Follow Your Dreams Globally in 2020

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Today in Global Small Business: A Look Back at 2019 Before We Bring in the New Year

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

• Burnout by Arianna Huffington.
• Top licensing trends revealed from 2019.
• Quote of the week: “The first rule is not to lose.  The second rule is not to forget the first rule.” – Warren Buffett
• Top 15 pop culture moments in 2019.
• The year climate emergency (extreme weather) set in.
• Some good things that happened in 2019.

Whispering It Will Be Happier

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Hope
Smiles from the threshold of the year to come,
Whispering 'it will be happier'...” ― Alfred Lord Tennyson

A Look Back: 2019 New Year Celebrations From Around the World

Ecommerce Revolutionized Buying and Democratized Selling

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Not only has e-commerce revolutionized buying, but it has also democratized selling. With an internet connection and a computer, a small business has exponential access to large markets that so far have eluded small businesses.

According to a 2018 U.S. Chamber of Commerce study, 84% of small businesses surveyed are using at least one digital platform to provide information to customers, 79% to communicate with customers and suppliers, and 75% for sales.

Online shopping is redefining the modern retail industry. In 2017, according to Small Business Trends, over half of Americans prefer to shop online and 80% of Americans shop online at least monthly.

Read on to learn how e-commerce has revolutionized buying and democratized selling.

Merry Christmas From the Global Small Business Blog Team!

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Reflect, Rejoice and Renew This Holiday Season

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Close your eyes for a moment and envision what the “perfect holiday” would be for you.

We all have an idea of what the “ideal” holiday looks like. Just like a fairytale romance, this scene has been ingrained into our minds by thousands of similar Hollywood tropes, saying, “This is what the holidays should be. This is what a perfect holiday looks like.” In Hollywood, even the stressful holiday moments are part of the storyline—they always work out with a laugh and a happy ending.

Amidst all the wonderful festivities, there’s still an element of stress, and for many of us, the pressures of the holiday can become overwhelming, taking over our feelings of joy.

Find your moment of joy not just on a holiday but throughout the year.

Today in Global Small Business: May Your Holidays Be Merry and Bright

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

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

• Demystifying global selling during the holidays.
• Holidays promotions around the world.
• Quote of the week: “May the holiday season bring only happiness and joy to you and your loved ones.” – The Global Small Business Business blog team
• How to keep up and cash in on the holiday shopping spree that has gone global.
• Black Friday went global but not everyone's happy.
• Slowing global economy makes retailers more dependent on shoppers this holiday season.

We Have to Believe in Things We Don't See

©2013 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"I think we have to believe in things we don't see. That's really important for all of us, whether it's your religion or Santa Claus, or whatever.  That's pretty much what it's about." – James Caan

Oh, Let's Travel the World in 2020

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Where will the new year, new decade, take you?

Below, you’ll find 36 destinations to kick-start your travel dreaming and scheming. The travel media brand Afar surfaced emerging places, highlighting unexpected spots. And they've blown out a handful of classic destinations—the places they return to again and again, such as Italy and Japan—with alternatives to the big cities and the most crowded seasons.

Begin your 2020 journey here.

A Case Study: How Social Media Tools Benefit Global Small Businesses

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In today’s digital and mobile world, social networking systems have also become an important tool to help global small businesses access new customers, drive sales, and increase customer satisfaction.

To better understand the scope of how small businesses use Facebook, for example, and its products, the U.S. Chamber’s Technology Engagement Center and Facebook partnered with Ipsos, a global market and opinion research firm, to conduct a survey of almost 4,000 owners and employees of small businesses in the United States.

The results show how social media tools benefit global small businesses.

Honoring Businesses That Export

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West Virginia companies were presented with the Governor's Commendation for International Market Entry Award, recognizing businesses that exported to a new country in the previous year.

"We in government try to encourage business, try to encourage the people who are already here, building businesses and bringing in revenue," Hall [Gov. Jim Justice's chief of staff, Mike Hall] said. "This award is given to companies that made their first sale to a new country in the previous calendar year. Since 2002, more than 2,200 awards have been presented to 169 companies that have sold products to 188 countries around the world. On behalf of the governor, I thank you and I congratulate you."

This year, 10 companies received the commendation award for the first time.  Learn more.  You can find out who was recognized here.

