Today in Global Small Business: Stick To Your New Year Plans and Change Your Life

©iStock/Sergey Tinyakov

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

• Discover what matters in global trade in 2019.  Listen in on Laurel Delaney's annual wegginar® regarding Global Trade Trends Report 2019.  FREE. Register here.
• How India is navigating global trade agreement trends.
• Ten new year's resolutions for your career.
• Quote of the week:  "Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
• How to stick to your new year plans and change your life.
• Why do we bother making new year's resolutions?

Cats Rule the World

©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Cats rule the world [especially during the holidays]." -- Jim Davis

SMEs Expect Thai Economy to Expand in 2019

©iStock/Tzido

An academic survey found that SMEs expect the Thai economy to expand by 3.79 per cent next year.  About 84.2 per cent of respondents said they were not ready to undertake digital transformation.

In addition, the survey found that the three most important factors affecting businesses were the:

1. Post-election political environment
2. Domestic economy
3. World economy

However, such factors as a lack of qualified personnel as well as intense competition were also noted as important.

Read more about how SMEs expect the Thai economy to grow 3.79 per cent in 2019.

Pushing Digitization Across the Asia-Pacific Region

©iStock/Olivier Le Moal

Fast Track Trade (FTT) is the first Singapore-headquartered operator to provide a blockchain-based digital trade platform to the local SME community.  They are working with Get Go Global (Go) to promote one another's platforms in an effort to push digitization across the Asia-Pacific region.

“It [the platform] allows SMEs to seek business partners and distributors, buy and sell goods, and track shipments. Additionally, it can receive and make payments, access financing and buy insurance via an eco-system of service providers on the FTT platform.”

Learn more here.

Christmas in Chicago

Merry Christmas Around the World!

©iStock/Rawpixel

"May your Christmas be filled with good cheer, family, love and good health!" -- Hugs from your friends at the Global Small Business Blog

Today in Global Small Business: Holiday Blessings and New Year Resolutions

©iStock/SMSka

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

• Five new year resolutions for startups and small business owners.
• Entrepreneurs get their 2019 resolutions in shape.
• Quote of the week:  "During the holiday season, it's easy to forget that sometimes the best gift of all is simply the gift of time. I can't think of anything a writer would appreciate more than being given time and space to work." -- Kate Klise
• Twelve tax related resolutions your company should consider at annual board meetings.
• How to beat the blues in January with a fresh look at the new year.
• Listen in on Laurel Delaney's annual wegginar® regarding Global Trade Trends Report 2019.  FREE. Register here.

Happy Holidays From Your Friends at the Global Small Business Blog

©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All right reserved.

It's Time for the Good Times, Forget About the Bad Times

Madonna, queen of global pop.

"Holiday, celebrate
Holiday, celebrate

If we took a holiday yeah
Took some time to celebrate
Just one day out of life
It would be
It would be so nice
Everybody spread the word
We're gonna have a celebration
All across the world
In every nation
It's time for the good times 
Forget about the bad times 
One day to come together
To release the pressure
We need a holiday

Holiday, celebrate
Holiday, celebrate

You can turn this world around
And bring back all of those happy days
Put your trouble down
It's time to celebrate
Let love shine
And we will find
A way to come together
And make things better
We need a holiday

Holiday, celebrate
Holiday, celebrate"

Why An International Profile and Connectivity is Essential for Business Growth

©iStock/ViewApart

As the world shrinks and ease of access into other markets increases for entrepreneurs, small and mid-cap companies and leaders, an international profile and connectivity is essential and can mean the difference between business growth and stagnation.

Here's why.

Do the Hard Yards to Go Global

©2018 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global.
All rights reserved.

What do three (3) trailblazing Australian female entrepreneurs have in common?  They each have built global businesses from the ground up and here's what they have discovered:

We just have to refuse to buy into the stories we tell ourselves about why we can’t, roll up our sleeves and do the hard yards [to go global]!

Find out who the female entrepreneurs are and how they achieved success in the blog post at wegg® on "roll up your sleeves and do the hard yards to go global."

China's Global Economic Plan that Took 40 Years To Create

Millions of Chinese left the countryside and set up businesses in cities or went to work in factories that propelled China to become the world’s second-largest economy.

But the changes also sowed the seeds of many of the problems China faces today.

Read more about how China built a global economy in forty years but now has a new plan.

