Failure to Act on EXIM Bank Can Hurt Us All in the Long Run

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Extending the reauthorization of EXIM Bank, which helps finance American exports to markets abroad when commercial credit is unavailable, has been relatively painless over the past 80 years. Congress has reauthorized Exim sixteen times with bipartisan support. So what's the hold up?  Your guess is as good as mine.  For ...

It is clear that helping American businesses compete and sell more goods and services abroad should not be up for debate. Reaching the 95 percent of consumers living outside U.S. borders is vitally important for jobs creation in the United States. 

Do we want to give the world an upper hand?  The White House has urged Congress to reauthorize EXIM.  American exports, especially from small businesses, need a leg up to compete in the global marketplace.

Read:  Congressional Inaction Hurts Small Businesses & Main Street

Today in Global Small Business: All Businesses Are Becoming Global

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

• Find out why all businesses are becoming global.
• How to overcome the two-market plateau.
• Six signs you need a global ecommerce solution.
• Plan and build a web site that taps a global audience.
• Is Shopify leading the ecommerce pack?
• Why small businesses continue to be the backbone of any global economy.

Expand Your Definition of Reading

©2015 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Expand the definition of 'reading' to include non-fiction, humor, graphic novels, magazines, action adventure, and, yes, even websites. It's the pleasure of reading that counts; the focus will naturally broaden. A boy won't read shark books forever." -- Jon Scleszka

Fast Track Authority Is Out of the Gate and a Winner

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The 60-38 Senate vote puts fast-track trade authority in the green light district until 2018.

Fast-track, or trade promotion authority, will allow the White House to send trade deals to Congress for up-or-down votes. The Senate will not be able to filibuster them, and lawmakers will not have the power to amend them.

Read more:  Senate approves fast-track, sending trade bill to White House

Is It Time for Your SME to Conquer the World?

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Is it time for your SME to conquer the world?  The HP Go Global Awards doesn't want you to be a wallflower when it comes to taking your business global.  In fact, they are tooting their horn loud and clear that small business owners should not shy away from international trade opportunities because of perceived language, currency, cultural and business barriers.

That said, HP is looking to recognize SMEs that have successfully cracked the export market and support those trying to do so with their HP Go Global Award.  Entries are open until the end of July, also aim to encourage those who are looking to break into new territories.

Two overall winners will go on to receive an HP Go Global Award for Best Breakthrough Exporter of the Year and Next Breakthrough Exporter of the Year.

The deadline for submissions is 3:00 p.m. (GMT time) on Friday, July 31 2015.  For more information, visit:  www.hpgoglobalawards.com  Terms and conditions, visit here.

Good luck!

Develop and Protect Your Ideas Globally

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Big companies spend tons of money to develop and protect ideas. But even service businesses and one-person shops have Intellectual Property (IP).  Trademarks, for example, are one of the most valuable assets of a business. Think Coca-Cola, PayPal and iPad, and you immediately think of a company, product, brand, experience, reputation, solution and public goodwill.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses receive nearly 15 times the number of patents per employee as larger companies.

So what are some things small businesses can do to establish, protect and cash in on IP assets?

Read more:  Even service businesses and one-person shops have IP

Delicious Inspiration: CocoJet 3D Printer

A chocolate 3D printer called CocoJet.  Much like traditional 3D printers produce plastic objects, CocoJet heats and squeezes chocolates instead of plastic filaments.  Have you ever sampled 3D food?  The future on 3D printing is now.  View the 3D Printing Forum.

Today in Global Small Business: How Bitcoin Is Considered a Global Currency

iStock/Tim Arbaev

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

• How to compete more effectively in foreign markets.
• Some dos and don'ts to expanding internationally.
• How Ideel is leveraging Groupon's global reach.
• Mastercard becomes first international payments network in Somalia.
• How Bitcoin is considered a truly global currency.
• Pitney Bowes forms global e-commerce unit after acquiring Borderfree.

Stanley Cup Champions: Chicago Blackhawks!

 

Photos ©2015 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks for winning the Stanley Cup -- the third in six years!  Chicago is the first National Hockey League team to win three titles in a six-year span since Detroit in 1997, 1998 and 2002.

Go Hawks!

Related posts here and here.

Fish, Cut Bait or Go Global

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What's the hook here?

Darren Hodgson is aiming to go global.  His SinkerLock locks on to the upper grip of a fishing rod (similar to a hair clip) and holds the sinker or lure securely, stopping it from bouncing around when being transported.  It takes all the hassle out of fishing.

Hodgson has interest from big international markets such as the US, Britain and South Africa - but he needs to make and invest in a new mould to handle the demand.  Rather than go to a bank for traditional financing, he's launched a crowd funding appeal on the Kickstarter website.

