Brazilians. In response to this unfavorable trend, the Brazilian Association of the Coffee Industry initiated a "coffee purity" program that was so succesful that it was expanded to 60 countries. That led to a more than doubling of sales in Brazil. Brazilians now consume more than any other nation with the exception of the .

One of the more interesting subplots of the environmental movement that has popped up lately is the potential of lithium-ion batteries to replace gasoline in automobiles. Lithium-ion batteries are lighter, more energy dense, and lower-maintenance than some of their more conventional counterparts.

A proposed 12-mile bridge across the Baltic Sea connecting and , if approved, will be finished by 2018. The bridge will directly connect the two countries and replace the Scandlines ferries which operate on the route now.

There is a plethora of pros and cons to this proposal. The bridge will make travel not only easier between the two countries but also shorter. It will eliminate waiting at the dock and shorten the drive between Copenhagen and Hamburg. Consequently, business between the two countries will also be conducted more efficiently. Furthermore, an increase in tourists crossing the border between the two countries would likely result, and the would stand to profit from this new option in travel.