The World Needs More You In It

©Laurel Delaney 2012, "Morning in Chicago, December 2012"

Make a difference in 2013.

Create the better world you wish for.

Happy New Year!

Key to Success in China? Master the Chinese New Year

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I have always followed the Chinese New Year and what it brings to each of us personally and professionally.  This year, we had the Year of the Dragon, the only sign that exists in mythology, not reality.  (By the way, my Chinese sign is the Horse).

The dragon represents power and superiority.  This was the Year of the Water Dragon (the last Year of the Water Dragon was 1952).  Next year the Chinese New Year falls on February 10th and it is the Year of the Snake.

The Chinese New Year, known in China as Spring Festival, is the country's most important holiday.

To fully understand the significance of the Chinese New Year and how to leverage it for greater brand development, download:

• Report: The Chinese New Year in Next Growth Cities (7MB, 80-page PDF file)
• Online book

Learn more here.  Revisit WPP to find out trends for the Chinese Year of the Snake (2013).

What Constitutes a Global Footprint?

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According to crowdfunding platform Indiegogo, to develop a global footprint, a company must support more currencies, languages and offer more localized websites.  Therefore, is Indiegogo global?

Does that mean Kickstarter is global too?

Find out here.

Meatballs, IKEA and India

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What do meatballs, IKEA and India all have in common?  The approval of the Indian government.  As it turns out:

The Indian government may allow Swedish furniture retailer IKEA to follow its global model and open stores with cafeterias that feature their signature meatballs. Commerce minister Anand Sharma said on Wednesday that the government has taken a favourable view of the matter. 

Apparently, IKEA has a global business model and feels it ought not change it for anybody or any country.

Read the entire article:  IKEA's meatballs may be on its Indian menu after all

Related article:  India Looks Favorably on IKEA Plan

New Year's Resolution for 13 Chinese Companies: Going Global

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According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, China's non-financial overseas direct investment reached $58 billion during the first 10 months of 2012 -- nearly a 26% year-on-year growth increase.  Thirteen Chinese companies are poised to go global in 2013.

Through expansion overseas, they aim to gain access to new distribution channels, international managers, brand recognition and technological expertise in global markets.

Read the entire article:  13 Chinese Companies Going Global in 2013

Season's Greetings!

©Laurel Delaney, 2012, "Trump Building Chicago"

I wish you a Happy Holiday

and a Successful 2013, to you and everyone around you.

Peace and Joy to the World

©Laurel Delaney 2012, "Madonna della Strada Chapel, Chicago"

Which Country Will Become a Global Growth Engine?

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China this. China that. Which country are you betting on to become a global growth engine?

Those who are dazzled by China often forget that much of the rapid growth before 2008 was caused by the shift of global manufacturing from Europe and the U.S., not by domestic-oriented activity. China’s economy remains export-driven, with consumers accounting for only 38 percent of gross domestic product, far below the levels of many developing and developed countries.

See if your guess matches up to this article.

What's the Key to Success? A Global Mindset

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Here's what Jamal Mohamed Fakhro, Managing Partner KPMG Bahrain and Qatar says:

"A Kuwaiti company’s future today is in investing outside of Kuwait and not just within the country.” With globalization and the subsequent removal of boundaries, he affirmed that a successful business is one with a global mindset.

Fakhro is the chairman of KPMG’s Middle East and South Asia sub-region and the managing partner of KPMG’s Qatar and Bahrain practices. He is also a board member of KPMG Europe.

Read the entire article here.

What It Takes To Build a Global Brand

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How do you craft a universal message that resonates with folks across the planet?  Elizabeth Wasserman, for Inc.com, does a good job examining what it takes to build a global brand.

Forty years ago, there were only a handful of truly "global brands" and they were made up of only the biggest corporations -- Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Colgate-Palmolive, IBM, Shell. Then a rash of upstarts came along, such as Nike, Microsoft, Apple, and Honda, and pushed their brand reputation further than their actual sales footprint. But now that barriers to international trade have come down and the Internet has helped small and mid-sized companies compete on the global stage ...

She covers:

• What a global brand is.
• What you need to expand a brand internationally (steps to take).
• Digging deeper:  trademark, copyright and patent protection.
• How to build international brand awareness.

Read the entire article here.

Get Export Ready From Ireland

Related:  Enterprise Ireland

To Be Successful in the Global Marketplace You Must Be Inclusive

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Here's what Shirley Engelmeier has to say for Fox Small Business Center:

To be successful you must be inclusive, that is, you must give up misplaced sentiments of ethnocentrism and seek to learn, really learn, about the native culture you hope to market to from the native culture you hope to market to. You can’t take a U.S.-centric approach.

She also tells us something you may not already know, that is, if you just started using the Internet today:

So you think global markets are just for the big guys? Think again! The truth is, small companies can tap into one of the many rapidly emerging markets.  In fact, everything is global these days.

