The Global Small Business Blog

My Kind of Hometown: Chicago

2012-01-28T08:00:00.002-06:00

Have a great weekend my worldly readers! And thank you for your readership.

Photo credit: ©Laurel Delaney

Ever Thought About Going Global?

2012-01-27T08:19:00.003-06:00

In case you have been living in a cave, stretch, dust yourself off and come out into the light (the living).

Read: Small Business Ideas for 2012: Why Not Go Global?

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

The Good and Bad About Globalization

2012-01-26T04:14:00.001-06:00

What's the impact globalization has on our world?

It is true that the impact of globalization is visible and affects largely the politics and the economy of the country but its effect on the mindset and the culture is noticeable gradually in the way people think and react. It's like the Iceberg theory wherein what we do and say are at the tip and what we think and believe is at the base. The base is not visible but manifestations at the top are conspicuous. It applies here as well where people do not change abruptly but may be after a decade the change starts showing and seems radical.

Learn more about the pros and cons of globalization here.

Economic Success Is Dependent Upon Global Collaboration

2012-01-25T06:03:00.002-06:00

That's what former President Bill Clinton says.

Delivering the keynote address at the 101st National Retail Federation Big Show, former President Bill Clinton did not shy away from the challenges that businesses face in this economy. In his speech, entitled "Embracing Our Common Humanity," Clinton spoke about the inequality, instability and unsustainable way of life which makes up the world today.

Learn more here.

Researching Your Export Markets

2012-01-24T07:08:00.006-06:00

Check out the first-part of a six-part course on global trade Wednesday at the Rabobank Regional Business Center.

The three-hour session, “Researching Your Export Markets,” starts at 8 a.m. in the center that serves as headquarters for Coachella Valley Economic Partnership and the iHUB, 3111 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, California, 92262.

Learn more here.

Illustration credit: RRBC Facebook

What To Do During An Internet Blackout

2012-01-23T07:02:00.002-06:00

Creative America, the entertainment community united against content theft, will tell you what to do during an Internet blackout. Learn more here and be sure to spread the word.

Illustration: Creative America logo

Winter Has Cometh in Chicago

2012-01-21T05:04:00.003-06:00

"Winter is the time of promise because there is so little to do - or because you can now and then permit yourself the luxury of thinking so." ~ Stanley Crawford

Photo credit: ©Laurel Delaney 2012, "Snow on the Evergreen Tree Chicago"

Elements Involved in Running a Fit-For-Fast-Growth Global Business

2012-01-20T06:00:00.001-06:00

Here's an interview I did with a major international bank. The bank (name withheld for confidentiality purposes) was eager to help their small business clients expand internationally. This is Part 2 of the interview. (You can find Part 1 here).

Read the article here.

Export: How Ventrac Did It

2012-01-19T05:48:00.001-06:00

Emerging Nations Proceed With Caution

2012-01-18T08:04:00.001-06:00

Andrew Burns, head of macroeconomics at the World Bank, told journalists in London: “Developing countries should hope for the best and prepare for the worst.”

Predicting significantly slower global growth in 2012 than it expected last summer even if the eurozone muddles through its crisis, World Bank economists said that if financial markets deny funds to eurozone economies, global growth would be about 4 percentage points lower than even these figures with poorer economies far from immune.

Read the entire article: World Bank Warns Emerging Nations

How to Write An Effective Export Plan

2012-01-17T07:07:00.000-06:00

Dr. Doug Barry, International Trade Specialist (Doug.Barry@trade.gov) discusses via a webinar how to best develop an export plan for your company.

A good plan can generate and sustain new business, and this webinar presents a framework for writing your export plan as well as including resources to help complete each section of it. A good export plan can also allow you to be proactive in seeking international buyers rather than passive.

Launch your export business here.

View the Presentation

Related articles: How to Develop An Import/Export Business Plan

Illustration credit here.

Yoghurt Business Goes Global

2012-01-16T05:12:00.002-06:00

You never know when your best idea comes to you. In this case, Henry Gosling (director of Australia-based Co Yo) got his at 2:00 a.m. He set his sights on taking an already successful yoghurt business global.

"It's local companies going all over the world. A small business can always make it if they put into it what they want to get out of it."

Read: Co Yo Is Going Global

Worldly Work

2012-01-14T05:07:00.002-06:00

"Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else." ~ James M. Barrier

Photo credit: ©Laurel J. Delaney 2012, "Worker Up In the Air During a Chicago Blizzard, 1.12.12"

The Power of the Internet: Eric Whitacre's Global Virtual Choir

2012-01-13T06:27:00.002-06:00

Related post: Humanizing Our Connected World

Taking Your Business Global: A Digital Short

2012-01-12T04:03:00.003-06:00

Hopefully this 39-second digital short will make you smile (shameless plug involved) and will also give you ideas on how to use technology, namely animation, to market your brand globally.

Taking Your Business Global (Go!Animate)

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Scoping Out Hot Business Opportunities in Emerging Markets

2012-01-11T06:08:00.001-06:00

You can do good to do well. In this case, corporate employees help and scope out opportunities in developing countries.

Read: Doing Good to Do Well (The Wall Street Journal)

World Cleanup 2012

2012-01-10T07:02:00.003-06:00

Garbage is a big deal and local efforts in the Estonian capital are expanding into a global initiative.

On January 13th volunteers from 83 countries will converge on the Estonian capital, Tallinn, to launch World Cleanup 2012, the biggest attempt so far at voluntary rubbish collection. This year’s target is to mobilize 300 million people to pick up 100 million tons of illegally dumped waste in six months, starting on March 24th.

Who is the spirit behind this garbage campaign? Find out here:

Collecting Global Garbage: Effluence of Affluence || The Economist

Are You Doubling Your Exports By 2015?

2012-01-09T07:04:00.001-06:00

According to the “Perceptions of Global Trade” survey of more than 1,000 American SMEs, 24 per cent were currently engaged in global commerce.

