Presented by John Yunker: Web Globalization Tips for Small Businesses (wegginar® on 6/1/22)

©2022 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All rights reserved.

There is no one who knows web globalization better than Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global's next wegginar® presenter John Yunker, co-founder of Byte Level Research.  John is back by popular demand! Yes! Let me challenge you a bit to see what you know before I entice you to register for our (free of charge) wegginar, "Think Big; Think Global:  Web Globalization Tips for Small Businesses," taking place on tomorrow, Wednesday, June 1st LIVE at 11AM CT: https://bit.ly/382t2fC 

• What is your global gateway strategy?
• Are you having trouble with abandoned shopping carts?
• Do you understand the importance of body language and photos you use on your website?
• Do you use a map icon to signify global on your website?
• Colors carry a significant cultural, political, and personal meaning; what colors are you using on your website? 
• Are you using flags as a navigation aid on your website? 

All of this is covered in John Yunker's book, Think Outside the Country: A Guide to Going Global and Succeeding in the Translation Economy, one of my all-time favorites.

But back to John's wegginar ... he will be covering:

• The second language you should add to your website
• Essential web globalization terminology and trends
• Tips for going global on the cheap
• The dangers of using flags on your website 

And, the best part is we will be able to pick John's brain at the end of his presentation for 10 minutes to ASK any questions you have. Let's do it and get smarter today on web globalization, together.

Sign up here: https://bit.ly/382t2fC

Today in Global Small Business: Remembering and Honoring Those Who Have Served

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

• What is Memorial Day 2022 and what is the real meaning?
• Memorial Day.
• Originally called Decoration Day, the Memorial Day holiday honors all soldiers who died during service to the nation. 
• Quote of the week: “Let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan.” – Abraham Lincoln, second inaugural address
• The meaning of Memorial Day.
• Prayer for peace on Memorial Day 2022.

Be Like a Train

©2022 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

“Be like a train; go in the rain, go in the sun, go in the storm, go in the dark tunnels! Be like a train; concentrate on your road and go with no hesitation!” – Mehmet Murat Ildan.

Become More Psychologically Resilient

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According to an article in The National Post, globally, small and medium-sized businesses represent roughly 90 per cent of businesses and employ over 50 per cent of the workforce. They also contribute about 45 per cent to gross domestic product (GDP). 

Yet entrepreneurs face many obstacles that threaten their survival, including financial insecurity and market uncertainties. Unsurprisingly, roughly 50 per cent of new ventures fail within the first five years.

In this challenging landscape, entrepreneurs’ psychological resilience is a key personal resource and competitive advantage. But how can entrepreneurs develop resilience? And why does psychological resilience benefit entrepreneurs?

The authors have identified that these factors as essential to building entrepreneurs’ psychological resilience.

Building Resilience in Emerging Market Economies By Supporting Small Businesses

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Small businesses create up to 80% of jobs and generate up to 70% of GDP in Africa alone and are essential drivers of growth, employment and livelihoods in emerging markets.

In emerging market economies, however, there are intractable structural barriers to raising finance that most of these businesses face. The yawning gap in financing runs into the trillions of dollars.

Organizations can work collectively to move money at scale if the motivation is strong enough. It makes economic sense for governments and private markets to do just that in order to build resilient economies.

Experience in Africa shows that digitally-based information and services can be effective tools for empowering farmers and local businesses.

Get Rid of Guns and Rifles, Stop the Shooting

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If your loved one was shot and killed by an 18-year old gunman in a recent shooting at a primary school in south Texas, would you think it is okay? 

An 18-year-old gunman opened fire Tuesday at a Texas elementary school, killing at least 18 children as he went from classroom to classroom, officials said, in the latest gruesome moment for a country scarred by a string of massacres. The assailant was killed by law enforcement.

The attack came just 10 days after a deadly, racist rampage at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket that added to a yearslong series of mass killings at churches, schools and stores. 

And the prospects for any reform of USA's gun regulations seem dim.  Why is that?  When are we going to get rid of guns and rifles (assault weapons) and stop the shooting?  When an 18-year old is able to freely buy a gun, what's on their mind?

A father who lost a daughter in the Parkland Florida shooting said, "This is preventable violence."  He went on to say how he has dealt with his loss, "We don't move on, we move forward."

NBA Warriors coach said, "When are we going to do something? Enough!"

Actor and Uvalde native Matthew McConaughey took to social media today, May 25, 2022, to address the shooting in his hometown.