Read the entire article:  Going Global:  It's Not About You; It's About Them

The Global Small Business Blog Surpasses Half Million Pageviews

What an amazing moment.  We just surpassed more than a half million pageviews on The Global Small Business Blog!  Thank you to everyone for your continued interest and readership.  We keep on keeping on - thanks to you.

Here's our very first blog post back on Tuesday, July 20, 2004. 

Have a good weekend and back with you on Monday.

Best,
Laurel Delaney
Creator, The Global Small Business Blog

Your First Date in the New Year?

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If you haven't already started to export, make a date to do so in the new year.  Let me introduce you (I'm big on matchmaking) to Export.gov.

Operated by the U.S. Department of Commerce as a collaborative effort with 19 other agencies, Export.gov is a goldmine of information, tools and programs for anyone looking to succeed in the global marketplace.

In 2013, make it the year to learn, leverage and go global!

The Concert for Sandy Relief: Donate Now

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A day late but not a dollar short.  The Concert for Sandy Relief (which I watched from beginning to end on 12/12/12) -- benefits the Robin Hood Relief Fund and they are taking donations.

Go here to make your contribution.  Help those who were impacted by the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy in the United States.

http://www.121212concert.org

How to Sell More to the World

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OK, you have a website.  You created a blog.  You are on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  But somehow, for some reason, you still can't get customers the world over to find you?

Well I've got a solution.  Go here to find out.

Claim your online space before your competitors do!

No Country For a Hegemonic Power

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According to James Joyner (not Joyce) of New Atlanticist:

Today's Global Trends 2030 report by the National Intelligence Council predicts that, "By 2030, no country—whether the US, China, or any other large country—will be a hegemonic power." Considering that this has already been true for quite some time, it's a safe bet.

Read the entire article here.

Bypass all and click here to immediately download the 166-page "Global Trends 2030:  Alternative Worlds," a publication of the National Intelligence Council

How to Become the Most Successful Company in the World

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You may be small and global but how do you become one of the most successful companies in the world?

... make your customers happy.

Read the entire article here.

And if you remember, that's what Zappos did.  Amazon acquired them.

Favorate Holiday Spot: Chicago

©Laurel Delaney 2012, "Chicago, State and Randolph Streets"

"My favorite holiday spot - Chicago." ~ Laurel Delaney

What's Fueling Growth in Southeast Asia?

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The article below is the first of a three-blog series on Southeast Asia.  It examines Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

While this series will provide plenty of social and economic color on Southeast Asia, it is not intended to be read as an exhaustive course study on any one particular country. Rather, it should be viewed as an outline that offers the reader a glimpse of the region, and collective emerging countries that don’t get their fair share of mainstream media attention. 

Learn more here.

How to Stave Off the Recession? Trade Globally.

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What the world needs now is not love sweet love but more trade - international trade that is.

Director-General Pascal Lamy, in his annual report to members on developments in the international trading environment, said: “The world needs a renewed and stronger commitment from all Governments to revitalize the multilateral trading system that can restore economic certainty at a time when it is badly needed. The policy determination to resist inward-looking policies seems to be faltering in some countries, even as the world economy needs more trade to stave off recession.”

Learn more here.

Note:  Information presented covers the period mid-October 2011 to mid-October 2012.  The full report is available on the WTO website.

China's Vegetables Are From Mars, Fruits Are From ...

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A spin off from Men Are From Mars, Women From Venus, now we are learning that China is preparing to grow vegetables on Mars.  Looks like the men will be eating well.

Chinese astronauts are preparing to grow fresh vegetables on Mars and the moon after researchers successfully completed a preliminary test in Beijing, state media reported.

Read the full story here.

Small Businesses With a Global Reach; Google Lends a Hand

Where Are the Fastest Growing Cities in the World?

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Where are the fastest growing cities in the world?

The top 50 fastest-growing cities, by GDP per capita, are practically all in the developing Asian world. The top 18 are in China. The rest are in China, Indonesia (Jakarta), India (Chennai), and Australia (Perth).

Where are the fastest shrinking cities in the world?

Of the world's fastest-shrinking cities, 42 of the bottom 50 were in the EU. The others included Dubai, Adelaide, Australia, and Albuquerque.

What does it mean?

Consider taking more of your business into Asia in 2013.  If you are currently doing business in Athens, Lisbon, Florence and Valencia, expect a sales and profitability drop at some point.

Read the entire article here.

Related:  Global MetroMonitor 2012

How to Improve Customer Service the World Over?

Photo courtesy:  ©Laurel Delaney 2012, "Whole Foods Customer Suggestions"

Improving customer service can be as simple as tacking up a bulletin board (as shown above at a Whole Foods Market in Chicago) and letting customers say what they want to say.  Who knows, you might end up with improvements on the way you do things and some great ideas!

The goal is to bring out the best from your global customers and stakeholders by giving them an area to share and discuss feedback.

What have you done lately to improve customer service?  Let us know -- especially any online platforms you've developed -- and we'll post your ideas here.

Related post:  How to Provide Great Global Customer Service

Thanks, Happy December 1st and have a great weekend!