Key to the Universe

"I found the key to the universe in the engine of an old parked car." – Bruce Springsteen

Photos courtesy:  @2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Building the World's First Floating and Largest Underwater Tunnels

wegg®: The Secret Sauce to Getting More Women to Export

©Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global™.  Used with permission.

What am I [Laurel Delaney] most passionate about?  Helping entrepreneurs and business owners expand their businesses internationally.   In particular, I want to see more women business owners move into this territory -- outside their comfort zone and into the world of business.

Based on experience, I knew that women who run businesses are less likely to trade internationally than those owned by men. I wanted to change the landscape for women from being risk-averse to having confidence to go for it—with the appropriate support. And that’s how wegg® [Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global™] was born, which I’ll tell you more about in a bit.

Read more about how wegg is the secret sauce to getting more women to export.

Airwallex Enters the Billion Dollar Unicorn Club

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Started in Melbourne in 2015 by four Chinese founders, Airwallex  provides a service that lets companies manage cross-border revenue and financing in their business.  The company recently announced that it has closed a $100 million Series C round that values its business above $1 billion.

How does the Airwallex process work?

Its customers can, for example, set up overseas bank accounts if they have paying customers located overseas. When they want to move that revenue back to their HQ, they simply do so through the Airwallex system, which uses inter-bank exchanges to trade forex at a mid-market rate. That’s something that can save its clients as much as 90 percent on their foreign exchange rates, and it massively simplifies the challenge of doing business overseas.

Airwallex's goal is to go after small companies and help all businesses to grow and expand globally.

Learn more about Airwallex and their latest valuation.

Extreme China: Going After Its Own New World Media Order to Combat Hostile Western Forces

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According to a new report, "China's Pursuit of a New World Media Order," released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), China is actively pursuing a new world media order.  The report indicates the Chinese government is investing as much as $1.3 billion annually to increase the global presence of Chinese media.

One section of the report covers 1 - Exporting the "Chinese media model," combatting "hostile" Western Forces.

The report, China’s Pursuit of a New World Media Order says Beijing is using a variety of strategies including ramping up international broadcasting, undertaking extensive advertising campaigns, and infiltrating foreign media outlets to spread its world view.

Read more about how China's media interference is going global.

Today in Global Small Business: Scaling Up SME Financial Inclusion

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

• How tariffs impact a small business owner.
• Quote of the week:  “The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein
• 5 ways to increase trust in e-commerce.
• Do you need a credit card to grow your global small business?
• Create a strong natural deodorant brand with worldwide appeal; wegginar® 4/10/19; free.
• Scaling up SME financial inclusion in the Middle East and Central Asia.

Girl Power: Be the Heroine of Your Life

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Above all, be the heroine of your life.  Not the victim." — Nora Ephron

Grow. Scale. Expand to U.S.A.

©iStock/Karolina Madej

Scaling internationally isn’t without its own risks, but the United States is one market European startups eye when they’re looking to go global.  Here are three tips for European startups with aspirations to grow, capital to scale and their sights set on expansion into the U.S.A.

1. Know your market
2. Build the right partnerships on the ground
3. Hire the right talent in the U.S.A.

Read 3 tips for European companies to scale in the U.S.

A Softening of Global Economic Conditions

©iStock/CarlosAndreSantos

Business Roundtable President Joshua Bolten said in a report, "As we encounter a potential softening of global economic conditions, it’s all the more important to advance policies that will promote American innovation and strengthen the U.S. economy for the long term."

What prompted that statement?

Optimism among chief executive officers of large U.S. companies cooled for a fourth straight quarter amid greater uncertainty about global economic growth, a Business Roundtable survey showed.

The lobbying group’s CEO Economic Outlook Index fell 9.2 points to 95.2 in the first quarter, the lowest since the third quarter of 2017 though still above the gauge’s historical average.

Read more about how U.S. CEO optimism cools as global uncertainty dims outlook.

