Get Wiser and Have Fun

©2017 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Don't get older just to get wiser. If you get older, you will be wiser, I believe that - if you dare. But get older because it's fun!" -- Maya Angelou

Freebie of the Day: An Excerpt from Laurel Delaney's Exporting Book

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How will technology affect small businesses?

For any company offering information, e-commerce, tools, or deals, mobile-friendly Web sites or blogs will be the ultimate way to communicate and interact quickly with consumers worldwide.

Find out more by reading an excerpt from Laurel Delaney's book, Exporting: The Definitive Guide to Selling Abroad Profitably.

Harnessing Global Mobile Business Opportunities by Laurel J. Delaney.

Note:  This book is endorsed by Jim Collins, author of Good to Great and co-author of Beyond Entrepreneurship.  He says:  "Laurel Delaney writes in a tremendous spirit of service to entrepreneurial and small business leaders navigating the opportunities of globalization. Whether leading a fresh startup, a small business, or an entrepreneurial growth company seeking greatness, the question of whether—and how—to go global must be addressed. Delaney shows yet again her passionate dedication to serving her readers with deeply practical guidance."

How to Create Passionate Lifelong Learners Around the World

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How do you encourage students the world over to come up with an idea that is their own and belongs to no one else?  It goes like this.

So search engine giant Google had this neat idea a few years ago to allow its engineers to spend 20% of their time working on things that really interested them – the goal being to inspire creativity and indirectly increase productivity. Some significant innovations came out of Google’s 20% time. Well-publicized “20% products” have included things such as Google News, G-mail, and AdSense.

Classrooms the world over should be able to create passionate, lifelong learners the same way Google has.

It starts with empowering students to embrace their own learning. It's called a "Genius Time" concept.

Read more here.

Take the Risks You Need to Grow Global

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What makes an SME work?  Katya Puyraud, co-owner of Euro Start Entreprises, helps people with company formation in France and the UK so she has firsthand knowledge of the rules of business to succeed.  Since 2007 Euro Start Entreprises has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs and expats open their companies in over 30 countries worldwide.

Below she shares her top five tips to make sure your SME becomes one of the ones that grows and succeeds.  And yes, it does require that you take the risks you need to grow global.

Read more here.

Does Your Team Have a Global Reach?

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With technology and access to the Internet, you can do business anywhere in the world, anytime, and oftentimes without ever meeting your client or customer in person.  You might be using Skype, Slack, Google Docs, or Trello to manage your projects.

As Craig Wilson, managing director of digital agency Sticky says:

Being found in search and on social networks, plus a healthy stream of referrals, can deliver a world of business to your company.

He's right.  Read more here.

Today in Global Small Business: How to Accommodate Online Customers Worldwide

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

• How to tune up your website for global customers (n/c webinar on 5/10); learn from the expert, John Yunker, about what it takes to accommodate online customers worldwide.
• Four small businesses are poised to collaborate with Berkeley Lab through Small Business Vouchers (SBV) pilot and will gain a global competitive advantage.
• How to connect with global prospects and get paid.
• The Body Shop set to launch mobile-first global e-commerce platform to drive forward digital footprint.
• An export program originating in Jamaica is being developed for SMEs to assist in developing the global competitiveness of these entities.
• Google to help train 1,000 SME business leaders in Singapore.

Make Pancakes

©2017 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"When I get the chance to make my favorite breakfast on the weekend, I often choose to make pancakes." -  Marcus Samuelsson

A Small Business Guidebook for South African Entrepreneurs

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Before Nokwazi Mzobe started her consulting agency Matoyana, she spent eight years at two Fortune 500 multinational companies operating throughout Africa and the Middle East, where she developed and honed her business skills.

She is now sharing her wealth of international experience with the new crop of ambitious South African entrepreneurs in her new book, The Small Business Handbook.

Mzobe says her book is far from being a typical business publication. It is more of a guide, covering 17 critical business-related topics. These include the role of social media in business as well as finance and best practices. She says the book is easy to understand and can be referenced on a daily basis to provide inspiration and practical advice.

Read more here.

How Starbucks Got Global

The Hidden Danger of Cross-Border E-Commerce

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E-commerce is growing, particularly in China, but with it comes risks from cyber attacks.  The Asia-Pacific region is facing unprecedented threats in terms of complex cybercrime and fraud attacks.  China was revealed as the most-attacked country in the region, with the findings showing that cross-border transactions are fueling the high attack rates.

One issue is the ever-increasing amount of sophisticated spear phishing attacks, in which fraudulent e-mails mimicking those from trusted sources are sent to people to get them to reveal information.

Read more here.

Living on a Container Ship With Music by Enya

What an amazing portrayal of merchant vessels cruising the world.  I could not help but tune out the decent accommodations and only focus on what it takes to move products from one country to another.  Fascinating!  Worth a watch.