In Search of Better Translations

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Ian A. Henderson shares the story of the quest he and his wife Françoise undertook to help the world better communicate. They quickly discovered that they could not solve the translation quality problem by looking at translations alone, but had to take proactive role in the complete global content process.

Employing a unique blend of gripping narrative and informative, no-nonsense business writing, this book details translation’s challenges, as well as specific solutions. Drawing on real experiences, trials, and triumphs, Henderson shares wisdom he has accrued throughout his decades in the business with authority and a sense of humor.

Learn more ... in search of better translations.

Today in Global Small Business: Liking Your Secondhand Threads

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

• When it comes to running a global business, "never give up hope."
• Jim Blasingame reconciles his 2019 predictions because up until now, he is batting .733.
• Quote of the week: “We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.” – J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series
• Big technology companies faced another congressional inquiry on Thursday, as the House Small Business Committee questioned executives from Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google about whether their market dominance unfairly hinders upstart companies.
• Three social media strategies for the remainder of 2019.
• What happens when you mix eBay and Instagram, then add millions of fashionistas eager to shop each others’ closets? You get Poshmark, the social-commerce platform founded by entrepreneur Manish Chandra and he wants you to Like your secondhand threads.

Dream Away the Cold

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"In the winter she curls up around a good book and dreams away the cold." – Ben Aaronovitch

Cheerios Moves Beyond Its Iconic "O" Shape

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General Mills, for the first time in 40 years, is adding heart shapes to Honey Nut Cheerios and original yellow-box Cheerios in an effort to propel heart health conversations.  The heart health benefits of the cereal have been on the front of the box for decades (as noted above in their standard box).

The new limited-edition boxes are already starting to show up on store shelves and will be available nationwide in January [2020], a time when healthy eating returns to the forefront with New Year's resolutions.

This isn't the first time the brand has added different shapes. Learn more here.

Top Actions You Should Take Before Taking Your Business Global

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Taking your business global allows you to gain new customers and experience new business cultures.  However, the move is no small feat and can have complications along the way.

A panel of Forbes Business Development Council* members share some vital steps business leaders should take before they expand their business globally. Follow their tips to prep for global success.

Oh, and here's a little more help on your journey.

Note:  *Forbes Business Development Council is an invitation-only, fee-based organization for senior-level sales and business development executives.

Whether you Live in Alaska or Japan, This Christmas Music Soothes the Soul

Revisionist History With Malcolm Gladwell (Podcast)

©iStock/Natalia Shabasheva

Each week for 10 weeks, Revisionist History, a podcast from Malcolm Gladwell and Pushkin Industries, goes back and reinterprets something from the past: an event, a person, an idea. Something overlooked. Something misunderstood.  "Because sometimes the past deserves a second chance."

Today in Global Small Business: Amazon Puts the Squeeze on Small Businesses

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

• Chinese tech goes global.
• Shopify scores massive e-commerce gains.
• Quote of the week: “The Joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others’ burdens, easing each other’s loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of the holidays.” – W. C. Jones
• Check out 30 small business tech influencers.
• Israel-based conversation analytics startup Gong builds speech recognition technology that helps sales representatives gain access to details regarding their conversations and interactions in real-time with their customers.  Worth a look. 
• The loss of mom and pop stores that can't compete with Amazon.

Creativity Doesn't Wait for that Perfect Moment

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Creativity doesn't wait for that perfect moment. It fashions its own perfect moments out of ordinary ones." – Bruce Garrabrandt

Christmas Music is Calming and Puts a Smile in Your Heart

As one listener to the music video said, “I realize that there is never a 'perfect time' to listen to Christmas music, you just have to do it b/c [because] life is short and unpredictable. Christmas music is calming and puts a smile in your heart and you instantly feel better. That's a gift!”

We agree.

Make Your Small Business More Productive in 2020! We've Got an App for That

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What are the tools you need to help your team work smarter and more efficiently in 2020?  Don't sweat.

Busy business owners know how important it is to make the most out of every hour of the day. When you own a business, you must wear many hats – which often means running from one task to the next with no time to catch your breath.

Still looking to squeeze more out of your workday? While some apps can be a distraction, rather than an aid, these 10 apps were created to help business owners stay productive.

Guess How Many Small Businesses There Are Worldwide?

