What is Depleting America of the Diversity, Nuances and Strength That Made It Great?

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According to the Kauffman Foundation, immigrants are twice as likely to start businesses in the United States than American-born citizens.

However, because the Department of Homeland Security is rescinding the Obama Administration’s International Entrepreneur Rule, which allowed foreign-born entrepreneurs to stay in the US for up to five years to expand their businesses, immigrant entrepreneurship is declining. 

Not only does this hurt aspiring immigrant and international business owners everywhere, it decreases the creation of thousands of jobs, and depletes America of the diversity, nuances, and strength that made it great.

Read more about how founder are making Silicon Valley borderless for immigrant and international entrepreneurs.

Good quote:  "The companies that really want to have a global impact need to understand cultural differences."

Today in Global Small Business: Growing Your Business Beyond Borders

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

• News!  Join a weggchat™ via Twitter with Laurel Delaney on "Take Your Business Global" August 8 at 11:00 a.m. Central time.  Instructions here.  E-commerce will be covered.
• How SMEs can build a global approach for growth.
• Not costs, but unpredictability worries SMBs regarding trucker drive shortage.
• Facebook’s in-house creative agency, Creative Shop’s Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, Mark D’Arcy, moves into expanded role as the platform’s VP of Global Business Marketing.
• Alibaba equips individuals with the skills needed for e-commerce success in the digital economy through it Global E-Commerce Talent (GET) Network.
• The risks and opportunities to growing your business beyond borders.

Just Living Is Not Enough

©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.   All rights reserved.

"Just living is not enough ... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower." -- Hans Christian Andersen

How to Take Any Brand Global

Laurel J. Delaney: Open the Door to the World

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As Laurel J. Delaney says, "Succeeding in the digital world requires hard work, discipline, organizational skills, something remarkable to talk about and a long-term view."  She goes on to say:

To be found, you must participate and be active on as many of the top online platforms as possible. To have customers open their wallets requires developing a relationship with them, garnering their trust, and offering products they want. That causes people to take action.

What else does it take to become a digital rock star?  Read on to learn how to snag international customers using social media.

Luring Customers From Around the World

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From a rummage sale of obscure products to 36 hours of discounts on major brands such as Samsonite luggage, Callaway golf clubs and General Mills cereals, Amazon.com Inc.’s fourth annual Prime Day event lured shoppers from around the world.

The promotion was the biggest shopping event in the company’s history, surpassing Cyber Monday, Black Friday and the previous Prime Day. Members bought more than 100 million products, Amazon said in a statement.

Small businesses also got a piece of Prime Day.  Amazon has millions of merchants selling goods on its marketplace, mostly small and medium-businesses that had sales exceeding $1 billion during the promotion, Amazon said.

Read more here.

Atlanta Metro Export Plan (MEP)

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In Chicago, we have Metro Chicago Exports, and now in Atlanta, they have the Metro Export Plan (MEP).

The Metro Export Challenge (MEC), an initiative of the Atlanta Metro Export Plan (MEP) intended to drive growth of international sales for companies in the region, has recruited new partners this year to target a different range of companies, including startups and minority and women-owned businesses. 

No matter who is behind a metro initiative, it helps drive export growth.  As the article states, every $1 billion in exports creates 6,000 new jobs.

Read more about how Metro Export Challenge gets companies ready for the world stage.

Today in Global Small Business: Join the Revolution and Sell Online

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

• SMEs form the key base for growth in digital services.
• Bank Indonesia helps small enterprises go global.
• SMEs must join retail revolution and sell online.
• Local small businesses in Malaysia fall behind in international trade.
• Software SMEs going global; steps to internationalization.
• Join a weggchat™ via Twitter with Laurel Delaney on "Take Your Business Global" August 8 at 11:00 a.m. Central time.  Instructions here.  The last 5 minutes of weggchat™, each participant gives their elevator pitch.
• Some hot tips for exporting round-the-clock.

Catching a Train

©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"The only way to be sure of catching a train is to miss the one before it." -- Gilbert K. Chesterton

Manufacturing Mecca to the World

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BMW’s biggest auto-producing plant in the world is in Spartanburg, South Carolina.  It has helped draw more than 200 companies from two dozen countries to Spartanburg County.  And the German company — not an American icon like Ford or General Motors — is now the largest exporter of cars made in the United States, turning the port of Charleston, S.C., into a hub for global trade.

But the big question:  Is USA's President Trump setting off a global trade battle that will effect the town's livelihood?