Supply of Chipmaking Equipment Is a Pinch Point for Intel to the Build Out of Capacity

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Intel CEO Paul Gelsinger said supply of chipmaking equipment is the most important pinch point to the build-out of capacity today.

He added that he's urging authorities in the US and Europe, which have each launched their own Chips Act to promote national semiconductor manufacturing, to speed up the legislation.

A shortage of advanced equipment to make semiconductors could hold up global expansion plans.

Today in Global Small Business: Global Small Business Phone Systems Market Overview

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

• The global “Small Business Phone Systems Market” 2022-2027 study provides information related to the global, regional, and top players including Small Business Phone Systems market share analysis, winning strategies, recent developments, and financials.
• Answering top questions about Covid-19 and vaccines.
• The CEO of Abbott, the company whose voluntary recall of several widely sold baby formula brands helped trigger a nationwide formula shortage, has apologized for the crisis, as the first overseas shipment of formula approved by President Biden arrived in the U.S. Sunday, May 22, 2022.
• Quote of the week: “Utility is when you have one telephone, luxury is when you have two, opulence is when you have three - and paradise is when you have none." – Doug Larson
• 15 Forbes Business Council members shared their best tips for businesses considering international expansion.
• Getting close, Apple's AR/VR headset.

Help Others

©2022 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, it's at the end of your arm, as you get older, remember you have another hand: The first is to help yourself, the second is to help others." – Audrey Hepburn

Global Small Businesses Resume International Travel Boosting Export Sales

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Export Delaware is ready to travel the world again!  After two years of being grounded due to the global pandemic, business owners are chomping at the bit to get back to in-person business.

Export Delaware has an aggressive travel schedule planned for Delaware global small businesses that are ready to expand their exports around the world.

So far some have traveled to Dubai (March 2022) and are headed to South Africa, Kenya, and Tanzania in May. Then, it's off to Israel in the summer. 

“These state-led business trips have proven to be a successful strategy for entering new markets and increasing export sales,” says Secretary of State [Delaware] Jeff Bullock. “The customized support from the Export Delaware team and the in-country trade representatives make all the difference.” 

For Delaware-based businesses, to learn more and to apply, simply go to https://export.delaware.gov/step-grant/ and download the STEP Grant application. 

Enabling More Cargo at the Port of Long Beach to Get Moved Off the Docks By Train

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The Port of Long Beach is embarking on a massive overhaul of its cramped and aging rail yard to enable more cargo to get moved off the docks by train and to cut down on the number of diesel trucks that are currently hauling the vast majority of containers inland.

The key issue the expanded rail yard will address is that there isn’t enough space at the port currently to assemble thousands of loaded rail cars into enough single trains that can go straight from the port to major consumer markets in the interior U.S., such as Chicago, Dallas, or Denver. 

As a result, the bulk of the containers ... read more.

Pricing Your Product for Export Markets

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Are you getting ready to export your product overseas?  Debating whether you should price it at $5 or $7?  How do you decide? 

Leif Holmvall, veteran exporter, author, consultant and coach on exporting, has a tip or two to share with us. Leif has more than 45 years of experience doing business in 100-plus countries with the focus on helping businesses expand internationally. 

Here is an excerpt of an interview I [Laurel Delaney] conducted with him about 6 years ago (and worth republishing), which focuses on how to develop the best export pricing strategy – an issue that can be complex if you’ve never calculated an export price before.

In China, No Mood to Shop

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In recent years, China has become the biggest market for a range of industries, from luxury goods to automobiles.  But last month due to China’s “zero Covid” policy, the world’s second-largest economy slowed sharply, hitting not only consumer spending but also employment.

Estée Lauder, which is home to Bobbi Brown and MAC cosmetics, now expects its global sales to grow between 7% and 9% year-on-year, down from a previous range of 13% to 16% outlined in February.

The crisis is a stark reminder of China’s outsized importance to global companies.  Read more about how China's lockdowns are taking a toll on global companies.

Today in Global Small Business: Future of Food Summit

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

• Chicago to host future of food Summit (May 25-26, 2022).
• How a better globalization could rise from hyper-globalization's ashes.
• Keep U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports?
• Quote of the week: “There is no sincerer love than the love of food." – George Bernard Shaw
• Helping women expand into global markets through Access Abu Dhabi Program.
• Building irresistible food and beverage brands that are better for people, kinder to animals, and easier on the planet.