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According to Chris Leahy, Vice President, National Government Relations and Regulatory Affairs, Intuit, “There are 800 million small businesses worldwide, 47 million of which are in the United States, and they create two out of three new jobs, yet they often don’t have a seat at the table with policy makers to share their perspectives and stories on how government can help ensure their long-term success and prosperity."

Well what do you know about that?  Leahy goes on to say, "As the champion of small businesses, we saw an opportunity to work more closely with these small business owners to ensure their voices are heard by lawmakers, regulators and administration officials who create policy.”

Learn more about how Intuit hosted their first small business QuickBooks Council in Washington, D.C.

Thought Leadership wegginar® 12/4 with Dr. Kati Suominen: New Iron Laws of Globalization

©2019 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All rights reserved.

Now more than ever, you must get on top of your globalization game.  How do you start?  Dr. Kati Suominen, a renown global business thought leader, will be sharing her insights with a wegg® presentation on the "New Iron Laws of Globalization," Wednesday, December 4th at 11AM CT.  She will dive into:

• When you take stock of globalization in 2025, what will you see? Find out!
• Ecommerce, 3D printing, 5G, the Cloud, blockchain, and artificial intelligence are bringing about a new wave of globalization that can be the most dynamic and prosperous yet.  Learn why.
• But there are also many challenges to this new era of technology-powered trade.  Discover what those challenges are along with solutions.
• Her latest book, "Revolutionizing World Trade."

The presentation is free of charge thanks to wegg's® generous sponsors but you must register to participate.  To learn more and to register, visit: https://womenentrepreneursgrowglobal.org/2019/11/13/new-iron-laws-of-globalization-kati-suominen/ 

Today in Global Small Business: Solo Businesses Are Brought Into the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

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

• The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2018/2019 have put a stake in the ground with their entrepreneurship studies by incorporating solo businesses into their research on entrepreneurial ecosystems.
• Who cares what Trump wants from global trade.
• Quote of the week: “Gratitude is not the greatest of virtues, it is the parent of all others.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero
• China's manufacturing is back in expansion mode.
• Shoppers ring up record Thanksgiving sales online; Black Friday’s (11/29/19) tally to exceed $7 billion, Adobe says.
• Why Small Business Saturday is more important than Black Friday (to UK folks).

Life is Full of Beauty. Notice It

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, [look forward to the snow] and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams." – Ashley Smith

Global Brand Peppers Eyeware Wants Pittsburghers to Shop Local on Saturday

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Global brand Peppers Eyeware wants to take the Small Business Saturday opportunity to celebrate their Pittsburgh roots. This SBS, they offer a sale which is exclusive to their 412 Store and therefore only accessible to local Pittsburghers.

In case you don't know, Peppers Eyeware is a global lifestyle brand which designs, manufactures and markets affordable polarized sunglasses to consumers.  And don't confuse Peppers with Peepers.  Wow, reminds us of the rhyme:

"Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
But...
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
How many pickled peppers that Peter Piper picked?"

Anyway, read more about Peppers celebrating Small Business Saturday.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Global Small Business Blog!

©Unsplash/Pro Church Media

Gratitude is a Universally Good and Global Thing

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How wonderful that countries worldwide have national days of Thanksgiving.  It’s an acknowledgment that gratitude is a universally good and global thing to feel and practice. This holds true for everyone, no matter where we live.

But what if there seems little to be grateful for, or our efforts to be grateful feel hollow and empty?

Read on for the answer.

Blogging Can Boost Productivity and Help a Business Become Global

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If you want to be a professional in your industry and get noticed, blogging is the way to go since it is a simple, inexpensive and convenient marketing strategy.  Plus, it's a great way to drive traffic to your business.  Let's face it, all businesses should have a robust online presence, which is interactive and communicates extensively with clients and customers.

Small businesses need consistent online exposure for growth and to attract and retain prospective customers with engaging posts.

Read more about how blogging is hip and of value to businesses. We know this is true because at the Global Small Business Blog we have more than 40,000 readers each month!