One thing is for sure:

BMW saved Spartanburg and transformed South Carolina into a manufacturing mecca to the world,” said Mr. Britt, a member of the County Council. “When you mess with the golden goose, they’re family, and you’re messing with me.” 

Read more here.

Going Global is One of the Best Engines for Driving Business Growth

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Cost, payment risks and logistical challenges have discouraged online businesses from selling to or working with customers from anywhere but their home turf.  Not anymore.  We have entered -- a long time ago thanks to the Internet -- a world of business without borders.

According to SBA, "Nearly 96 percent of consumers live outside the U.S., and two-thirds of the world’s purchasing power is in foreign countries."

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No matter where a business is physically located, expanding sales and operations to international markets is often one of the best engines for driving growth. Website translation and localization, global payment processing and outsourcing are three of the best methods to help a digital business grow beyond its own borders and to embrace the global marketplace.

Read more about tips and tools your startup can use to maximize your international business.

Women Entrepreneurs Are Unlocking Opportunities for Global Expansion

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Devishobha Chandramouli, guest writer for Entrepreneur Magazine and Founder and Editor, of Kidskintha says:

Understanding women’s entrepreneurial attitudes, trends and activity from all over the globe will help shape government policies at various levels along with the numerous educational and training programs aimed at improving the business environment for women.

She goes on to say, "The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Report for Women 2016/17 reports that 274 million women were already running their own businesses across 74 economies, of which 111 million were running well-established businesses by 2016."

Read more about six global trends that Devishobha discovered from the GEM Women report.

Note:  Women entrepreneurs are unlocking opportunities for global expansion and Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global (WEGG), which is referenced in the article, is an organization that supports female entrepreneurs in taking their businesses global.

Risks to Global Growth Are Rising

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While the IMF has maintained its global growth forecast of 3.9% for this year and next, it has cut the outlook for the UK and the eurozone among others.

The outlook for the global economy has darkened as trade tensions rise and growth becomes uneven, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Read more on how Trump's tariffs will hurt global growth, the International Monetary Fund warns.

Today in Global Small Business: The E-Commerce Edition

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

• 5 trends that will be a game changer for e-commerce in 2018.
• Setting up an effective e-commerce site.
• Amazon has a mighty big share of the e-commerce market.
• Factors to consider when scaling your e-commerce business.
• E-commerce penetration by country.
• News!  Join a weggchat™ via Twitter with Laurel Delaney on "Take Your Business Global" August 8 at 11:00 a.m. Central time.  Instructions here.  E-commerce will be covered.

Find Perfection in Your Life

©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All right reserved.

"It's very hard to find perfection in your life.  But in the art world you can do that." -- Washed Out

Singapore SMEs Need Help Going Global

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Is there room for further global growth for Singaporean SMEs? You bet.  According to new research from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore would like more information and support on global trade opportunities to help them internationalize.

What's the biggest barrier?  Competition.

Some 43 per cent of respondents said that the most helpful measures for enabling more SMEs to participate in global trade were providing more information and support on trade opportunities, while the same number said securing new or improved trade agreements was crucial.

Read more about how Singapore SMEs could do with more help to go global.

The Wimbledon All-White Dress Code

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One of the more famous (and somewhat controversial) traditions at Wimbledon is the all-white dress code for participating athletes. Proper apparel is at the discretion of the referee, who can force a player to change his or her clothing.

Why the big fuss?

The rule apparently dates back to the 1800s when the sight of sweaty patches of colored clothing was seen as inappropriate. The “predominately in white” rule was adopted by Wimbledon in 1963 before it evolved into the “almost entirely in white rule” in 1995. Accessories were included in the rule beginning in 2004.

Read more -- for even if you are an athlete who is a global star, rules are rules and not to be broken.

How Does US Manufacturing Compare to that of Other Nations?

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How does American manufacturing compare to that of other nations?

In a Brookings report, they develop a global manufacturing scorecard that looks at five dimensions of the manufacturing environment: 1) overall policies and regulations; 2) tax policy; 3) energy, transportation, and health costs; 4) workforce quality; and 5) infrastructure and innovation.

Key finding:

China is the top nation in terms of manufacturing output and the percentage of its national output that is generated by that sector. Poland meanwhile has the highest percentage of its workforce employed in manufacturing.

Another insight:

Small manufacturing firms often cite congestion, logistical, or connectivity problems as major barriers to overcome. As developing economies look to export more, increased transportation infrastructure investment is necessary in order to reach global markets. Moreover, countries that already have sound transportation infrastructures need efficient supply chains. 

They go on to say, "One cannot have high-performing manufacturing companies without adequate infrastructure."

We agree.

Learn more to find out how US compares to 18 other nations on manufacturing.