Almost half of small businesses in the United States expect to double their exports by 2015, and 66 per cent say that up to 25 per cent of their annual revenue comes directly from exporting, according to a survey by UPS.

Read more here.

Related post: Key to Future Success For Small Businesses: Going Global

Find Peace in the New Year

2012-01-07T08:00:00.005-06:00

©Laurel Delaney 2012, "Peace At the Winter Lakefront," Rogers Park, IL, U.S.A.

"Nothing can bring you peace but yourself; nothing, but the triumph of principles." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Photo credit: ©Laurel Delaney 2012, "Peace At the Winter Lakefront," Rogers Park, Illinois, U.S.A.

One of Many Best-Kept Secrets to Global Success

2012-01-06T04:57:00.002-06:00

For a small business with a sizable budget, the Gold Key Service (GKS) — through the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Commercial Service — is one of the most efficient ways to meet with pre-screened potential cross-border customers.

Learn more: The Gold Key Service: How to Find Customers the World Over

Corruption is a Universal Worldly Challenge

2012-01-05T04:47:00.003-06:00

The Global Integrity blog seeks to play a role in promoting accountability and transparency reforms by developing tools that address the needs of the public, private, and civil sectors equally.

Global Integrity is a tax-exempt organization incorporated in the District of Columbia in the United States under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is supported by charitable foundations, governments, multilateral institutions, and the private sector.

Never heard of them? You have now.

In short, we are an innovation lab for the transparency and accountability community.

Learn more here.

Illustration credit here.

Off-the-Books Global Businesses

2012-01-04T07:09:00.002-06:00

Wired Magazine interviews Robert Neuwirth, author of Stealth of Nations: The Global Rise of the Informal Economy on why black market entrepreneurs matter to the world economy.

Further, he (Neuwirth) says, these enterprises are critical sources of entrepreneurialism, innovation, and self-reliance. And the globe’s gray and black markets have grown during the international recession, adding jobs, increasing sales, and improving the lives of hundreds of millions. It’s time, Neuwirth says, for the developed world to wake up to what those who are working in the shadows of globalization have to offer. We asked him how these tiny enterprises got to be such big business.

Read the entire interview here.

Photo credit: Stealth of Nations Blog

Aging Population in BRIC

2012-01-03T06:13:00.002-06:00

According to a December 7th report by Goldman analysts, as the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China) slow down, global growth probably will peak at about 4.3 percent this decade and fall to 3.9 percent in the 2020s.

The number of people older than 65 in Brazil, Russia, India and China will rise 46 percent to 295 million by 2020 and to 412 million by 2030, according to United Nations projections. The pool of 15 to 24-year-olds, the mainstay for factories will fall by 61 million by 2030 or about the population of Italy.

Read the entire article here.

Note: Goldman Sachs Asset Management Chairman Jim O’Neill, who coined the BRICs acronym a decade ago, said other emerging economies may now be better investments -- especially Indonesia, Turkey, Egypt and Mexico.

What about MIST (Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea and Turkey)?

Global Entrepreneurship: Make Yourself Valuable in 2012

2012-01-02T10:24:00.000-06:00

As Scott Adams puts it:

If you’re having a hard time imagining what an education in entrepreneurship should include, allow me to prime the pump with some lessons I’ve learned along the way.

He offers seven ways to get a real education. First one:

Combine Skills. The first thing you should learn in a course on entrepreneurship is how to make yourself valuable. It’s unlikely that any average student can develop a world-class skill in one particular area.

What a great way to start off the new year!

Scott Adams is the creator of "Dilbert." Read the entire article: How to Get a Real Education

Illustration credit: "Dilbert" by Scott Adams

Posted by: Laurel Delaney, The Global Small Business Blog

Happy 2012 From The Global Small Business Blog

2012-01-01T15:38:00.000-06:00

©Laurel Delaney 2012, "31st Street, Chicago Lakefront 1.1.12"

Wishing you a new year filled

with hope, promise and going global!

Key to Future Success For Small Businesses: Going Global

2011-12-31T07:47:00.001-06:00

Whether you think small or big, you can still take your business global! What's needed to make it happen is more support and education to show the value of exports to small businesses.

According to the UPS Perceptions of Global Trade Survey, 24 percent of small businesses are currently engaged in global commerce, and many of those businesses are experiencing a large return from global trade. Of businesses who are doing business overseas, 66 percent report that exporting contributes up to a quarter of their annual revenue.

Learn more here.

Laurel Delaney says:

"While it might seem counterintuitive for small businesses to expand internationally with the economic challenges in the U.S., now is the time for calculated risk. By connecting with companies that have already been successful exporting, companies new to the process can realize the benefits of engaging in global trade a lot faster," said Laurel Delaney, owner of small-business consulting firm Global TradeSource, Ltd. "The simplest way for SMBs to find a successful exporting lead is good old-fashioned word-of-mouth coupled with a great company website."

More news on the survey: A Survey Conducted by TNS, MarketWatch and UPS Pressroom

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Great American Leaders

2011-12-30T08:52:00.008-06:00

From Chicago Defender's Robert Abbott to Totino's Pizza's Rose Totino (pictured) to Herman's Miller's Michael Volkema, these great American leaders are featured in a database that was compiled in an effort to identify and chronicle the lives of 20th century men and women whose (global) business leadership shaped the ways that people live, work, and interact.

Visit: 20th Century American Leaders Database

Why Brazil Is Booming

2011-12-29T08:16:00.001-06:00

Brazil is now the world's seventh-largest economy, GDP in 2010 grew at a 7.5% rate. Over the next two years, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development predicts, growth will continue at a healthy 4% rate.

As the article states:

A burgeoning middle class is generating growing demand for automobiles, televisions, computers and other products that a generation ago were out of reach for many Brazilians.

Are you poised to take advantage of it? Learn more here.

