5 Basic Elements to a Global Social Media Plan (Webinar)

©2017 Women Entrepreneurs GROW Global.  All rights reserved.

Today in Global Small Business: What Do SMEs Worldwide Think?

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

• Five (5) basic elements of a global social media plan; webinar 2/1 by IBM digital marketing and commerce expert Melisa Hinojosa (the cool part of the deal -- it's no charge).
• Why you should be strategic in your international expansion plans.
• What factors have the biggest impact on SMEs' businesses?  Find out what other SMEs worldwide think and get tips and insights that could help drive the success of your business. 
• If e-commerce is growing, why is Wal-Mart laying off e-commerce employees?
• Can you keep up with Chinese global e-commerce customers?
• USA President Trump's protectionist measures and the risk of trade wars.

The Global Small Business Blog Pushes Past 75,000 Monthly Readers (Thank You)!

©2017 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Top 10 Global Startup Hubs of 2017

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How did Inc.com arrive at the top ten global startup hubs in 2017? It appears to be based on the sheer number of accelerators, startups, working spaces, tech companies, and millionaires in a city throughout the world -- fueled with heavy government support and investment opportunities.  Here's the list.

1. London
2. Paris
3. Berlin
4. Los Angeles
5. Boston
6. Singapore
7. Bangalore
8. Stockholm
9. Moscow
10. Tel Avid

Read more about specifics here.

Improve Your Bottom Line Via Exports

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Geri Stengel, president of Ventureneer, writes a great piece for Forbes on How Exporting Can Improve Your Bottom Line.  We are honored to have been a key part of the article and especially grateful to see a mention of our favorite nonprofit, Women Entrepreneurs GROW Global (disclosure:  Laurel Delaney serves as President of WEGG, which is a 501(c)3 organization).

Thank you Geri Stengel!

Read more here.

Can We Make Globalization Work?

Laurel Delaney's Cheat Sheet to Growing a Global Business

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From choosing the right market to learning how to set prices thoughtfully, this is your cheat sheet to growing a global business. Here's an article I [Laurel Delaney] penned for GoDaddy.

Today in Global Small Business: Business Builders Are the Heroes of the Global Economy

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

• Forecast:  72 percent of SMEs plan to grow their international customer base by 2017.
• How can small businesses not only expand by selling globally, but also ensure that they have a successful outcome despite economic or political uncertainties?  Here are five strategies.
• Five (5) basic elements of a global social media plan; webinar 2/1 by IBM digital marketing and commerce expert Melisa Hinojosa (the beauty:  no charge).
• Sage CEO warns policy makers in Davos: Do not ignore global small businesses!
• The growth of artificial intelligence (AI) in ecommerce (info graphic).
• The women's marches around the world -- a powerful force to be reckoned with.

The Day After

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Hundreds of thousands of women plan to meet today (1/21/17) at the Capitol (USA) to demonstrate their freedom and the freedoms of those they love.

Here's where you can learn more:

• What you need to know about the women's march.
• The app for live updates.
• Women's March on Washington.
• Women's March on Washington (Facebook).
• Women's March on Washington (Wikipedia).
• Women's March Chicago.

The 45th President of the United States of America: Donald J. Trump

How to Dive Into International Markets

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Unsure of how to dive into international markets?  Or are you opting to avoid it altogether?  Especially with recent international uncertainties such as Brexit (UK) and the new President-elect Trump (USA), being wary is understandable.

Yet, how can small businesses not only expand by selling globally, but also ensure that they have a successful outcome despite economic or political uncertainties? Here are five strategies.  The first one being diversify your selling to different markets and countries.

Read more here.

Will President-Elect Trump's Trade Policies Impact the Global Economy?

Bright Future for American Small Businesses?

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According to BizBuySell.com, an internet business-for-sale marketplace, annual small business transactions reached record levels in 2016, topping the previous year’s totals by 8.6 percent and 2014’s previous high by 4.6 percent.

The question remains:  Are small businesses selling their businesses because they want out now as opposed to a wait and see approach or are they really selling because it feels like a healthy environment to make a move?  Only time will tell.

Overall, small business indicators point to a healthy market for buying and selling in 2017,” House [President of BizBuySell.com and BizQuest.com] said. “Although there will certainly be issues to watch under the new Trump administration, as long as small business financials continue to improve and a steady supply of listings enter the market, transaction activity should continue its momentum well into the new year.”

Read more here.

Building Bridges in the Global Startup Community

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Seedrs, the London-based crowd funding network with an international outlook, with investors and entrepreneurs from more than 60 countries using the platform, has partnered with a major Chinese venture capital (VC) firm for one of the largest international entrepreneurship competitions.

Seedrs Founder, Jeff Lynn, added: "IEIC [the China Innovation and Entrepreneurship International Competition] is building bridges amongst global startup communities and will be an invaluable experience to ambitious young business founders.

Applications for the IEIC are open until February 28, 2017. You can enter the competition here.

Read more.  Note:  Seedrs will be opening to American investors shortly.

Today in Global Small Business: Imagine a World Without Hate

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

• Illinois wins $850,000 for small business exports.
• How can you grow your social media presence globally?  Easy.  Right here.
• Here's a hint on how to create jobs in a rapidly changing global economy.
• The UK is it for Snapchat who bucks the trend on its selection for international HQ.
• Will the UK be forced to change economic model if single market access denied?
• A revisit of digital globalization in the new era of global flows.
• Imagine a world without hate ... a tribute and in memory of Martin Luther King Jr.