Today in Global Small Business: Character, Compassion and Concern for Others

©iStock/kieferpix

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

• Bangkok is promoting SMEs to expand overseas through e-commerce.
• How to enter new markets around the world.
• Quote of the week:  "Awareness is all about restoring your freedom to choose what you want instead of what your past imposes on you." -- Deepak Chopra
• Important lessons (philosophies) worth a look:  character, compassion and concern for others ...
• Will Jeff Bezos fuel the next Bitcoin bull run?
• Next wegg® wegginar® is 1/9/19 with Laurel Delaney.  It's her annual Global Trade Trends Report 2019.  FREE. Register here.

Know What You Want: Dive In

©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Selling to Japan: What Works

©iStock/shirophoto

Sheer determination and superhuman patience will get you to the Japanese border, but it will take a unique product and smart marketing to get you in.  Japanese consumers are always ready to sample imported goods, but my [Laurel Delaney's] experience has shown that there are eight common denominators of successful products.

Here they are.

How Do You Keep Things In Balance?

©iStock/andylid 

Internationally recognized executive coach, educator and author John Baldoni says, "While confidence is an attribute that every leader must manifest, taken in too large of a dose can cause the ego to inflate. That can lead to a sense of misplaced invincibility, that you can do it all. The challenge is to find balance. Know that you must continue to earn your keep, as well as maintain the sense of accomplishment that you belong."

How do you keep things in balance?  How do you keep it real?

Mystery solved and Paul McCartney is involved.

Do Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners Support Trump?

©iStock/olya_steckel

Are the Trump administration and Congress doing more for large corporations than they are for small business owners?  According to a new national survey of 1,225 entrepreneurs from the Kauffman Foundation, conducted by Global Strategy Group and Public Opinion Strategies, it seems so.

Considering that Trump lost the popular vote in 2016, he will need every scrap of support he can get to win in 2020, and judging from this new survey data, he may not be able to rely on entrepreneurs and small business owners to get there.

Read the entire article here to find out whether small business owners support Trump.

Walmart CEO: When Making Change, Move with Speed

Today in Global Small Business: Best Small Business Apps

©iStock/julief514

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

• The Dolce and Gabbana China crisis is worsening.
• How to go global in three (3) clicks.
• Quote of the week:  "Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love." -- Hamilton Wright Mabie
• Best small business apps.
• Fifteen (15) examples of augmented reality to inspire small business owners. 
• Don't be stingy or else you risk losing good employees.

Pulse of America

©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"I adore Chicago.  It is the pulse of America." -- Sarah Bernhardt 

What Global Marketing Strategies Are and How Companies Can Best Achieve Success With Them

Climate Change to Have Consequences Worldwide

©iStock/mycola

Climate change is expected to have consequences worldwide, especially in Africa. Harvests will be affected, threatening agricultural outputs. This is said to hurt farmers and lead to greater food insecurity.

But there hasn’t been much discussion about what effects climate change will have in other areas – like in the continent’s small and medium business sector. This is a worrying oversight.

Research, conducted in Zambia and Botswana, revealed that businesses activities faced major disruptions during the 2015/2016 El Niño event.

Learn more about how small businesses in Africa will be on the frontline of climate change.

Know the Hows of Corporate Etiquette and the Values Behind Different Traditions

©iStock/Benjavisa

When doing business around the world, learning and honoring the way people in other countries greet one another, or give gifts, or even gesture, drink, and speak is just the tip of a cultural iceberg.

Martin J. Smith adds:

But understanding the values that lie beneath those behaviors—the attitudes, beliefs, ideologies, and philosophical or spiritual perspectives—can enable you to negotiate the iceberg rather than plow into it.

He goes on to say "We see things above the surface that look like business etiquette, but which underneath are really driven by some centuries-old cultural ethos."

Read the entire article on cultural advice you need before taking your business global.

Start Small With a Passion and Determination and Then Go Big

©iStock/gustavofrazao

Whether it was in someone’s garage, a local café, or a car traveling to their first customers, many multinational companies started small with the passion, vision, and determination of a few individuals.

Ask any Founder/CEO and they will likely tell you something similar to this: the road from entrepreneurship to executive can be daunting and will take time. While this is true, there are ways to make this road a straighter path.

Here are a few things to know about to make your journey easier.