Importing Substandard Products: Don't Even Think About It

2011-12-28T08:01:00.002-06:00

The Director General of Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), Dr Joseph Odumodu appealed to importers to stop the importation of substandard products into the country.

According to him, the fine for importing substandard products has been increased from N10, 000 to N2 million, in addition to seizing the goods, prosecuting and sending the importer to jail.

“Let me tell you one thing, SON has changed its strategy, when we catch you, we seize your goods, trail you and send you to jail.

Learn more here.

The Hidden Benefit to Globalization

2011-12-27T07:17:00.001-06:00

Below is an article on how globalization increasingly allows companies to avoid United States taxes and regulation.

The Benefits of Incorporating Abroad in an Age of Globalization

App Obsession Goes Global

2011-12-26T06:03:00.002-06:00

The app obsession has gone global. App downloads grew this year but 2011 was a turning point: This was the first year that these mobile devices outsold desktop and laptop PCs.

We mobile consumers demonstrated this very clearly both in the U.S. and abroad: Apple this month hit 18 billion downloads total on its iOS App Store, and Google’s Android Market likewise hit 10 billion.

Find out why here and what to look for in 2012.

Illustration credit here.

Migration Makes a Connected World Brainier

2011-12-24T08:45:00.001-06:00

Excellent opinion piece by Robert Guest for The Wall Street Journal.

First though, from the Partnership for a New American Economy (which is a snippet to the lead on the commentary):

I once asked the boss of Tata Consulting Services, a gigantic Indian IT firm, how many of his top executives had worked or studied abroad. He replied: "All of them."

The world's most talented people are exceptionally mobile. When they move to America, they make it smarter, and that's not just because they are smart. It is also because migration creates connections.

Read the commentary: How Immigrant Entrepreneurs Turbocharge U.S. Trade

Robert Guest is the Economist's business editor. His new book is Borderless Economics: Chinese Sea Turtles, Indian Fridges and the New Fruits of Global Capitalism

Green Standards For An Ever Changing Complex World

2011-12-23T05:08:00.001-06:00

Walmart’s Chinese sales receipts account for only 2 percent of the company’s annual revenues or roughly $7.5 billion. Fortunately, its sales in China have risen substantially over the past decade. Not the case in the United States; they have been shrinking.

What does this mean? Is China changing Walmart or is Walmart changing China? Looks like new green initiatives are in the works.

The world’s biggest corporation and the world’s most populous nation have launched a bold experiment in consumer behavior and environmental stewardship: to set green standards for 20,000 suppliers making several hundred thousand items sold to billions of shoppers worldwide. Will that effort take hold, or will it unravel in a recriminatory tangle of misguided expectations and broken promises?

Read the entire article here.

Get Ready to Go Global in 2012

2011-12-22T06:04:00.003-06:00

How do you go global? Let me count the ways.

Here are ten to start:

How to Position Your Business for Global Success

5 Tips to Grow Your Export Sales

2011-12-21T07:49:00.001-06:00

As one expert says, "Start small, but start."

Here are five tips to reduce risk, increase opportunities and grow your export sales.

Read: IndustryWeek: 5 Keys to Growing Your Export Sales

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Eliminate Excuses in 2012: Go Global

2011-12-20T05:51:00.004-06:00

Stop making excuses and get ready to go global in 2012!

Top 10 Excuses for Not Going Global

Reasons why you should go global.

Select a Company Name That Reflects Happy and International

2011-12-19T06:00:00.001-06:00

Why didn't I think of this company name?

Joy Global

Joy Global Inc. is a worldwide leader in high-productivity mining solutions. Through its market-leading businesses – P&H Mining Equipment and Joy Mining Machinery – the company manufactures and markets original equipment and aftermarket parts and services for both the underground and above-ground mining industries and certain industrial applications. Joy Global's products and related services are used extensively for the mining of coal, copper, iron ore, oil sands, gold and other mineral resources.

Global demand. Global reach. Learn more here.

World: Experience the Mysterious

2011-12-17T06:24:00.004-06:00


©Laurel J. Delaney 2011, "Beach Art"

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed." ~ Albert Einstein

Photo courtesy: ©Laurel J. Delaney 2011, "Beach Art"

Do Your Part to Change the World

2011-12-16T08:03:00.001-06:00

Search, find your cause, change the world -- those are the words of Barton Brooks, founder of Global Colors, working to create self-sustaining grassroots projects for the common good of each community it serves.

Global Colors came after he took a trip to a small village in Cambodia. He says he was so moved by the people and their struggles that he decided to form his own organization to help get aid to people in need. To fund the first Global Colors projects, Barton sold his only asset at the time—a Shelby Cobra replica he built by hand. "It turned into education for kids and sustaining life for some widows in Kenya, so it's kind of hard to miss it that much," he says.

Read more here.

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

The Importance of the Spanish Speaking Market

2011-12-15T08:15:00.001-06:00

Exporting: Got a Marketing Plan?

2011-12-14T04:27:00.001-06:00

If you are considering exporting, better get organized on the marketing front. This article might help.

Keep the research summary to one page, and break it into four manageable parts (refer to article below). The purpose of this exercise is to establish a broad scope on your research market analysis but not so broad that you overwhelm yourself. Try to begin with the end in mind: Where do you want to go and how will you know that you have arrived?

How to Develop an Export Marketing Plan

Changing the World One Heart at a Time

2011-12-13T06:05:00.003-06:00

What is Hearts For Hearts Girls (pictured)?

Playmates Toys, the company behind Hearts For Hearts Girls, is among the most respected and innovative marketing and distribution companies in the global toy industry. Playmates Toys has a proven 40-year history in the creation of innovative and imaginative products as well as the development and management of profitable, long-term brand franchises.

Learn real stories from girls all over the world here. And why it matters. Visit World Vision as well.

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Nepal Trade and Export Promotion Center

2011-12-12T07:58:00.002-06:00

The Government of Nepal established "Trade and Export Promotion Centre (TEPC)," a national trade promotion organization of the country in November 2006. They accomplished this by merging three organizations: the Trade Promotion Centre, Export Promotion Board and Carpet and Wool Development Board. The objective is to promote foreign trade with particular emphasis on exporting from the country.