Today in Global Small Business: It Can Take 5 Minutes to Ruin Your Reputation

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

• Google has announced an upgrade to CallJoy, the automated, cloud-based telephone customer service agent first debuted back in May.
• In international business, recognize that roles must evolve.
• Quote of the week: “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” – Warren Buffett
• Roku is firmly established in the U.S. and it is also available in seven countries in the Americas, but its international expansion is just beginning – and that's where the company's biggest opportunity lies.
• The 2019 holiday e-commerce outlook for small businesses.
• One day, $38 billion in sales.  Who did that?

Good Ole' Chicago-based Heinemann Bakery

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Heinemann's first opened in 1929 as a small retail bakery on the north side of Chicago and gained a strong reputation for quality fresh baked goods made from the finest ingredients with no preservatives.

By 1935, the company had grown to three stores and was sold by the Heinemann family to Anton Dorner and Charles Meyering. Over the next seven years, this successful business team added nine more stores to satisfy Chicago's growing appetite for Heinemann's products.

The rest is history yet you can still find their products here and there.

Scaling for Global Growth by Laurel J. Delaney

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Laurel Delaney interviews UPS's Marketing Director for small businesses, Jeremy Melis.  Here's a snippet of one question:

LD: There’s a lot of talk lately about scaling a business. Can you define what that means? Some people think of it as hiring the right people, whereas others might perceive it as finding customers.

JM: Scaling means something different to every business. Scaling can refer to more employees, new geography, more equipment or facilities, increasing the online presence or any combination of those things. The real question is, ‘Why are you in business in the first place?’ If scaling helps you achieve that, then you’re on the right path.

Read more here.

Selling and Buying Things Online Creates New Customers

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Buying and selling things online creates new customers. What's more interesting is how the ubiquity of ecommerce has fed into the other technologies and trends, including the call for better trust mechanisms, global demand, eco-friendliness and the construction of an Industrial Internet of Things for freight carriers.

Digitization is an ongoing process that's proving consequential in nearly every industry. This is certainly true of freight shipping, where digitization, along with online shopping, global marketplaces and new productivity technologies, have had a lasting impact.

Logistics, cargo handling, last-mile fulfillment, customs and compliance and many other aspects of this business are responding to these and other influences.

Here's why.  Read more about the ways in which digitization and e-commerce changed freight.

Favorite Off-the-Clock Worldly Accommodations

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Donna Bulseco, for the WSJ, asked three global hoteliers, notoriously picky guests (and also considered hotel know-it-alls), to share their favorite off-the-clock accommodations.  Some are surprisingly modest.

1.  Frank Marrenbach, CEO of the Oetker Collection, which includes the French Riviera's Hotel du cap-Eden-Roc, based in Baden Baden, Germany – Beyond [by Geisel] hotel, in the Marienplatz, the heart of Munich.

2.  John Stirratt, Wilco bassist and partner in Tourists, a renovated roadside motel in North Adams, Massachusetts – Both the old Miyako [now Hotel Kabuki] in San Francisco, and the Hotel San Jose in Austin, Texas.

3.  Cornelia Samara, general manager, the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences at the Surf Club in Surfside, Florida – Rosewood Mayakoba in the coast of Riviera Maya. The arrival experience is so graceful. Another hotel with a unique arrival:  La Posada del Dragon, in the center of Madrid, which dates back to the 1800s.

What's your favorite place to stay in the world?

Global Entrepreneurship Week Kickoff 2019

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Headlines from around the world celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week, which removes unnecessary barriers to entrepreneurs in creating and growing new ventures.

• NERv Technology from Canada takes top prize at EWC global finals
• Crown Plaza Partner to invigorate startup ecosystems around the world
• Photo Exhibition at Palais des Nations shows entrepreneurial migrants and refugees
• Mind the Gap: New Index of Dynamic Entrepreneurship (IDE) encourages countries to strive for systemic balance
• Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global® weggchat® from USA conducted via Twitter brought women entrepreneurs the world over together to learn what it takes to go global

Today in Global Small Business: Superstars Run Away with Globalization

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

• Superstar firms are running away with globalization.
• Increasingly, the best strategies have the best metrics.
• Quote of the week: "I can give you a six-word formula for success: Think things through--then follow through." – Edward Rickenbacker
• Shoppers are ready to spend during the 2019 holiday season but retailers need to personalize.
• How agile is your company?
• 2019 cyber threatscape report.