Here's what one crewman said:

Personally I think life is too easy and too safe.  I think a good storm would make me feel alive personally.  Family is most likely never going to happen for me. So that doesn't matter, but like you [other commenters on the site) said.  Every job has ups and downs, nothing is ever perfect.  But if you can find something that feels right, you are doing ok. :)

Today in Global Small Business: Challenges to Running an E-Commerce Business

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

• How to ready your website for global customers (n/c webinar on 5/10).
• Why companies are getting itchy feet over Brexit.
• Singapore SMEs are heading overseas -- with their government's help.
• Challenges to running an e-commerce business.
• Five mistakes global B2B companies make while reaching out to Indian SMEs
• The 2017 Australian tech accelerator is launched for those who are best poised to become global success stories.

There Is No Place in a City That Can't Be Better

©2017 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"There is no place in a city that can't be better. There is no toad that can't be a princess, no frog that can't become a prince." -- Jaime Lerner

Small Businesses That Go Global Are Poised for Growth

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A new analysis from London-based research consultancy BDRC Continental said small businesses that go global will be especially poised for growth.

According to the data, more than a third of SMEs surveyed in the first quarter of 2017 reported growth over the past year, and nearly half said they were planning to grow. The businesses with a global view, though, are even more likely to see success, researchers found, with 52 percent of exporting SMEs planning to grow — up from 41 percent in Q4 2016. The figure is even higher — 67 percent — for businesses that both import and export.

Even with Brexit, there is little change in levels of concern among international SMEs with regards to the economy and political uncertainty.

Read more here.

Is the U.S. Still the Center of the Universe?

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According to American cyclist and small business owner Jonathan Vaughters for Business Insider, President Trump needs to clean up his act if small businesses are going to thrive -- at home and abroad.

So how are Americans perceived abroad?

Ideally, the answer to this question is given by all Americans individually, but the president of the United States, for better or worse, defines how Americans are perceived. The president is the leader looked to for direction by the West. Like it or not, how the president is perceived is how we are perceived, and that can make life easier or harder for Americans doing business abroad — most notably small businesses.

Learn more about what Jonathan has to say here.

How Women Can Easily Serve Up Global Growth For Their Businesses

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There’s no question that exporting presents difficulties for men and women business owners alike — from finding customers and getting paid to shipping products to unfamiliar locations thousands of miles away.

But what if I [Laurel Delaney] told you that I have the secret sauce that women entrepreneurs can use to foster global growth for their businesses in a simple, engaging and affordable manner?

I won't keep you waiting any longer.  Read more here.

Global Mobile Studio

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In a global mobilized economy, Facebook aims to help small businesses become large and local businesses become global. We are investing to create simple solutions to help small businesses grow in today’s mobile economy.

For example, Facebook’s Mobile Studio ...

is a new way to show businesses how easy it is to create great ads using only a mobile device. All businesses can improve their creative, and ultimately, the efficacy of their ads with mobile apps and tools—and with Mobile Studio, they’ll learn to do them in minutes. 

These tips should help bring small businesses to life without eating up time, energy or resources.

Read more here.

Today in Global Small Business: How to Succeed by Yourself and Become a Digital Nomad

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

• Young entrepreneurs at Southern Methodist University emphasize international connections.
• Looking for a better U.S. economy and better global economy -- find it here.
• How to set up your first online store.
• Tips for breaking into the Asian market.
• Stay aware -- you never know where your next breakthrough idea will come from.
• How to succeed by yourself and travel the world as a digital nomad -- someone actually did it.

To Laugh Often and Much

©2017 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Artificial Intelligence That Benefits the World at Large

Five Myths about Gospel Music in Chicago

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A contribution by Bob Marovich, global gospel announcer and music historian.

Given that much of the world considers Chicago the font of traditional gospel music, we need to clear up some persistent myths about the music’s early history.  Though long ago dispelled, the following five myths are still articulated as if they were the words of God:

1.  Pilgrim Baptist Church is the birthplace of gospel music.

This is the most tenaciously held myth because the Father of Gospel Music, Thomas A. Dorsey, was Pilgrim Baptist Church’s music minister for many decades.  But actually, Ebenezer Baptist Church at 45th and Vincennes is the rightful holder of the title of Birthplace of Gospel Music.  It was at Ebenezer in late 1931 that Dorsey and Theodore R. Frye organized the first modern gospel chorus.  It was only after the Ebenezer choir generated local attention that Pilgrim’s pastor, the Reverend Junius Austin, hired Dorsey to organize a gospel choir for his church.