Learn more here.

Made In USA: Chopsticks Destined for China

2011-12-10T07:19:00.002-06:00

Tip for Global Small Businesses?

2011-12-09T03:59:00.002-06:00

It's our monthly e-newsletter, Borderbuster! You probably already know about it but just in case, go here to subscribe.

Tips for Small Businesses Going Global

And see what the Federation of International Trade Associations (FITA) says about Borderbuster. They must like it because they featured it to more than 70,000 readers of their own newsletter! They also mention The Global Small Business Blog and the About.com Import and Export site.

We are grateful and thank FITA for their support. Our social media platforms are buzzing!

A New Type of Hyperconnectivity

2011-12-08T06:00:00.001-06:00

With technology, mass migration is changing the way that people do business

In the flat world of maps, sharp lines show where one country ends and another begins. The real world is more fluid. Peoples do not have borders the way that parcels of land do. They seep from place to place; they wander; they migrate.

Read the entire article: Migration and business: Weaving the world together | The Economist

Illustration credit here.

Global Distortions

2011-12-07T08:49:00.001-06:00

How do you battle cheap and low quality imports and other 'global distortions' in your country? See what Brazil is doing to combat these dumping woes by way of a lesson from tire producer Pirelli.

Read: Brazil's Consumers Go To Ground

Pirelli Corporate

Wake Up World: The Future of Computing Is Here

2011-12-06T04:19:00.001-06:00

David Gelernter (pictured), Professor of Computer Science at Yale, offers his fresh and compelling view on future computing, including his new concept called "lifestreams." Worth a read.

The idea, though, of lifestreams has been catching on. A lifestream is a way of organizing digital objects—photos, emails, documents, Web links, music—in a time-ordered series. A timeline, in essence, that extends into the past but also the future (with appointments, to-do lists, etc.). Facebook, with its "wall" constantly updated with postings by you and your friends, is a lifestream. Twitter's feed is a lifestream. "Chatter," developed by Salesforce.com for internal use by client companies, is a lifestream.

Rethinking the Digital Future

More on David at Edge and Wikipedia

Photo courtesy Edge.

How To Survive Running a Small Business In Egypt? Egyptology

2011-12-05T08:01:00.001-06:00

Read Jane Akshar’s life story which has all the makings of a best-seller and a lesson on taking a small business global. Fascinating.

Global Entrepreneurship: Running a Small Business in Egypt

Jane and Mahmoud's business: Flats in Luxor (as illustrated above). Curious about the 'Egyptology' part? Go here.

Hello World: Go Live Your Dream Today

2011-12-03T05:06:00.009-06:00

©Laurel J. Delaney, 2011

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Photo credit: ©Laurel J. Delaney 2011, "Rogers Park, Illinois Lakefront"

Is Asia's Export-Oriented Model Dead?

2011-12-02T03:56:00.001-06:00

Stephen S. Roach, non-executive Chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia, lecturer at Yale University's School of Management and Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and author of "The Next Asia" has word or two to say about whether Asia's export-oriented model is dead or not.

Asia's Wake-Up Call: Is The Export-Oriented Model Dead?

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

The State of the World, According to OECD

2011-12-01T07:07:00.001-06:00

In its report on the state of the global marketplace, the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) says:

"Trade growth slowed strongly in most major economies in the third quarter of 2011."

Learn more here.

Illustration credit: OECD

Proof That a Shipment Is In Good Condition

2011-11-30T09:00:00.001-06:00

When you place an order with a supplier located thousands of miles away, how do you protect yourself on the quality of the merchandise before it is released?

Request an inspection certificate. Make it a condition (required document) within your payment arrangement. Learn more here and here.

Thunderbird Global Business Dialogue 2011

2011-11-29T05:52:00.004-06:00

Thunderbird School of Global Management launched an ongoing discussion about leadership in the 21st century with a signature business conference Nov. 10-11, 2011, at the Glendale Renaissance Hotel and Spa in Arizona.

The inaugural Thunderbird Global Business Dialogue drew more than 1,000 business, government and social sector leaders from more than 50 countries to explore the theme, “Redefining Global Leadership.”

The Thunderbird Global Business Dialogue is Thunderbird School of Global Management’s first attempt at holding a keynote international business conference in Arizona or globally, and was the largest event the school has held to date. Over the course of two days, more than 1,000 attendees including many Thunderbird alumni and 95+ world-class speakers and panelists from all over the world participated.

Learn more here.

Meanwhile, the next Global Business Dialogue will be held in Berlin, Germany in May 2012 and will focus on European Perspectives. For more information, please visit: http://www.thunderbird.edu/dialogue

Photo credit: Thunderbird Global Business Dialogue 2011

Small and Medium Business (SMB) IT Spending Worldwide

2011-11-28T05:05:00.002-06:00

IDC, considered the premier global market intelligence firm, also covers the SMB market. Here's what they predict (2010):

In the next 12-18 months, IDC expects a variety of evolutionary and revolutionary changes to take place in the small and medium-sized business (SMB) technology market that will drive opportunities on both a worldwide and regional basis. Based on this, and with in-depth knowledge of key technology areas where SMB offerings are dominant, IDC has expanded its research and consulting capabilities around understanding the SMB opportunity.

Learn more here. Be sure to also check out: Exploring the Global SMB Marketplace

World Travel Market Trends Report 2010

2011-11-26T04:02:00.004-06:00

An overview of the leading new trends emerging in the global travel and tourism industry.

World Travel Market Global Trends Report 2010

Download now

How Collaborating Pays Off in the Global Marketplace

2011-11-25T07:09:00.000-06:00

At a trade summit recently organized by the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, there was talk about the challenges for small and medium-sized companies entering growing and complex markets.