How Beautiful the Leaves Grow Old

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"How beautiful the leaves grow old.  How full of light and color are their last days." – John Burroughs

Doing Business in India with Nixon Peabody's Help

©iStock/Sanjog Mhatre

Join Nixon Peabody LLP, SFAsia, and Singhania & Partners on November 22 from 10:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA as they explore opportunities in India for local companies and investors and the strategies to succeed for doing business in this vibrant economy.

India is the world’s sixth largest economy, and still growing quickly. A relatively young country (median age of 28) with a burgeoning middle class. Plus, India is rapidly digitalizing. The bonds between the Bay Area and India are strong—creating opportunities for both investment and trade. A recent Bay Area Council Economic Institute Report concluded, “Sustained economic growth and national strategies that push digitization across a range of sectors and services are creating unique synergies with the Bay Area that open the door to new opportunities, as Bay Area companies expand their global footprint and diversify their market presence in Asia.”

For more information and to register, visit:  Innovative India: Cross-Border Trade and Investment Opportunities

Like to Be Alone? These 12 Special Personality Traits Apply to You (Video)

Challenges and Opportunities to Selling Internationally

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With global growth comes new challenges that small businesses have to learn how to navigate. The uncertainty around trade agreements worldwide and escalating tariffs between the U.S. and China are hindering the growth American entrepreneurs are seeing in these markets.

That said, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sat down with four small business owners to better understand the opportunities and challenges to selling internationally. Here are some of the key takeaways from the discussion – from what's hot in export markets, to long-term trade agreements, to IP protection – it's all here.

Light Up Your World with Andrea Sreshta of LuminAID at weggchat® November 13th

©2019 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global™.  All rights reserved.

To celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Network week, join wegg® at their weggchat® on 11/13/19 with Andrea Sreshta, co-founder of LuminAID. Conducted via Twitter, Andrea will be talking about how she took her business global at 11AM CT.  Andrea is winner of the Shark Tank award and recent recipient of the Women in Tech Award.

The program is made possible due to:  Bank of America, GlobalCare Clinical Trials, FedEx, Greensfelder, Associated Bank, APCO Worldwide and Union Pacific Foundation.

To learn more about lighting up your world and participating in the weggchat (no charge thanks to sponsors), visit: https://womenentrepreneursgrowglobal.org/2019/10/01/weggchatwith-andrea-sreshta-november-13-at-11cst/

Today in Global Small Business: Small Businesses Create One-half of the World’s GDP and Employ Two-thirds of the World’s Global Workforce

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

• Small business creates one-half of the world’s GDP and employs two-thirds of the world’s global workforce.  That's a big reason why Cisco is going after it.
• Gene Marks says, "No matter how many studies you read about small business optimism, keep in mind we’re never as secure as we seem."  Find out why.
• Quote of the week: “One idea alone is a tactic, but if it can be executed a number of different ways, it becomes a great strategy.” ― Marc Benioff, Trailblazer: The Power of Business as the Greatest Platform for Change
• Want Amazon to promote your products during the holidays? Be prepared to fork up millions.  Ouch.
• Working capital is the lifeblood of small business and payments firms have been actively responding to this growing need.
• Apps that have impacted our lives in the last 10 years.

What a Room Without Books is Like

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"A room without books is like a body without a soul." – Marcus Tullius Cicero

November is Global Entrepreneurship Month

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November is officially Global Entrepreneurship Month according to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee because entrepreneurship is seriously important to a state's economy.

“More than 90 percent of our state’s businesses are small businesses,” stated Lisa Brown, Department of Commerce director. “They are the lifeblood of local economies, creating jobs that strengthen communities. Global Entrepreneurship Month is a unique opportunity for everyone to explore the idea of starting a business and being their own boss.”

This month-long series of events is part of an international celebration of entrepreneurship that dates back to 2008. More than 170 countries participate in Global Entrepreneurship Week in November, which is supported by the Kauffman Foundation.

More than 250 events statewide (check out one here) are expected to be hosted all month long.  Learn more here.

Two Great Illinois Export-Related Events 11/14/19

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Depending on your exporting needs and where you are based, don't miss these upcoming morning programs:

International Trade Workshop, November 14, 2019 in Grayslake, Illinois (8:30-10:00 a.m. CT)

Learn the fundamentals of trade finance so you can turn your export opportunities into actual sales and receive payment on time for them.  You will gain knowledge in export financing, the basic concepts of foreign exchange and billing customers in U.S. dollars versus local currency. You will also learn how to design a foreign invoice in the buyer’s currency.