For the World To See: The Chicago River Dyed Green for St. Patrick's Day 2019

A Global String of Possibilities

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Small businesses can make a major impact. Thanks to the Internet, small business owners have far-reaching opportunities to change both their immediate surroundings and places that are worlds away.  Head coach Rhett Power frames it as "individual connections on a global string of possibilities."

He offers ways to rev up your differentiation and satisfy your desire to give back, by adopting these three strategies.

1. Work toward fair wages.
2. Source materials responsibly.
3. Weave your social mission into your story.

Read the entire article about how small businesses can make a big difference.

Today in Global Small Business: The Ultimate Freedom is the Freedom to Experiment with New Ideas

©iStock/Benjavisa

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

• How to ease small business trade concerns; it starts with a financing and payments platform for businesses.
• Quote of the week:  “The ultimate freedom for creative groups is the freedom to experiment with new ideas. Some skeptics insist that innovation is expensive. In the long run, innovation is cheap. Mediocrity is expensive—and autonomy can be the antidote.” – Tom Kelley, General Manager, IDEO
• If your business is going global or has experienced challenges, consider these five tips.
• 76 countries have agreed to negotiate new rules governing global ecommerce, creating an opportunity for governments to eliminate barriers that impede cross-border online shopping.  Here's what should be addressed.
• Learn how to create a strong natural deodorant brand with worldwide appeal?
• How to manage the risks of international e-commerce.

I am Proud to Be Irish and Today is My Favorite Day of the Year

"There are two kinds of people in the world, Irish and those who wish they were." – Irish saying

Photos courtesy:  @2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

The Making of a Global Leader: Empathy, Cultural Awareness and an Open Mind

Lack of Clarity Can Be a Stumbling Block for Franchises Going Global

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Senior research analyst Ritwik Donde at FRANdata says that international expansion has opened numerous doors for small businesses looking to uncover new streams of revenue. But to succeed globally, business owners must successfully navigate the new territory of cultural divides.

A big stumbling block for franchises, for example, is lack of clarity for franchisors embarking on a rapid growth plan, often resulting in mistakes that can put the franchise at risk.

Among 480 small and medium-sized enterprises from 12 countries surveyed by the Economist Intelligence Unit in 2014, a majority foresaw expanding their business internationally as the future for their companies. However, very few understood the importance of finding the right advisory partner (or partners) to help them navigate the choppy waters of international growth.

Read more about the five common mistakes made by international franchisors and how to avoid them.

Free Trade Opens Doors to New Markets and Creates New Opportunities for Small Businesses

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According to Hector Barreto, chairman of The Latino Coalition and the former U.S. Small Business Administrator, "for businesses of all sizes and types – from manufacturers to farmers and ranchers – free trade opens doors to new markets and new opportunities. New and better-paying jobs are created."  He goes to say:

International trade is actually incredibly important to small businesses. It is a little-known fact, but 98 percent of all U.S. exporters are small firms. Nearly 300,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are exporting to foreign markets every day; those companies support around four million American jobs as a result.

At length and with great passion, Barreto explains why international trade is incredibly important to small businesses.

From Idea to Export Business

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Everything we do today is potentially relevant to consumers anywhere in the world, provided they understand what we are doing. So if that is the case, how do we sell to the world?  Here’s an example of how the journey to exporting or launching an export business begins.

Read more about how an export business is born.

Today in Global Small Business: wegg® Workshop in Chicago 3/13/19

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

• JOIN us March 13 in Chicago for an experiential learning session hosted by Associated Bank and wegg® for an on-the-ground workshop with Kiesque CEO Jacqueline Smith who will talk about how she started and runs a global personal care product company. Learn more and register (limited seating):  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wegg-workshop-roundtable-discussion-with-jacqueline-smith-ceo-kiesque-tickets-56688344364 
• Internet big-picture stats, get them here.
• As the world is becoming smaller thanks to technology, people are becoming more interdependent and connected.  Here are some things to consider before you cross boundaries.
• Quote of the week:  “The sidelines are not where you want to live your life. The world needs you in the arena.” – Tim Cook, Apple CEO
• Digital marketing is becoming the mainstream tool of conducting marketing strategy. In today’s highly advanced and digitally accelerated world, traditional marketing is rapidly becoming obsolete.
• This machine learning tool helps small e-commerce companies compete with Amazon and Walmart.