In addition, Cubex shares its story about how it collaborated with a key competitor, to fill a product void and to reach a global audience.

It's all here: Going global all about strategy, timing

Giving Thanks to You Dear Readers Round the World!

2011-11-24T09:01:00.007-06:00

Thank you for your readership and comments from time to time. Without you, this blog would not be nearly as lively or as much fun. Have a Happy Thanksgiving (celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada)!

Photo courtesy: ©Laurel Delaney 2011, "World's Largest Pumpkin"

Posted by The Global Small Business Blog

How to Rev Up American Exports

2011-11-23T05:59:00.001-06:00

The Wall Street Journal's David Wessel moderates a discussion on the U.S. trade gap and how to fire up the export engines. Read the edited excerpts of the conversation below.

Building a U.S. export economy start with a new mind-set for companies

Here's one comment:

Only 1% of U.S. firms today are exporters. In a sense, U.S. firms have never had the export muscle—or to the extent that they had it, that muscle has atrophied over time.

And one of four recommendations:

1. GLOBALIZE ATTITUDES OF U.S. BUSINESS

To ensure growth, U.S. businesses should recognize the importance of developing foreign markets, including locally based products and services. They should set targets and goals for increasing participation in foreign markets and encourage more U.S. nationals to live abroad for a period. Government can help by providing support and education to smaller and medium-size businesses to increase their exports.

Related article:

Leading with a Global Mindset (1998) by Laurel Delaney

An Import/Export Business Is Born

2011-11-22T03:01:00.004-06:00

See how Mary Smith and Tom Jackson got started in the import and export business.

Technology Helps Business Go Global

by Laurel Delaney, About.com Import & Export Guide

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Generate Additional Revenue For Your Business: Expand Internationally

2011-11-21T06:00:00.005-06:00

The Institute for Chartered Accountants in Australia in conjunction with Ernst and Young has produced a thought leadership paper entitled "Business Briefing: 20 Issues For Businesses Expanding Internationally."

It covers:

Planning for expansion
Choosing your location
Conducting business overseas

Read the paper here.

Illustration credit here.

Smile to the World

2011-11-19T08:03:00.000-06:00

"Start every day with a smile and get it over with." W.C. Fields

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Photo courtesy: ©Laurel Delaney 2011, "Skokie Art Center"

How Students Can Prepare for the Global Marketplace

2011-11-18T06:14:00.002-06:00

Studying abroad is all the rage these days because young people want to take on the world. But where are the students studying?

And students are studying in less traditional destinations. Although the UK, Italy, Spain and France still top the list, China continues to attract with nearly 14,000 students studying there in 2009/10 compared to fewer than 3,000 in 1999/00. Fifteen of the top 25 destinations were outside of Western Europe and 19 were countries where English is not a primary language. There was a 44 % increase in U.S. students going to India, and Israel, Brazil, New Zealand and Egypt showed large percentage gains.

Stacie Nevadomski Berdan has studying abroad for students covered in:

The Right Study Abroad Program Can Prepare Students for the Global Marketplace

Illustration credit: Stacie's e-book

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

ITA: International Trade Administration (U.S.A.)

2011-11-17T05:03:00.003-06:00

Are you operating a business in the United States and need help with exporting and country and regional market information?

Have you looked at the International Trade Administration? It's considered the bible of international trade information.

LIVE From Washington Post: It's Exporting for Growth!

2011-11-16T04:16:00.002-06:00

Everything you ever wanted to know about exporting and then some. You'll hear from Terry LaRocca, State of Illinois, John Nevell, U.S. Small Business Administration, Tony Hoti, President, Intercom Ventures, Michael Howard, Export-Import Bank, Julie Carducci, U.S. Department of Commerce, Frank Lavin, Export Now (refer to our earlier post) and Stan Deans, President, Illinois District, UPS.

Go here to access videos where experts discuss how small businesses can efficiently export goods and services abroad.

Brought to you by: Washington Post Live

Related article(s):

Starter Kit for Illinois Businesses Looking to Export
Small Firms Lead the Way In Illinois Exports

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Where Can You Find Growth? You Must Go Global!

2011-11-15T08:10:00.004-06:00

Good commentary by local columnist John Shoemaker for Wicked Local Wrentham about how to find growth for your business: take it global!

It was the rallying cry for so many in small and medium size businesses: "We must go global!"

And it emphasizes how global commerce, the desire for individual freedom and the Internet are churning out more and more global entrepreneurs!

Read the entire opinion piece: When Business Goes Global

How China's Market Is Changing Fast

2011-11-14T07:57:00.005-06:00

Find out how China is changing and leaving the companies who wish to do business there - breathless.

You must register to access this article.

China's confident consumers

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Wherever You Are: Is Your Head in the Clouds?

2011-11-12T08:00:00.001-06:00

©Laurel Delaney 2011

"It is better to have your head in the clouds, and know where you are ... than to breathe the clearer atmosphere below them, and think that you are in paradise." ~ Henry David Thoreau

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Photo credit: ©Laurel Delaney 2011, "Clouds, Chicago lakefront."

Visualize the Market and Go After It: Global

2011-11-11T06:01:00.001-06:00

Video is in English and it's excellent. Strategies for growth: exporting opportunities. Be sure to catch the takeaway sheet at the end.

The Rest of the World Awaits the iPhone 4S

2011-11-10T06:12:00.001-06:00

Effective November 11th, Apple will be offering its iPhone 4S (pictured) to:

Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, El Salvador, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Malta, Montenegro, New Zealand, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Romania and South Korea.

Seventy (70) countries are expected to be selling the iPhone 4S before the close of 2011.

Read the entire article here.

Is Walmart Really Changing China?

2011-11-09T06:03:00.002-06:00

Or is it the other way around? Walmart wants to set green standards for 20,000 suppliers making several hundred thousand items sold to billions of shoppers worldwide. The question becomes: Will that effort take hold, or will it unravel?