Today in Global Small Business: 4 Ways to Transform the SME Global Market

©iStock/Urupong

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

• Top 10 December events in Slovakia.
• Do you feel comfortable delivering bad news? Do you look forward to speaking in public? Do you enjoy networking? Is it easy for you to speak your mind and be assertive with friends and colleagues? If you answered no to any of these questions, this [free] wegginar can help you on 12/5. Register here and get ready to start the new year with powerful growth.
• Execution is everything:  here's the number one reason why.
• Quote of the week:  "For more than a decade, I led an organization that put on an elaborate Christmas program each December. It was a big production, with over 250 people participating in more than 20 performances. By the end of the season, everyone who participated was exhausted." -- John Maxwell
• Being an American brand, and why it matters in a global marketplace. 
• Crossing the digital border:  4 ways to transform the SME global market (PDF).

Christmas in Chicago: Crazy Good Cheer

Photos courtesy:  @2018 Laurel J. Delaney

The Business of Doing Global Business Easier

©iStock/FeelPic

Over 250 million companies around the world transact goods and services worth US$120 trillion annually - making the opportunities in international trade tremendous for the businesses involved.

The potential for a single business to transact with hundreds to thousands of buyers or suppliers around the world should be the dream of any business owner. However, it is typically the larger corporations - and even so only a fraction of them - that are able to internationalize successfully.

Come 2019, businesses will be able to access, retrieve and exchange key information relating to themselves and their trading partners through the Mastercard Track Trade Directory, a secure central database with over 150 million companies registered worldwide.

Learn more about Mastercard Track Directory and how to make the business of doing global business easier.

b_verify: Disrupting and Redefining the Global Supply Chain

©iStock/siraanamwong

Despite their scope and impact, SMEs have a harder time getting financing than larger established firms. According to the World Bank, it is estimated that their global financing shortfall is around $2.6 trillion.

“The potential benefits are vast and global in scale,” said Gerry Tsoukalas, Wharton professor of operations, information and decisions, who was part of the team [from MIT, Wharton and Boston College]. Small and medium-size enterprises, he said, represent the backbone of many economies in the world, and they account for more than half of the jobs as well as a third of global GDP.

This leads to the creation of a new blockchain-based system that has the potential to disrupt the global supply chain. Called ‘b_verify,’ the system is designed to help small and medium-size enterprises — especially those in developing nations — get financing from lenders at potentially better terms while mitigating warehouse deposit fraud.

Learn more about 'b_verfiy', the benefits, and how it can disrupt the global supply chain.

Related paper:  Blockchain and the Value of Operational Transparency for Supply Chain Finance

NASA's Insight Spacecraft Landing on Mars

Giving Tuesday Is Trying to Go Global

©iStock/MillefloreImages

Giving Tuesday is trying to go global. Which, according to a Brit, is a tough sell, given what it considers its links to the all-American festival of Thanksgiving.

Here in London, my friends and I have been bombarded with advertisements for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. (What Amazon can flog in Boston, Amazon will flog in Belgravia.) Small Business Saturday has also taken off, largely as a social media opportunity for UK politicians to be photographed enthusiastically at small businesses in their constituency. (The basics of local politics also cross borders.) Unmoored from any connection with Thanksgiving, it is marked on the first Saturday in December as a build-up to Christmas shopping.

The USA serves as a role model by paving the way to interconnect with the world.

"The culture of American exceptionalism that has graced this nation since our founding encourages risk-taking. In the U.S., more so than anywhere else, success born of risk-taking and innovation is handsomely rewarded, and failure is viewed properly as a tool for learning." -- Source

And by the way, we have friends and colleagues worldwide who participate in monthly wegg® wegginars®.  This is the time of year to give back and do something kind for organizations like wegg that help thousands of individuals receive opportunities they wouldn't normally have without the support of these great nonprofits.

Read more about the concept of Giving Tuesday and how it is going global.

Today in Global Small Business: Beautiful Destinations Around the World

©iStock/DaLiu

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

• If you aren't doing something uncomfortable, you aren't growing.  Ready to change that? Register for an absolutely free-of-charge wegginar® on 12/5 to put yourself out there. 
• UNCTAD is making trade data freely available through a user-friendly interface called HelpMeTrade.org.
• DataReportal offers hundreds of free reports packed with data, insights, and trends to help you make more informed decisions.
• Quote of the week:  "May your walls know joy, may every room hold laughter, and every window open to great possibility.” -- Mary Anne Radmacher
• A Swedish restaurant is named Best Small Business In America.
• Beautiful destinations around the world -- from a Pinterest board. 

