50 Most Influential Women

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I am honored -- Laurel Delaney -- to have been nominated for the Irish Voice's 2008 50 Most Influential Women by The Irish Voice Newspaper. This is a celebration of Irish-American women success in corporate America, the local business world and the Irish community.

Many thanks to the folks at Irish Voice Newspaper, especially to the Consul General of Ireland who is generously hosting a celebration gathering at his residence in New York on July 10th.

Why do I feel a little luck from the Irish coming my way?

A Relationship Begins With a Global Sale

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We hope you like this: Building global bonds one customer at a time.

Thanks to all of you for your readership!

And much appreciation to Anita Campbell at Small Business Trends for featuring our article.

World Connectedness

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Here's a great way to start. Get more work done when traveling from country to country.

Called Regus Businessworld, the program provides varying levels of access to professional day offices, business lounges and cafés in 950 business centers in 400 cities in 70 countries to help small business professionals get work done in a secure and productive environment no matter where they are.

For example, for U.S. $500 a month (or $20 a day), you can have drop-in access to a private, ready-to-work office nearly anywhere in the world. Or, for $300 per year, you can use any of Regus' business lounges in these locations.

Not bad.

Tagging Your Website to Go Global

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In the global search engine optimization (SEO) market, just because you come up first in the United States does not necessarily mean you will in the UK.

To find out what we are talking about, read this.

Water Pen Saves Lives and Goes Global

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With 6,000 children dying a day from waterborne diseases, the LifeStraw -- a $3 personal, portable water purifier made by Vestergaard Frandsen that eliminates virtually all waterborne bacteria and most viruses responsible for causing diarrheal diseases -- looks simple but has the potential to save lives worldwide.

Are you working on a life-saving product or service that will change the world?

Water, water everywhere ...

Why the Greenback Matters

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The dollar's fate affects the lives of billions of people including small business owners.

Read Day of the Dollar: A Global Connection

And don't miss the Dollar around the world piece either.

Books to Build Your Business

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Globality: Competing With Everyone From Everywhere For Everything

Doing Business in 21st Century India

The Answer: Grow Any Business, Achieve Financial Freedom, and Live an Extraordinary Life

How to Do Business in Central America and the Dominican Republic

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Authored an article for Small Business Success Magazine on Doing Business in Central America and the Dominican Republic.

To download the PDF file, visit GlobeTrade.com and click on the Just Released button. Let me know what you think of it.

Top 20 Revenue-Generating Nations

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Guess who's No. 1? United States. Find out more here.

What Are Considered the Most Livable Countries?

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The most recent Human Development Index (HDI) -- Trends, published annually by the U.N., has much to offer in the way of measuring development by combining indicators of life expectancy, educational attainment and income into a composite index. It seems that the higher a listing, the easier to do business -- I would imagine.

Learn more but be ready to take time out of your busy schedule to explore. Fascinating information. And it's endless. Wikipedia definition here.

Beijing Club of the Moment

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As the Summer Olympics draw near and you are finishing up a special order (hopefully!) before you head out there, the club of the moment, Lan has local tastemakers gawking. See why (be patient ... a very slow load).

Exporting for Smaller Firms

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Kiplinger.com has launched a Small Business Center as part of its Business Resource Center, which offers expert advise and useful resources to help small businesses succeed.

What we are happy about is they included information on expanding internationally such as this video "Exporting For Smaller Firms."

Let's hope they continue offering useful information to "go global."

Has Offshoring Hit the Global Small Business Market?

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Well it surely has hit Madison Avenue. More work is being shipped to little-known businesses in such places as Costa Rica and Bulgaria. If the ad guys and gals can do it, so can you.

Take a look.

Smart and Safe International Travel for Students

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Ready to buckle up, put on your headphones, peruse your in-flight magazine, and begin your travel adventure?

Exchange students and young U.S. citizens now have a Web site called Students Abroad to use as a resource for smart and safe international travel!

Lots of good information, including but not limited to, what to do in case of a natural disaster, locations for United States embassies, travel alerts and warnings, preparation and packing checklists and how to vote in United States elections while abroad.

The site is created and maintained by the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs.

Find out more here.

Other places to check out if you are interested in detailed training, becoming a host family or exchange student: Northwest Student Exchange and Center for International Career Development (international training). If you go to our Wiki and sign up, one of our members runs these programs and can help you out.

The Global Show Must Go On

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The last two decades have brought the world more trade, more globalization and more economic growth than in any previous such period in history. Few commentators had believed that such a rise in trade and living standards was possible so quickly.

More than 400 million Chinese climbed out of poverty between 1990 and 2004, according to The World Bank. India has become a rapidly growing economy, the middle class in Brazil and Mexico is flourishing, and recent successes of Ghana and Tanzania show that parts of Africa may be turning the corner as well.

Despite these enormous advances, however, there is a backlash against globalization and a widespread belief that it requires moderation.

Find out more, here.

Is Your Company World Class?

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When I read this interview with Dr. Robert Hisrich, Garvin Professor of Global Entrepreneurship and Director, Center for Global Entrepreneurship at Thunderbird, I had to ask myself that same question. I'd like to think so.

It sounds as if Dr. Hisrich has his work cut out for him -- you too -- but at least he's got his priorities in order ...

The real heart-beat of the economy is [global] entrepreneurship.

The Road to Global Business

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An opinion piece published in BusinessWeek (coupled with what looks like the launch of a new website: The Welch Way) by Jack and Suzy Welch talks about how local competition -- which includes an educated workforce, affordable sources of energy and supportive trade policies -- is a prerequisite for global success.

Go World

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Visa, Inc., one of the Olympic Games' biggest sponsors, is taking a feel good advertising approach that focuses on the international goodwill that springs from the Games.

The first TV spot, called "Come Together," (sounds like the Obama camp might be helping out!) shows fans from all over the world cheering during past Olympic Games.

Go world!

Pulling Out All Stops On Outsourcing

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Outsourcing firms like Keane Inc. in India are constantly trying to recruit new college graduates and lure young talent away from one another.

Are you attempting to convince new hires to look at outsourcing opportunities as one of the most attractive career options for them?

Competition is getting stiff and labor short. Time to pull out all stops on outsourcing.

Global Value Network 101

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Are you managing your value (er, supply chain) networks? Read more here to find out what you should be doing to ensure you don't fall in the category of companies who still aren't global.