Although Walmart’s $7.5 billion in Chinese sales receipts account for only 2 percent of the company’s annual revenues, its sales in China have risen substantially over the past decade. Sales in the United States, by contrast, have been shrinking. And as China’s retail market—the world’s fastest-growing—expands by 18 percent a year, Walmart’s executives smell the intoxicating scent of more growth to come. Equally important, if not more so, some 20,000 Chinese suppliers, or “partners,” reportedly provide Walmart with about 70 percent of the nearly $420 billion worth of goods that it sells globally each year.

Take a look here.

Illustration credit: Walmart in China map

How to Cultivate Global Clients Using the Web

2011-11-08T04:48:00.001-06:00

With technology tools and the Internet, everyone realizes it's a lot easier to connect globally and cultivate clients from all parts of the world.

Here's a look at how a couple of small business owners are doing just that.

How Small Businesses Are Going Global - The Network: Cisco's Technology News Site

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

The Golden Dragon: China's Favorite Pen

2011-11-07T07:04:00.002-06:00

When you travel overseas to meet with customers and suppliers, it's always a nice gesture to bring a gift. It should never be anything too expensive. Rather, it's the thought that counts.

Some of the items I have given to customers are Chicago (my home city) t-shirts or baseball caps from a winning athletic team (think the Bulls or the White Sox), special chocolates (e.g., Frango mints formerly produced by Marshall Field and Company and now Macy's) or a nice Parker pen.

If you are traveling to China, it's looks like the Parker Golden Dragon pen is the one to give. The pricier the better. And here I thought it was important to give a gift with the cache of America. Live and learn.

Read: In China the Pen Is Mightier When It's Pricier

How We Learn Worldly Wisdom

2011-11-05T06:08:00.005-05:00

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. ~ Confucius

Expand Abroad, Locally: It's Called Selling to An Export Trading Company

2011-11-04T08:12:00.004-05:00

Frank Lavin, the U.S. Commerce Department’s former undersecretary for international trade and also a former U.S. ambassador to Singapore says this:

“The smaller the company, the less practical it becomes to learn a new language, deal with new tax codes and currencies and to take a huge global risk.”

Laurel here: totally do not agree. Think of it this way:

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." ~ Chinese Proverb

Laurel's version:

"So give a small business owner a local sale with a premium transaction fee attached and you allow them to increase their revenues for a day. Teach a small business owner how to export and you allow them to go global for a lifetime." ~ Laurel's export-related twist on Chinese Proverb

Lavin's solution? Export Now (his new company).

Here is how it works: American businesses mail their goods, on consignment, to Export Now’s U.S. facilities. From there, items are collected and shipped by sea to a warehouse in China. Once the merchandise arrives in China, business owners are free to begin advertising and selling their items on Tmall.com, an online marketplace similar to eBay.

Catch or cost?

There is an annual fee of $3,000, plus a 10 percent transaction fee on each sale. Ouch!

Anyone ever hear of the Export Trading Company Act (1982)?

The Export Trading Company Act (ETCA) was created by Congress to enable U.S. firms to collaborate with each other to reduce their exports costs, become more efficient at exporting, and, in turn, compete more effectively in the export market.

Another definition here.

Read the entire article about Lavin's new export trading company here.

Illustration credit here.

Never Sell Globally on Open Account; Here's Why

2011-11-03T05:08:00.001-05:00

What is open account?

Open account means you ship goods or sell services globally without any guarantee of collecting payment on a transaction.

Read more to find out why you should never sell on open account -- no ands, ifs or buts.

Blogs on Entrepreneurs | Crain's Chicago Business

Collecting Payment When Your Customer is 12,000 Miles Away

by Laurel Delaney

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

LIVE From Singapore: The World Entrepreneurship Forum 2011

2011-11-02T02:00:00.011-05:00

The 2011 edition of the World Entrepreneurship Forum takes place in Singapore from November 2-5, 2011 at the Shangri-la Hotel, Singapore -- where 150 members from 70 countries, mainly entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs -- will gather for three days to suggest recommendations on "Entrepreneurship -- a Driver For Innovation and Technology."

Opening session takes place Singapore time on November 2nd at 6.00 p.m.
"Entrepreneur for the World" Gala Ceremony on November 3rd in the evening
Closing lunch on November 5th at 12:30 noon

WorldEntrepreneurshipForum2011Presentation.pdf (Download PDF: 2.17 MB)

Watch LIVE here (look at left sidebar where it says DIRECT Access)

Illustration credit: World Entrepreneurship Forum

Related posts: World Entrepreneurship Forum

Full disclosure: Laurel Delaney is a member of the World Entrepreneurship Forum

How a Week in Entrepreneurship Became Global

2011-11-01T07:09:00.006-05:00

In two weeks, Global Entrepreneurship Week kicks off with more than 40,000 events spread out over a seven day period in 123 countries with nearly 10 million fans across the planet.

As reported by Jonathan Ortmans for The Policy Dialogue on Entrepreneurship which brings to light various policies and initiatives to advance innovation and drive economic growth:

Above all, what excites me (from Jonathan Ortmans) about Global Entrepreneurship Week is how it has become truly global. While we know innovation itself is blind to national borders, Global Entrepreneurship Week is showing us that the innovators too seem to have more in common with each other than their own elders. They now form a gloriously messy cacophony of informal startup networks fueled by the challenges of a less predictable and more decentralized world.

Are you involved? Get going global here.

Illustration credit: Unleashing Ideas

Monocle Columns That Take You Global

2011-10-31T07:02:00.002-05:00

Take a look at highlights of the weekend from Monocle (love the magazine) - from music (global/thevinylfactory.com) to design (Tokyo/designtide.jp) to film (U.S.A./The Rum Diary), a little bit of everything to open your mind.

What is Monocle?

Monocle is premium media brand with magazine, web, broadcast and retail divisions. Focusing on global affairs, business, culture and design, Monocle's mission is to keep an eye on the world.

Go here to expand.