2. Albertina Walker organized the Caravans.

One of the most popular gospel groups of all time, the Caravans started out as the Good Shepherd Singers, a group of female background vocalists that gospel singer Robert Anderson organized in the late 1940s to support him on programs and records.  At some point, Anderson changed the group’s name to the Gospel Caravan.  In April 1952, with Albertina Walker as its newest acquisition, the Gospel Caravan split with Anderson to become the Caravans.

As the Caravans’ popularity soared, so too did the amount of travel.  Because they were raising families, the original members could not commit that much time away from home.  One by one they departed the group.  Walker, later to be crowned the Queen of Gospel, became the Caravans’ manager and set out to rebuild the ensemble.  The replacements, including Shirley Caesar, Inez Andrews, Dorothy Norwood, Dolores Washington, and James Cleveland, turned the Caravans into national sensations and popular recording artists.

3. No gospel choirs existed before Dorsey’s first gospel chorus.

In late 1931, Dorsey and Frye organized a group of Ebenezer Baptist Church members to sing in the effervescent style we now associate with the gospel choir.  But according to Dorsey biographer Michael Harris, “gospel choruses” existed in Chicago as early as 1910.  These groups were typically comprised of a handful of singers from a church’s large senior choir whose responsibility was to render gospel hymns and spirituals for special occasions, such as funerals. These groups did not sound like the Ebenezer chorus.  They sang in the more classical-influenced senior choir style typical of the early twentieth century.

4. Thomas A. Dorsey stopped writing and performing blues after his initial success in gospel music.

In 1932, Dorsey was dizzyingly busy directing the Pilgrim Gospel Chorus, organizing other gospel choirs, writing new gospel songs, and developing the Chicago Gospel Choral Union.  Despite this work, he still kept one foot in secular music.  It was understandable: Dorsey had the carpet ripped out from under him numerous times in his pursuit of sacred music success.  Blues was the one sure thing in his life.  Even after he recorded two of his gospel songs for Vocalion as “Thomas A. Dorsey, the Gospel Singer,” he performed blues.  It was not until fall1932, after the death of his wife Nettie and day-old son Thomas Jr., that Dorsey forsook secular music forever.

5. First Church of Deliverance was the first African American church in Chicago to broadcast its worship services on radio.

This is a myth even First Church of Deliverance does not reiterate.  In early 1933, two years before First Church began airing its services over radio station WSBC, Elder Lucy Smith and her All Nations Pentecostal Church on Langley Avenue were broadcasting their lively worship and healing services on WIND.

So there you have it—five myths dispelled.

One point that cannot be dismissed is that Chicago is the rightful birth home of gospel music.  It was in Bronzeville where transplanted Southern migrants first melded the sounds of the black church with the beat of the city to create gospel music, now heard and loved around the world.

Robert M. Marovich is producer and host of “Gospel Memories” on WLUW-FM, host of “Conversations with the Gospel Legends” on the PCC Network, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Gospel Music, and author of A City Called Heaven: Chicago and the Birth of Gospel Music (University of Illinois Press, 2015).

Check This Box If You're Interested in Overseas Study

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On college applications, every so often there is a box to check to determine whether a student is interested in overseas study.  The school may offer a program and it's a good way to test a student's global aspirations  How does one know if they want to study abroad?

This article is a good start.  It's a valuable resource for finding and comparing international degree programs.

How to Get Your Small Business Booming Globally

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Amine Khechfé, co-founder of Endicia, is Chief Strategy Officer for the Stamps.com family of companies, including Endicia. In this role, Amine is responsible for directing strategy and identifying opportunities for innovation.  Disclosure:  Endicia was a Bronze Sponsor at the Global Small Business Forum in 2015 (we hope they return :-) in 2017).

Amine understands the importance of networking and developing relationships.  That said, he knows more than a thing or two about taking a product global, especially when it comes to shipping.  He says:

Selling your products to international customers is one thing, but you have to have a solid plan in place for how you’re going to get them their purchases.

In the following article, Amine gives advice on nurturing international partnerships, optimizing shipping and services, and connecting with local resources in order for small businesses to successfully expand their global footprint.

Read more here.

Today in Global Small Business: 10 Lessons I learned From Peter Drucker

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

• How to get ready, be strategic, form partnerships and grow global (webinar 4/5); this global small business owner was so successful that she had dinner at The White House with President Obama.
• The cultural shift from stress and burnout is well on its way and global.
• 5 answers to exporting craft spirits worldwide.
• The beginner's guide to global e-commerce.
• A bit about unfair trade practices; are we in a global trade war?
• Ten lessons I [Jim Collins] learned from Peter Drucker (hint:  find your one big distinctive impact).

Success Makes So Many People Hate You

©2017 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Success makes so many people hate you.  I wish it wasn't that way.  It would be wonderful to enjoy success without seeing envy in the eyes of those around you." -- Marilyn Monroe