The Mellie of All Cats

©2017 Laurel J. Delaney.  "Mellie."  All rights reserved.

"Time spent with cats is never wasted." ~ Sigmund Freud

Embrace Technology to Streamline Processes

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Forward-thinking global SME owners and managers are continuously embracing technology to streamline processes and restructure their business models for greater profitability.  As a result, outsourcing is becoming a priority.  It is estimated to be a global market place worth over $600 billion per annum with cost-savings being the primary reason for doing so.

How do you choose the right outsource partner?  Read more here.

Egypt Supports Local Entrepreneurs to Unleash Their Potential Internationally

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According to the Washington Times and based on numerous studies, Egypt's ideal entrepreneurial ecosystem fosters the growth of entrepreneurial and innovative ventures and has five main pillars:

1. Access to funding.
2. Entrepreneurial culture.
3. Educational systems supporting the entrepreneurial mindset.
4. Accommodating regulatory and tax regimes.
5. A coordinated approach linking the public, private and voluntary sectors.

Egypt seeks to not only attract foreign innovation-driven ventures to capture its high potential youth market, but it is also wants to support local entrepreneurs to unleash their potential in the domestic and international markets.

Read more here.

Bar Chain Social is Rocking India

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The bar-office chain Social is now rocking India but its founders are graduates from the culinary school of hard knocks.  In India, many investors have created wealth from food but seldom overnight.  Big factors to success in this industry include timing, experience, experimentation and luck. And of course along the way there will be inevitable setbacks.

Read more here.

Wine and Fruit Are the Answers to Better Relations Between USA and China

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American president-elect Donald Trump met yesterday (1/9) to discuss Alibaba executive chairman Jack Ma's plans to create 1 million U.S. jobs by growing trade between U.S. small businesses and Chinese consumers.

According to Scott Kennedy, director of the Project on Chinese Business & Political Economy at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, Ma intended to set the structure of Alibaba’s business with the U.S. in a framework Donald Trump understands, as an innovative company that is creating jobs for both Chinese and Americans.

"It was a very productive meeting," Ma told reporters. "The door is open to discuss the relationship on trade issues."
Ma specifically mentioned agricultural products such as wine and fruit that could be sold through Alibaba to consumers in China and Asia.

Read more here.  And then there are other issues which must be overcome first, namely pirated and counterfeit goods.

Today in Global Small Business: The Hoffice Movement Spurs Better Use of Collective Intelligence

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

• American President-elect Trump's view of the world and trade.
• Rumors of Hillary Clinton's comeback and what that could mean for NY.
• What makes things cool?  Put your marketing cap on to figure out.
• Foreign brands rush into cross-border e-commerce. 
• Indiana wants to bring a World Trade Organization to its state.
• How the Swedes are ditching desks to work from strangers' homes (you read that right and this movement referred to as Hoffice could be a sign of the times ahead worldwide).

A Place You Never Grow Tired Of: Heartland Cafe in Rogers Park, Illinois

©2016 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Good wholesome food for the mind and the body in Rogers Park, Illinois, United States:  Heartland Cafe.  See it by day as well.

SMEs are Embracing Global Mobile: Here's Why

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Opportunities abound for entrepreneurs in the new year.  Yet, finding and capitalizing on them requires knowing what to look for and how to decipher quality from quantity and which ones offer the greatest impact for business growth.

Jim Squires, director of market operations at Instagram, shares insights with Small Business Computing, predicting that entrepreneurs will face no shortage of opportunities for success in 2017.

Read more:  Small Businesses Going Global and Embracing Mobile in 2017

The Future of the American Economy: Women Entrepreneurs

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We've been following Geri Stengel, president of Ventureneer, for quite some time with her reports on what's happening and needed for women entrepreneurs to prosper and grow in the USA.  Below she pens a mighty good piece:

14 Assists That Will Help Women Entrepreneurs Score in 2017 via @Forbes (#whatWEneedtosucceed).

Don't miss it.  Especially if you are, like I am, a woman entrepreneur.  Pass it along.

TPP: The Future of Our Country’s Participation in the Global Economy

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With or without the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the challenge remains the same: The United States must maintain its dominant position as a world trade leader.  Otherwise, companies big and small will be at a competitive disadvantage in the international marketplace.

The election is over, and campaign rhetoric must give way to real dialog. The issue isn’t just the future of TPP, but the future of our country’s participation in the global economy.

How will we compete?

Read more here.

A Look Back on 2016: 10 Top Trends

And if you are interested in looking forward at global trade trends 2017, go here.

Today in Global Small Business: Laurel Delaney's Global Trade Trends Report 2017

©2017 WEGG.  All rights reserved.

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

• Kick off the new year with one key aspiration:  go global. By the way, Happy New Year!
• Pick up some tips that Laurel Delaney wrote about on pricing products for global shipping.
• How to go global on social media in just four steps.
• Check out how the new global director for the integrated supply chain, e-commerce and tech innovation at Mondelez International is reinventing how and where they sell their snack food products.
• Ooh la la or Rue La La eCommerce goes global.
• Join Laurel Delaney for her Global Trade Trends 2017 Report on 1/4/17 (webinar -- no charge).