The Australian Age of Entrepreneurship

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According to Bernard Salt, managing director of The Demographics Group, there is very much an Australian age of entrepreneurship.

The 2016 census shows that most business owner-managers are aged between 45 and 53. The peaks are higher for men than for women but both sexes top out in their entrepreneurial capacity at this time in life. 

However, Salt goes on to say, "The grassroots of Australian entrepreneurship is based in the new housing estates and in the shopping strips and centres in middle Australia. But our concept of entrepreneurship doesn’t seem to be capable of being leveraged into the kinds of big businesses [Apple, Microsoft, Google, etc.] that have so defined America in the past generation."

By housing estates, he means that a lot of Australia's entrepreneurial muscle comprises of small businesses associated with house cons­truction.

Read on to learn why Australian entrepreneurs must strive for a global reach.

Today in Global Small Business: Whiskey Wars

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

• E-commerce platform Trouva has global ambitions.
• How Sloan's Ice-cream maintained brand and quality on an international scale.
• WEGG knows that women rule the world yet in Nigeria, an airline with women crew members owns the sky.
• Whiskey wars:  trade tariffs are causing a cautious brake on whiskey exports.
• Find out about what cloud computing is, how you can benefit from it and learn key growth lessons from more than 50 startup owners using cloud computing.  Join the WEGGinar™ 7/11 with IBM experts.  It's free of charge but you must register here. 
• Why SMEs need more business -- global business, that is.

Laurel Delaney Taking a Picture of Marilyn Monroe

©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure.  I make mistakes.  I am out of control and at times hard to handle.  But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best."  -- Marilyn Monroe

Helping Global Small Businesses (GSBs) Soar

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I've been writing about global small businesses (GSBs) here since 2004 and I started talking about their importance more than 25 years ago when I first started Global TradeSource, Ltd.

In the recent edition of my best-selling book, Exporting: The Definitive Guide to Selling Abroad Profitably, I wrote:

"It was 1985.  Even back then, I challenged conventional assumptions about how to compete and started to view markets outside the United States as the future of the business I had started: Global TradeSource, Ltd. I even put “global,” “trade,” and “source” in the company name, thereby shifting the buyer’s possibilities from being local

to those of the world and drawing upon the distinctive strengths of alternative, growing overseas markets as those that would offer the company’s products and services.

That kind of vision, along with a more recent facilitator called the Internet, has broken down every imaginable barrier to growth and prosperity and has transformed not just how we conduct business but the world at large. The moment you create a Web site, blog, or Facebook account, your point of contact with consumers becomes global. The Internet is the great global leveler and gives everyone a chance to make spectacular strides in exporting—by finding, acquiring, and servicing customers the world over faster than ever—which in turn drives profits and growth for businesses. The blueprint for prosperity in exports is right at your fingertips. Never has there been such attention to the Internet, interconnectedness, and exporting than now."(1)

As you can see, Exporting:  The Definitive Guide to Selling Abroad Profitably is much more than a book about export.  It's a book about how to establish and run a global small business that becomes great, global and soars.

(1)©2016 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Helping Women Improve Export Businesses

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Research shows that women owned enterprises in the Caribbean are concentrated in saturated sectors making it more difficult for them to grow.  We-Xport (Women Empowered through Export) is designed to strengthen and support women owned businesses to increase their ability to access financing, and, well, to export.

We-Xport is helping women improve export businesses.  Sounds similar to what WEGG is doing in the USA.

Land of the Free

©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth." -- Abraham Lincoln

Overcoming Barriers to International Expansion

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Once you’ve established your start-up in your home market, horizons often begin to broaden to growth opportunities in new markets overseas.  International expansion can also be an opportunity to diversify operations and to tap into new sources of talent and raw materials.

While going global is an expansion choice, there are still significant and often overlooked challenges if you’re a start-up entering foreign markets.

Here are a few with solutions on how to overcome barriers to expand into new territories.

Today in Global Small Business: Mid-Market Companies Can Make a Global Impact

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

• American Express to offer credit cards to small businesses (about time); it will be co-branded with Amazon.com.
• Big global brands such as Nestle, Qatar Airways, and Microsoft, are recruiting Irish suppliers to win war for talent.
• Seven (7) keys to global e-commerce success.
• Globalization for the little guy -- there is such a thing.
• To accelerate your growth via cloud computing and at the same time find out key growth lessons from more than 50 startup owners using cloud computing, join the WEGGinar™ 7/11 with IBM experts.  It's free of charge and you can register here. 
• Where (and how) mid-market companies can make a global impact.