Illustration credit: Designtide Tokyo 2011

Quietly Building New Structures In Our World

2011-10-29T07:24:00.001-05:00


Photo credit: ©Laurel Delaney 2011, "Loyola University Chicago North Shore Campus"

"Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures." ~ John F. Kennedy

7 Billionth Person In Our World: Sorry, No Vacancy?

2011-10-28T08:05:00.002-05:00

In the coming days marks the celebration of 7 billion people on our planet.

The milestone, to be declared on October 31, 2011, is a huge spike from less than a century ago. In 1927, the global population was only 2 billion. Only 13 years ago, the population was at 6 billion, the U.N. says.

Have a look at people, possibilities and the challenges that come with dramatic population growth here.

Time to do some planning and invest in people power!

Illustration credit: State of World Population 2011

Creative Ways to Partner With Your Overseas Customer

2011-10-27T07:01:00.002-05:00

Export this. Import that. But how do you partner with your overseas customer (or supplier) in such a way that they feel totally committed to you?

Have I got the ideas!

Read:

Become Your Customer's Partner

5 Inspiring Ways to Partner with Your Overseas Customer to Grow the Relationship

Internet Start-Ups in Brazil

2011-10-26T06:49:00.001-05:00

A look at Brazilian investment firms and the role they play with Internet start-ups in Brazil.

According to the New York-based Latin America Venture Capital Association, five of 32 venture capital and private equity deals in Brazil in the first half of 2011 were early stage, seed or incubator investments. In 2010, that ratio was 12 of 28.

A few interesting companies that are mentioned in the article:

Elo7
Akwan Information Technologies (acquired by Google)
Peixe Urbano
Baby.com.br

Read the entire article here.

Illustration credit: Elo7

Deciding Against a Life-Sentence of Selling Soap

2011-10-25T04:08:00.002-05:00

The Economist offers "the outlook for entrepreneurs in India." And yes - we are all looking for the next Infosys. One particular comment in the article stood out for me:

And yet, for all these barriers, new firms are emerging in unexpected places. Vinayak Chatterjee, who graduated from IIMA in 1981, first joined a consumer-goods firm. After deciding against a life-sentence of selling soap, he went on to establish Feedback Infra, an engineering and consulting firm in Delhi that specialises in infrastructure projects. With 1,250-odd staff, half of them engineers, and a list of blue-chip and government clients, it exemplifies the kind of high-end services that India could excel at. Mr Chatterjee reckons his costs are a quarter of rich-world firms’. Big parts of this business are “no different fundamentally from IT outsourcing”, he says. The priority for now, though, is to build scale at home. With about $50m of revenue, growing by about 30% a year, the firm is on its way to that goal. A flotation would be a natural next stage in a few years’ time.

Reminds me of the bold statement Steve Jobs once made to former Pepsi exec John Sculley when he tried (and succeeded) to woo Sculley to run Apple: "... prefer to sell sugar water for the rest of your life or come with me and change the world?" (refer to 1983-1993).

So you can choose: Become a global entrepreneur or sell soap in India for the rest of your life!

Read the entire article here.

Illustration credit: Feedback Infra

Victoria's Secrets Goes Middle East

2011-10-24T09:15:00.000-05:00

In its early days of international expansion, Victoria's Secrets -- with the help of partner M. H. Alshaya, run by Mohammed Alshaya (operator of Aeropostale and H&M stores as well) -- will focus on the Middle East.

Big issue? Whether or not to install fitting rooms at lingerie boutiques in Saudi Arabia.

Read the entire article here.

Photo credit: Victoria's Secrets

Related article: Victoria's Secrets: Taking It Slowly in the International Marketplace

We Made the List: The 20 Best Small Business Blogs!

2011-10-22T08:04:00.001-05:00

Subject: The 20 Best Small Business Blogs

Check out these great small business blogs - from Small Business Trends to Duct Tape Marketing + more - we are delighted to be among so many thought-leader bloggers!

Go here to learn more. Thank you to BuyerZone for making this happen! Congrats to our peers!

Hip Hip Hooray to Free Trade!

2011-10-21T05:38:00.001-05:00

Barbara Weltman (pictured), founder and owner, Big Ideas for Small Business, Inc., writes an article for American Express OPEN Forum, "Why Small Businesses Should Pursue Free Trade."

We are all for BIG ideas! And we are totally for open trade.

Related articles:

Direct Exporting: Advantages and Disadvantages to Direct Exporting

Indirect Exporting: Advantages and Disadvantages to Indirect Exporting

What is the Export-Import Bank of the United States?

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Exporting the Television Show Raymond

2011-10-20T08:46:00.002-05:00

Perhaps Moscow will not find the show as funny?

Retiring Abroad? Here Are Five Top Countries

2011-10-19T05:58:00.002-05:00

Ecuador

International Living magazine rated the top five countries for (Americans) to retire abroad. Must you be an American to enjoy these places? You tell me!

Anyway, the Chicago Tribune travel section featured the International Living ratings.

The areas are rated based on real estate prices, cost of living, culture, health care, special benefits for retirees, infrastructure, safety/stability and climate.

The five countries are as follows:

Ecuador
Mexico
Panama
Spain
New Zealand

Check it out here.

Do Americans Still Know How to Make Stuff?

2011-10-18T07:07:00.001-05:00

Paul Fichter, who founded Taphandles in 1999, anticipates $11 million in revenue this year, employing 33 people at its Seattle headquarters and roughly 450 at the Chinese factory that produces the beer-marketing products it sells to breweries.

Mr. Fichter discusses the factors that led him to bring some of his manufacturing back to the United States with The New York Times.

Here's the last question posed by the interviewer:

Q. Do you think Americans still know how to make stuff?

A. Absolutely. My baby’s crib was made here, and that was important to me. I didn’t have to worry about the safety of, for example, the paint used. The key to success for the United States will be using machines instead of brawn. When we surveyed other countries, including Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia, we didn’t find the skilled labor base we needed. While I’m really proud of creating jobs here in America, it’s not just an emotional decision. It makes sense.