Learn more here.

Growing the Worldwide Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

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As a proud member of the World Entrepreneurship Forum, I've always felt that entrepreneurship has room for more supportive players -- those who want to develop ideas and recommendations for startups, business entrepreneurs, experts and so forth.

In this case, a Boulder, Colorado company, Techstars, that specializes in small-business startups, has acquired UP Global, which sponsors 1,800 entrepreneurship events worldwide, including Kansas City’s Startup Weekend.

“By joining forces with UP Global, Techstars can continue to accelerate the pace of innovation by strengthening the path for entrepreneurs, providing better support for entrepreneurial communities and helping to grow the worldwide entrepreneurial ecosystem,” Techstars president David Brown said in the announcement.

Read more here:  Techstars acquires UP Global, expanding its Kansas City reach

Pot (Cannabis) Goes Global

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The late rock star Jimi Hendrix is known for his affinity toward marijuana, now will also be known for a brand of cannabis.  And that cannabis, also known as pot, will go global through the efforts of Silver State Trading.

"We license to best-in-class operators who have the legal rights to produce, cultivate and distribute cannabis in medical or recreational states nationwide, and also internationally," said Andrew Pitsicalis, Purple Haze Properties CEO and president, in a statement.

Read more:  Jimi Hendrix-branded pot going on sale in Colorado

Gadget-Loving Public Clamors For the Latest and Greatest in Technology

©iStock/Barrett Veldsman

According to Derrick Johnson, Vice President of Marketing at UPS:

The high-tech consumer electronics industry is poised for tremendous growth as a gadget-loving public clamors for the latest and greatest technology. This year’s drivers are smart phones, HD TVs and tablets, but other revolutionary innovations are on the horizon and promise to change the world in immeasurable ways.

What are the emerging trends you should follow?  According to Johnson, here are four:

1. Wearable technology
2. Drones
3. 3D printing
4. Smart home devices

Read the entire article:  The Future of Tech

Today in Global Small Business: The Rise of the Global Marketplaces

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

• How a small business owner can roll out a global campaign on a shoestring.
• Find out how to scale a global business at a Chicago event 6/25 (FREE).
• Seven tips for developing your brand globally.
• A women's development center will be established in Ba (Fiji) to educate women on techniques involved in exporting local goods.
• Southeastern Louisiana University (SLU) Small Business Development Center (SBDC) earns top in the nation through the Small Business Administration (SBA).
• New study:  The Rise of the Global Market Places.  Are they taking over the world?

Fail Every Now and Again

©2015 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"If you're not failing every now and again, it's a sign you're not doing anything very innovative." -- Woody Allen

What It Takes to Go From Small Craft Beer Startup to Global Distributor

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Marcello Colosimo, CEO of The Australian Brewery (AB), is one of six brothers who founded the company with a sole purpose to get the beer right.  They went from a small craft beer startup to global distributor. In the process, they learned some valuable lessons.  Here are seven.

Why Technology is Changing the Global Job Market

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Indeed.com’s senior vice president Paul D’Arcy presents seven trends which are changing the face of the global job market as a result of the emergence of the Internet economy.  Here's one of them:

7. The internet is changing the way job-seekers respond to labour market trends.

Job-seekers are more active than ever before. Younger, more educated workers appear to be the most active.

Strikingly, D’Arcy said 65% of hired candidates worldwide return within 91 days and look for another job.

Read the entire article:  7 trends changing the face of the global jobs market

Two Powerhouse CEOs Have a Conversation About the Importance of Global Small Businesses

©2015 Laurel Delaney.  All rights reserved.  Jack Ma, Founder &
Executive Chairman, Alibaba Group (second from left)

©2015 Laurel Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Jack Ma, Founder & Executive Chairman, Alibaba Group (R)

©2015 Laurel Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Jack Ma, Founder & Executive Chairman, Alibaba Group (R)

©2015 Laurel Delaney.  All rights reserved.
Ken Chenault, Chairman & CEO, American Express (L) and Jack Ma, Founder & Executive Chairman, Alibaba Group (R)

I had the great honor and privilege to listen to Ken Chenault, Chairman & CEO, American Express and Jack Ma, Founder & Executive Chairman, Alibaba Group have a conversation on building and supporting the small business community and the opportunities and challenges facing them.

Small businesses are making a big impact.  From local restauranteurs to online shop owners, entrepreneurs are helping shape and enhance their communities around the world.