Manufacturing Export Forum, November 14, 2019 in Schaumburg, Illinois (7:30-9:30 a.m. CT)

The Manufacturing Export Forum will provide an overview on the financing tools, risk mitigation strategies, and accounting considerations that manufacturers face when exporting.

Rotorcorp Achieves Steady Growth in US Exports

©iStock/Benjamin Schaefer

Global small business Atlanta’s Rotorcorp LLC has seen steady growth in its export profile, with about 60 percent of revenues now coming from international sales.

President Sean Casey has been tapped for a slot on the Industry Trade Advisory Committee for aerospace equipment, a joint group convened by the Commerce Department and the Office of the United States Trade Representative to gain firsthand insight from companies on issues of U.S. competitiveness.

As a steady user of services of the Export-Import Bank of the United States and the Small Business Administration, Mr. Casey has seen the way that advocacy and resources can be skewed toward large companies, sometimes at the expense of the smaller, fragmented players that nonetheless make up the bulk of U.S. employment.

Rotorcorp’s growth markets are almost exclusively abroad, in places like the Philippines and Panama. Retaliatory tariffs haven’t hit the company’s “high-quality, sought after, U.S.-made products.”

Read more about how an Atlanta helicopter parts exporter is bringing a voice of small business to a U.S. trade appointment.

CEOs Are Most Concerned with the Uncontrollable Threats in the Global Marketplace (Video)

Today in Global Small Business: Sayonara to Steve Easterbrook as CEO of McDonald's

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

• Endeavor Global Marketing reportedly paid about $200 million to acquire 160over90 and now will adopt that name after it pulled the plug on an IPO. 
• There are challenges to international e-commerce but they can be overcome.
• Quote of the week: “Embrace what you don't know, especially in the beginning, because what you don't know can become your greatest asset." – Spanx founder Sara Blakely
• Customer service can get better even if loyalty doesn't.
• As China and US attempt to sign a trade deal, thousands of companies are asking for tariff exclusions.
• You're fired!  McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook is out as of 11/3/19.

Things in American Culture That Want to Wipe the Class Distinction

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"There are things in American culture that want to wipe the class distinction. Blue jeans. Ready-made clothes. Coca-Cola." – Leslie Fiedler

Global Stress Relief

World Commerce Is Slowing Down

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As Peter S. Goodman for The New York Times puts it:

As President Trump intensifies his trade war with China, and as factories slow in major industrial nations, world commerce is deteriorating rapidly, a perilous development that threatens the health of the global economy.

He goes on to say that most economists feel a global recession remains unlikely, even as growth slows.

What's your take?  See what others are saying.

Unlocking Sources of Global Growth: SMEs

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Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) represent about 90% of businesses and more than 50% of employment worldwide, accounting for the majority of businesses worldwide.   They are important contributors to job creation and global economic development.

Formal SMEs contribute up to 40% of national income (GDP) in emerging economies.  SMEs also play a major role in most economies, particularly in developing countries. 

A key area of the World Bank Group’s work is to improve SMEs’ access to finance and find innovative solutions to unlock sources of capital.  Learn the results of their work.

How Do You Make Your Global Debut?

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Expanding internationally achieves important growth and creates an additional revenue stream for many companies yet it can be a very costly exercise.

So how can promising business ventures without the financial backing of high-profile investors make their global debut?

Easy peasy at least according to work-place provider IWG (refer to some related IWG news here).

Flexible workspace solutions allow businesses to scale up and down in terms of size, offers a choice of location and different contract lengths that adapt as the business’ needs change.

Read more about how workspaces can drive your global growth.

Today in Global Small Business: Drivers and Constraints in the Global Cat Food Market

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

• Wendy’s will finally break back into the European market within the next 12 to 18 months after a 40-year absence.
• Two primary obstacles are preventing U.S. retailers from conducting international online sales.
• Quote of the week: “The fastest way to change yourself is to hang out with people who are already the way you want to be." – Reid Hoffman
• Make your e-commerce business stand out.
• The global cat food market – drivers and constraints for the key players.
• How to innovate in the face of disruption.