Fuel Up With Dinocare™

102-year-old Sinclair Oil Corp. owns and operates more than 1,500 locations nationwide, including refineries and gas stations, plus hotels, a ski resort and a cattle ranch.

Photos courtesy:  @2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved. (Cassopolis, Michigan)

Billion Dollar Global Baby

©iStock/Deagreez

This week Forbes named 21-year-old  Kylie Jenner -- makeup mogul, a reality TV star and mom --  the world’s youngest self-made billionaire in history.  In 2012, she invested $250,000 in launching her $29 Lip Kit (a matching lipstick and lip-liner combo) on the cosmetics market and since then has achieved stratospheric global growth.

Fueled in part by an Ulta expansion, Kylie Cosmetics’ revenue climbed 9% last year (2018) to an estimated $360 million. With that kind of growth, and even using a conservative multiple from the booming makeup industry, Forbes estimates Jenner’s company is worth at least $900 million.

Here's what Kylie had to say about it:

“I didn’t expect anything. I did not foresee the future.  But [the recognition] feels really good. That’s a nice pat on the back.”

She's a billion dollar global baby.  Learn more here.

Social Enterprises: Inspiration Drawn From a Different Place

5 Successful and Impactful Social Enterprises

©iStock/PeterSnow

According to Lilach Bullock, a contributor to Forbes, below is a look at some of the world’s top social enterprises that you should keep an eye on in 2019.

First though, you need a definition of what constitutes a social enterprise.

Social enterprises and their networks are popping up all over the world; basically, they practice a hybrid model that uses business solutions to make a positive impact on the world.

Read more about 5 top innovative and impactful social enterprises for 2019.

Become an International Player in Dubai

©iStock/Britus

If you are considering opening a new business in Dubai, or moving your existing operations there, now is a good time to start such a process and journey for Dubai in 2020 is the first city to host a World Expo in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, increasing its presence as an international player in the business.

While we are already specialists in tourism, hospitality, and retail, the upcoming global exposure will boost other sectors as well. Not only at the Expo, but across the city, visitors will see us pushing boundaries in everything from construction, sustainability to finance and cutting-edge communications. And, they will get a feel for how we are uniquely positioned to host a truly global business.

Learn more about how Dubai is becoming a growth catalyst for global small businesses through Dubai's 2020 expo.

Today in Global Small Business: Market Yourself in a Digital World

©iStock/jacoblund

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

• Experiential learning:  wegg® on-the-ground workshop March 13 in Chicago with Kiesque CEO Jacqueline Smith.  Learn more and to register (limited seating), visit:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wegg-workshop-roundtable-discussion-with-jacqueline-smith-ceo-kiesque-tickets-56688344364 
• How streaming TV blew up old ideas about what American will watch worldwide.
• Quote of the week:  “For me, it matters that we drive technology as an equalizing force, as an enabler for everyone around the world." – Sundar Pichai.
• Minnesota-born Lucy Juicy is poised to become a global phenomenon.
• Business owners all over the world teach others how to market themselves in a digital world.  Here's an example.
• Guess which company has become the first global ecommerce company to completely offset carbon emissions from shipping?

St. Patrick's Day is an Enchanted Time

"St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time — a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic." – Adrienne Cook

Photos courtesy:  ©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

What Is a Scale Up Business?

©iStock/z_wei

The scaling up of SMEs is key to boost productivity and achieve inclusive growth.  The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)-Eurostat Manual on Business Demography Statistics (2007) defines high-growth enterprises as “enterprises with an average annualized growth greater than 20% a year, over a 3-year period, and with 10 or more employees at the beginning of the observation period."

But what is a scale up business?

Learn more by reading a paper on Enabling SMEs to Scale Up.  This paper was prepared as a background document to the OECD Ministerial Conference on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, taking place on 22-23 February 2018 in Mexico.

Key finding:  Start-ups that scale up provide a key contribution to job creation and key drivers of competitiveness.