• Read Jack Ma's latest commentary published in the Wall Street Journal (6/9/15).
• Read the Chicago Tribune news article (6/10/15) about the event.
• Watch the CNBC (LIVE Chicago) interview with Jack Ma talking about Alibaba's international strategy.
• Learn more about the Alibaba Group's story (video) here.
• Internet Retailer's coverage by Nona Tepper here.

The LinkedIn for Helpers

©iStock/Antonio_Diaz

Laurence Fauchon set up HelperChoice -- think of it as a LinkedIn for helpers -- in Hong Kong in 2012 to better match domestic helpers with employers. It's grown so fast she's just quit investment banking to work full-time on expanding the start-up overseas.

The service is constantly tweaked, based on feedback from helpers, particularly on Facebook, where its page has 114,000 "likes". Although she won't disclose annual targets, Fauchon hopes to see a 50 per cent increase in the number of users by the end of the year.

Read more:  Hong Kong banker's 'LinkedIn for helpers' platform going global

Why Going Global From Day One Is Becoming the Norm

©iStock/Nadezhda1906

Many start-ups believe technology adoption is on the rise, at least if you want to take your company global fast -- at the get-go.  Hence, scaling in a country before crafting global plans can work well.  In the case of India start-ups:

"It may not be a great idea thinking of outside markets when you are still not dominant in India, which is one of the world's three largest markets after the US and China," says Rahul Chandra, co-founder and Managing Director at venture firm Helion Venture Partners. "That may be ignoring a big opportunity right in front."

Read:  Going global from day 1 is the norm for tech start-ups now

Related posts to going global at start-up, day one or by born global companies -- here.

Today in Global Small Business: Explore New Opportunities to Expand Your Business Internationally on 6/25

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

1. Explore new opportunities to expand your business internationally in Chicago June 25th (Laurel will be there giving a talk - FREE).
2. How to execute a finely tuned exit at your global small business.
3. The week in numbers with BBC's Go Figures images.
4. In case you don't know about, Monocle, a magazine briefing on global affairs.
5. How international investors can be a hidden advantage.
6. How indie rock changed the world.

Life Is Beginning Over Again With the Summer

©2015 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Unemployed People: A Costly Wasted Potential for the Global Economy?

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In the new McKinsey Global Institute report, "A labor market that works: Connecting talent with opportunity in the digital age," they examine the current state of employment and the impact digital talent platforms could have -- potentially boosting global GDP by $2.7 trillion by 2025.

Labor markets around the world haven’t kept pace with rapid shifts in the global economy, and their inefficiencies have taken a heavy toll. Millions of people cannot find work, even as sectors from technology to healthcare struggle to fill open positions. Many who do work feel overqualified or underutilized. These issues translate into costly wasted potential for the global economy. 

Bottom line:  Online talent platforms can ease a number of labor-market dysfunctions by more effectively connecting individuals with work opportunities.

Read more here.

For more on this topic, see James Manyika’s LinkedIn essay “The digital revolution is making the job market work for you” (June 2015).

Social Media Gives SMBs Greater Heft in Global Marketing

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Technology and the Internet have changed everything.  In combination, they allow the smallest of the smallest companies a chance to compete head-to-head against companies a million times bigger.  And never could we have imagined upstart businesses going global and expanding beyond their traditional markets in such a short a time span.  Many call this "born global" companies.

Why's this happening?  Many new technology trends are creating efficiencies.  Here's one for example:

Social media gives SMBs greater heft in [global] marketing 

Till the advent of Twitter and Facebook, could anyone have imagined a small startup going head-to-head with a big corporation from across the globe? But on social media, the advantages of deeper pockets seldom hold true, and it’s possible for a young upstart to quickly get noticed and build up its brand simply by being more responsive and observant.

Learn more about the other technology efficiencies:  How emerging technologies can help SMBs go global.

A Global Gathering of the Wealthy and Powerful

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The Clinton Global Initiative — an annual gathering of the wealthy and powerful is centered not on a place but on a man —Bill Clinton.

Today, the Clinton Foundation is unlike anything else in the history of the nation and, perhaps, the world: It is a global philanthropic empire run by a former U.S. president and closely affiliated with a potential future president, with the audacious goal of solving some of the world’s most vexing problems by bringing together the wealthiest, glitziest and most powerful people from every part of the planet.

What would happen if the Clintons backed small businesses with the same commitment to action as they did several years ago in Africa, for example?

Learn more:  The inside story of how the Clintons built a $2 billion global empire

SMEs Are Capable of Pursuing the Global Market

Today in Global Small Business: Entrepreneurship in America Wanes

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

• How to cultivate cultural awareness.
• How to communicate effectively with your customers overseas.
• Learn the complexities of operating globally.
• Why you should go global from the get-go.
• A UK online platform open to export.
• Why entrepreneurship in America wanes.