Pick Me Up Cafe: Open in Chicago When You Are

Founded in Chicago in 1997, Pick Me Up Cafe was one of the first restaurants in the city to offer vegan and vegetarian fare.

PMU Cafe prides itself on being able to serve people with all types of food preferences.  The food is delicious with plentiful portions. Plus, you can see by the photos what a treat it is to visit.  Oh, and did we mention it's within walking distance of the 'L' red line train stop at Addison near Wrigley Field?

Photos courtesy:  @2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Using LinkedIn to Grow Your Business Globally

©iStock/Prykhodov

Before you develop your LinkedIn strategy and promote your domestic business to a global audience, here are five things you should consider.

1. Understand who your prospect is and go beyond local limits.
2. Understand LinkedIn specifics and how you can best leverage them to go global.
3. Write your LinkedIn headline in a way that will leave your international prospects thinking, "Yes!"
4. Write an attractive LinkedIn summary -- not a resume, but something that might help the reader with a specific need.
5. Understand the cultural habits and customs of the people you are trying to reach.

Read the entire article here.

Happy Thanksgiving From Your Friends at the Global Small Business Blog

©iStock background/Bannosuke

Is There No Such Thing As a Simple Global Marketing Strategy?

©iStock/metamorworks

Today’s international frontline marketers have quickly learned that there is no such thing as a simple global marketing strategy. They know that local nuances and cultural differences can put the kibosh on—or put an end to, make less effective, insert local phrase here—even the most well-meaning of top-down strategies. At least that is what Lauren McMenemy says.

Is a global marketing strategy really necessary for your business? If you were to develop an ad campaign in the United States, do you think the same campaign would be effective in France? In this article Laurel Delaney examines why it’s important to create a global marketing strategy for your business (no matter what size it is) and what the benefits are to crafting one.

Meanwhile, you can read Lauren's entire article about how a great global marketing strategy rests on local execution.

Business Is a Global Affair to Remember

©iStock/bluebay2014

It’s fair to say that certain countries are leading the way in terms of efficiency and productivity.  Business is truly a global affair.

Longer working hours doesn’t always equal greater productivity, it’s often about working smarter, not harder. Now that most multinational corporations now have bases all over the world, it’s becoming increasingly important to be aware of cultural business trends and increasing productivity across the workforce.

What are the top five most productive countries and how do they achieve this status?  They are as follows:

1. Luxembourg
2. Norway
3. Switzerland
4. Denmark
5. Iceland

Read the entire article to find out who is doing productivity right and discover how a business can improve productivity.

Today in Global Small Business: Export Compliance is a Global Must

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

• 1,000 steps to becoming a global small business.
• Despite global uncertainty, SMEs will continue to push beyond borders for business.
• An 18-year old policy brief by OECD highlights that SMEs have local strength, global reach.
• Accept payments from anywhere in the world provided Stripe operates in the country you select.
• U.S. export compliance is a global must.
• Get out of your comfort zone in 2019.  Register for FREE wegginar® on 12/5 to help you learn how.  

Summer Collapsed Into Fall

©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"And all at once summer collapsed into fall." -- Oscar Wilde

Billions of People Have Been Enriched Through Global Trade

©iStock/AntonioGuillem 

Michael L. Corbat, CEO of Citi, write an opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal, "America Has a Surplus in Services."  He says that arguments about the balance of trade often focus only on goods.  That misses half the equation.

Last year the U.S. trade surplus in services came to more than $250 billion, brining the total trade deficit down to around $550 billion.  the Economic Report of the President issued in February put it this way:  "Focusing only on the 'trade in goods along ignores the United States' comparative advantage in services, which rose as a share of U.S. exports to 33.5 percent through 2017."

Read the full Opinion piece by Mr. Corbat here.

Stop Wasting Time and Start Saving Money on Corporate Travel

©iStock/Yevhenil Dubinko

From the travel entrepreneurs who brought you KAYAK, comes a time-saving, money-saving way to manage corporate travel.  It's called lola.  And they have just formed a partnership with American Express Global Business Travel.

Learn more about lola.

