Thursday, April 03, 2025

Be Who You Are on Your Way Out, Sadly Not Before

©iStock/farres tariq
The former Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, will likely deliver the deciding vote on a resolution to block a national emergency used to justify the new tariffs on Canadian imports.

Sen. Mitch McConnell privately indicated to Sen. Tim Kaine he would back the Virginia Democrat’s resolution to undo President Donald Trump’s Canada tariffs.

What does it mean?  We'll soon find out.  

Wednesday, April 02, 2025

The Decline of the Expert?

©iStock/Makhbubakhon Ismatova
Want to understand a medical diagnosis, learn how to export, challenge a legal contract, or make sense of an economic forecast? Traditionally, your only option was to trust a trained professional.  But now, AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and others are changing the game—offering clear, confident, and accessible answers to complex questions. 

This democratization of knowledge has tremendous potential.  But it could also be the decline of the expert?

Tuesday, April 01, 2025

Connect, Learn, Have Fun and Export!

©2025 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All rights reserved.
Join wegg's next wegginar® with award-winning exporter Joan Laureano, President of Nosotras Boutique Fashion Group tomorrow, Wednesday, April 2nd at 11 AM CT.  Free of charge thanks to wegg's sponsors.

To learn more and to register, visit:  My 10 Biggest Lessons in Exporting.

Monday, March 31, 2025

Today in Global Small Business: It's a Trump Rodeo Ride So Far

©iStock/Ultima_Gaina
What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

  • Most investors knew things could turn turbulent this year given U.S. President Donald Trump's return to power in the world's biggest economy and financial market, but few predicted the kind of a rodeo ride it has been so far.
  • Bitcoin demand declines amid global trade wars.
  • Quote of the week:  “American bull riding has been called 'the most dangerous eight seconds in sports.'" – general statement
  • JP Morgan research:  U.S. tariffs and what the impact will be on global trade and the economy.
  • Japan is upset.  An editorial on Trump's auto tariffs.
  • Mexico is upset.  They will respond to Trump's tariffs with immediate measures.

Saturday, March 29, 2025

Points to Heaven

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.
"The church is not the way to heaven; the church is the sign that points to heaven." – Adrian Rogers,

Friday, March 28, 2025

Prepare for Unexpected Shocks in the Global Marketplace

©iStock/Liubomyr Vorona
"Resist protectionism" and defend globalization.  That's what Premier Li Qiang recently told a gathering of global executives in Beijing.  He went on to say that China is prepared for “possible unexpected shocks."

CEOs including Apple’s Tim Cook, FedEx’s Raj Subramaniam and Pfizer’s Albert Bourla gathered in the Chinese capital over the weekend for a two-day forum that comes as US President Donald Trump has ratcheted up trade pressure on China in a bid to rebalance what he sees as an unfair relationship.

Premier Li Qiang said, “We have prepared for possible unexpected shocks, which, of course, mainly come from external sources. Where necessary, the Chinese government will introduce new policies to ensure the smooth operation of the Chinese economy.”

Trade uncertainties loom.

Thursday, March 27, 2025

Recalculate Your Financials to See Where the New Global Realities Lie

iStock/Leonardo Penuela Bernal
Technically speaking, should the U.S. dollar be strong or weak relative to other currencies? It depends whose point of view you take. The fact that whatever position someone takes has pros and cons reveals the complexity of their positions.

Fast forward, not know which way the dollar will move, it will probably be prudent for U.S. companies to find U.S. sources for their supply chains, if feasible, or at least lessen dependence on foreign goods and services. 

Companies that use imported parts but also export will likely need to recalculate their financials to see where the new realities lie. Also, those relying on a strong U.S. dollar should re-examine their temporary advantage at the moment and consider whether it will still work with a weaker dollar.

Monday, March 24, 2025

Today in Global Small Business: Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago 2025

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.
What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

  • Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago, Illinois, Sunday, March, 23, 2025.
  • Small businesses are running out of moves in Trump's trade wars.
  • Quote of the week:  “The scariest thing about what President Trump is doing with his tariffs-for-all strategy, I believe, is that he has no clue what he is doing — or how the world economy operates, for that matter. He’s just making it all up as he goes along — and we are all along for the ride.” – Thomas L. Friedman, 2/18/25, NY Times Opinion
  • How Trump's tariffs are impacting U.S. small businesses.
  • This Canadian business survived 142 years, but maybe not Trump’s trade war.
  • Scrambling to adapt, tariffs on imports impact global small businesses.

Saturday, March 22, 2025

Coming of Spring

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.
"With the coming of spring, I am calm again."  Gustav Mahler

Friday, March 21, 2025

Happy Belated International Happiness Day

©iStock/yayayoyo
I [Laurel Delaney] had no idea there was such a thing as International Happiness Day.  Well we can use all the happiness we can get in our world right now.

Yesterday — March 20 — was in fact International Day of Happiness. Declared by the United Nations in 2013, this special day recognizes the importance of happiness as "a fundamental goal" in people's lives around the world.

It's never too late to be happy so celebrate your happiness today and every day thereafter.  I'm happy because we've reached more than 125,000 readers to this blog!  Hooray!  Happy!