Read the entire interview here.

Do you see this as a trend to bring manufacturing back to the United States? We welcome your comments and insights.

Illustration credit: Taphandles

Make a Sale, Research Your Market and Satisfy Your Customer: Here's How

2011-10-17T08:04:00.004-05:00

My recent column for Ann Dwyer's entrepreneur blog over at Crain's Chicago Business.

To make a sale, research your market and satisfy your customer

If you've missed my previous Crain's Chicago global business columns, they can be found on the right sidebar of this blog.

Related articles:

Five Ways to Satisfy Your Overseas Customer

Market Research: Dreaded Chore, a Powerful Tool

How to Be the Happiest Person in the World

2011-10-15T06:06:00.001-05:00

As a kid I had a dream - I wanted to own my own bicycle. When I got he bike I must have been the happiest boy in Liverpool, maybe the world. I lived for that bike. Most kids left their bike in the backyard at night. Not me. I insisted on taking mine indoors and the first night I even kept it in my bed. ~ John Lennon

Photo credit: ©Laurel Delaney 2011, "Bicycle on Pratt Pier"

Why Global Entrepreneurship is a Good Career Move

2011-10-14T07:17:00.001-05:00

In many parts of the world, especially in the U.A.E., entrepreneurship is viewed as a good career move that offers high status, which also helps enable favorable media attention.

“Entrepreneurs in the UAE are looking eagerly for [business] opportunities in different sectors. They feel that they can improve their standard of living by owning a business rather than be employed,” al Mutawa told INSEAD Knowledge. “The type of business ranges from the regular to the innovative, and we even have lifestyle entrepreneurs.”

Read the entire article at INSEAD Knowledge here.

Illustration credit: INSEAD Knowledge: Best of Business Research

Today We Bring You: The World

2011-10-13T06:00:00.001-05:00

The World is a collection of private and commercial islands that form a singular expression of exclusivity. Located off the coast of Dubai and created by Nakheel, Dubai's premier developer, The World wants to become Dubai's exclusive island destination.

Learn more here.

Photo credit: A Nakheel development

How Delivering on Your Promises Matters in the World Marketplace

2011-10-12T07:38:00.007-05:00

My thoughts on the importance of delivering on your promises in the world of commerce. It boils down to integrity, being true to your word.

Read: Deliver on Your Promises | About.com Import and Export | by Laurel Delaney

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Revolutionary Global Entrepreneur: Steve Jobs

2011-10-11T08:59:00.005-05:00

Steve Jobs

On the theme of mourning the loss of Steve Jobs as well as celebrating his success, here's a look at what some promising Indian entrepreneurs had to say about him. There's a reason for posting so much about Steve Jobs. If you take the time to read what everyone is saying, you can set a new direction for your business and your life.

Here are a couple of comments before you click on the link below:

Anand, Kuliza, “Steve jobs is a truly inspirational leader for our generation. His greatest legacy would not just be the products he created but the number of innovative companies he will inspire.”

Kallidil Kalidasan, MindHelix, “The man who moved computers from a room to a portable box. Man responsible for the smartphone revolution! Really a sad day! Truly, Steve changed the world immeasurably!”

Kshitij Minglani, Homebuy360, “It was not about technology, not about creating a product that sells, but empowering the human race by creating change agents. And, as we leave for office today, we carry his thought in our pockets.”

Divyesh Kharade, Deltecs, “The world will not be the same any more. Steve Jobs re-defined and re-designed people’s life like never before. Truly the darkest day for all technology innovators! R.I.P Steve Jobs: An apple will be co-related to you more than Newton”

Read the entire article: Indian Entrepreneurs Salute Steve Jobs

Related article: Why Hasn't India Produced an Innovator Like the Apple Founder? And this is intriguing as well: Steve Jobs, Atari Employee Number 40

Photo credit: here.

The World Pays Tribute

2011-10-10T06:39:00.004-05:00

The tributes keep coming in from all over the world on the passing away of Steve Jobs.

I visited the Apple Store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago on Saturday, October 8, 2011 to give my farewell to Steve and condolences to Apple folks and as I stood in front of the store for half an hour, I was moved by the outpouring of emotion from people everywhere. Some individuals prayed and set down a memento; many wrote messages on post-it-notes and affixed them to the front of the store window (as shown above; what you see is the left side of the store, the right was completely covered with post-it-notes too ... look closely at the messages and some of the items posted) and still others photographed or videod the experience. You knew something larger than life had happened and it would never be the same again for many.

Steve was admired and respected around the globe.

Here's an interesting UK perspective:

Steve jobs: the world pays tribute

Photo courtesy: ©Laurel Delaney 2011, "Apple Store, Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., 10.8.11"

Global Commons: Water

2011-10-08T07:56:00.001-05:00

"I understood when I was just a child that without water, everything dies.
I didn't understand until much later that no one "owns" water.
It might rise on your property, but it just passes through.
You can use it, and abuse it, but it is not yours to own.
It is part of the global commons, not "property" but part of our life support system."

~ Marq de Villiers, Water, 2000

Can You Break This World Record?

2011-10-07T05:57:00.002-05:00

First lady Michelle Obama wants to jump into the Guinness World Records book next week by helping break the title for the most people doing ... __________________________ (fill in the blank).

She will lead hundreds of local children in doing this act on the South Lawn on Tuesday.

Find out what record she is attempting to break here or if you must, take your magnifying glass out and see the answer below.

Answer: Jumping jacks in a 24-hour period.

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

The Apple iPhone 4S = Sensational!

2011-10-06T06:16:00.003-05:00

Photo courtesy: Apple (http://www.apple.com/iphone/#)

In memory of Steve Jobs, we feature the latest and greatest from Apple: the iPhone 4S.

Learn more here. And catch: Report: Life As We Know It Already Changed Following iPhone 4S Debut