What Is Globalization and How Has the Global Economy Shaped the United States?

©iStock/thitivong

What is globalization and how has the global economy shaped the United States?  The Peterson Institute has all the answers with its newly launched and very first microsite, titled "What Is Globalization?" 

This interactive feature explains a term that has become toxic, especially in today's political environment. The goal is to educate the public and clarify misconceptions about globalization's impact. Understanding the relative costs and benefits can pave the way for alleviating problems while sustaining the advantages.

The Peterson Institute's new microsite covers:

• Why historical context is import.
• How trade helps each side.
• Demystifying job effects.
• Measuring the benefits vs. costs.
• The difficulties facing US-China Trade
• How to sustain globalization through policymaking.

Visit the What Is Globalization microsite.

Why Some Emerging Economies Outperform the Rest

©iStock/AsianDream

Emerging economies have accounted for almost two-thirds of the world’s GDP growth and more than half of new consumption over the past 15 years. Yet economic performance among individual countries varies substantially.

Why do some emerging economies outperform the rest?  What's the secret to their success?

Find out how high-growth emerging economies and the companies that propel them become outperformers.

Today in Global Small Business: A Few Things You Should Know About Disputes with Chinese Companies

©iStock/danielvfung

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

• How does a small business deal with potential violence?
• Why students aspire to become entrepreneurs.
• Speaking of students ... how we can prepare students for the future of work in a global society.
• The world is more inter-connected than ever before. It's time to utilize talent from all over the world to help your business grow globally.
• Disputes with Chinese companies ... a few things you should know.
• 24 resources for importing agricultural products.
• Are you pushing boundaries for your business and yourself to do things you are uncomfortable with yet allows you to grow?  

Warm Pizza Box On Your Lap

©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"There's no better feeling in the world than a warm [Pizano's] pizza box on your lap." -- Kevin James

The Missing Silver Bullet for Women Entrepreneurs

©iStock/scanrall

Even where women are starting businesses at relatively high rates, their profits and growth are constrained relative to their male counterparts.  Take Asia and the Pacific.  They stand to gain 70 percent in per capita income within roughly two generations by eliminating gender disparities in employment, including in the area of entrepreneurship. Increasing women’s entrepreneurship is good for national banks and citizens’ wallets alike.

In Cambodia, for example, less than 1 percent of businesses with more than 10 employees are owned by women, and women’s entrepreneurship rates in South Asia are among the lowest in the world, with less than one in 10 SMEs owned by women. 

What explains this persistent gender gap in entrepreneurship across the region, how can it be overcome, and does it matter?

Read more about the missing silver bullet for women entrepreneurs.

Let's Celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week

©iStock/Pinkypills

Discover how to get involved in #GEW2018 this November 12-18.  What's Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW)?

During one week each November, thousands of events and competitions in 170 countries inspire millions to engage in entrepreneurial activity while connecting them to potential collaborators, mentors and even investors. Powered by the Kauffman Foundation, the initiative is supported by dozens of world leaders and a network of more than 15,000 partner organizations. GEW is held November 12-18, 2018.

At the Global Small Business Blog, we practice global entrepreneurship every single day of the year.

How do you plan to celebrate?  What will you do to foster entrepreneurship -- join GEW, find an event or create one?

Read more about Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW).

Accessible Marketing Automation Options to SMBs Globally

©iStock/Falani

Here's how ideas start.  Usually it begins with some form of pain and trying to solve a problem.

"I was looking to solve my own pain and at the same time, I could see marketing automation companies in the US were growing fast but were not catering to Brazilian customers," [Eric] Santos [founder of RD] says.

Santos's Brazilian B2B software firm Resultados Digitais (RD) is moving forward with an international expansion plan focused on offering accessible marketing automation options to small and medium businesses (SMBs) globally.

Read more about a Brazilian company's digital marketing plan that targets international expansion.

A Force to be Reckoned With: Global Star Serena Williams

©iStock/xxllxx

Serena Williams is a force to be reckoned with.  Under pressure, she displays grace.  When really cornered, she pivots away to a place that brings her even more power:  to herself.

Fact:  Serena Williams has nearly 11 million followers on Twitter, 10 million on Instagram and more than 5 million on Facebook.

Serena Williams is not on this planet for status quo.  Learn how she is redefining what it means to be a global celebrity and star athlete.