Decide Ukraine's Future

©2022 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"It is not all right for Russia to decide Ukraine's future." – Antony Blinken

Just Like That: Open a US Bank Account, Remotely, From Any Continent, With No US Social Security Number Required

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What if you could find a banking product for your global business that will allow you, as the founder, to open a US bank account, remotely, from any continent, with no US Social Security Number required?

Discover fintech company doola, which does just that.  

This is a new banking product that supports founders on every continent, with no US SSN required, and no visit to the US required.  US monthly business applications are over 400,000 per month (on track for 5M+ in 2022) and there are 50M+ independent creators globally.

Meet 300 Visionaries Who Have Transformed Business and Society

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While the ongoing global pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have taken a toll on the European market, these 300 honorees remain positive:  Some 80% of listees believe the European economy is ripe for entrepreneurship, and collectively they’ve raised more than $2 billion in funding for their ventures—more than double the amount raised by last year’s honorees. 

These entrepreneurs join past Under 30 game-changers including singer-songwriter Adele, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, actress Cynthia Erivo and athlete Marcus Rashford. Some of this year’s listers are already household names, like Simone Ashley, who played Kate Sharma in the second season of Netflix’s hit series Bridgerton. 

The list?  Here you go.

Is Your Business Export Ready?

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Want to grow your business beyond borders?  Here's a sample of how Michigan Small Business Development Center determines if a business is ready for export.

We provide an early export online assessment to determine where your company is in starting the export journey. We've developed an online training module packed with resources to help businesses explore and get a better grasp of what's involved in getting their company involved in exporting. The training module is packed with good templates and resources. From there we connect you with one of our 10 export certified consultants, and help you start developing a business plan and a marketing plan to get you ready.

Best piece of advice?  When people sit down and dedicate a certain amount of time to work on their business [not in their business], they're a whole lot more successful. 

Read the full interview here.

The Best Kept Secret For Powering Your Cross-Border Business: Foreign Exchange (wegginar® 5/11/22)

©2022 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All rights reserved.

Why waste a second?  Register immediately: https://bit.ly/3xn3rrT.  We'll answer the following questions:  Are your sales denominated in foreign currency? Are you purchasing anything abroad in foreign currency? Are you clueless about how to manage foreign currency?  We've got your back!  At least wegg® does when it comes to their next wegginar®.

Register free of charge for the upcoming wegginar tomorrow, Wednesday, May 11, 2022 at 11AM CT, to learn the answers to the questions above and discover the secret to powering your cross border business: https://bit.ly/3xn3rrT

Hear from top experts – Lori Novak, VP Foreign Exchange | Capital Markets, Associated Bank and Angie Kappel, VP Foreign Exchange | Capital Markets, Associated Bank – who live and breathe foreign currency and are pros working with business owners who wish to learn the ropes about foreign currency management. They will be joined by their special guest Yasmin Stuffer-Hong, founder ad CEO, Share US, Inc., to discuss the ins and outs to foreign exchange.

What to expect from the wegginar:

• Gain knowledge of exchange rates
• Recognize the main causes of FX volatility
• Learn how to invoice your client in their local currency
• Increase your margins by paying or selling in local currencies
• Understand your FX risk management options

To learn more and to register (n/c), visit: https://bit.ly/3xn3rrT. We are breaking records on registrations yet, fortunately, we have plenty of seats and they are comfortable too :-). See you there.

Program hosted by Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.

Today in Global Small Business: 9 Translation Books You Never Heard About

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

• 9 translation books you never heard about.
• Mother-daughter duo Pratiksha and Vama Sangoi building a global soap brand, as well as the journeys of other small businesses.
• From a national business to a global success.
• Quote of the week: “Words travel worlds.  Translators do the driving.” – Anna Rusconi
• How to take an 'always on' approach to global marketing.
• Some serious knowledge on what to do – and what not to do – when scaling-up globally.

Pass Violets Looking For Roses

©2022 Laurel J, Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"We may pass violets looking for roses. We may pass contentment looking for victory." – Bernard Williams

Finding Global Brand Desirability

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Finding global brand desirability, according to Lisa Shiqi Yu, Genlab CEO and former digital transformation head of L’Oreal China and Elijah Whaley, VP of Marketing at Gainfluence, comes from combining superior product quality with defining your brand purpose, delivered through extraordinary customer experiences.

When it comes to long-term brand building, the local beauty brands can learn a lot from foreign brands.  See what the future brings.

Seriously, What Does Metaverse Mean?

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Mentally replace the phrase “the metaverse” in a sentence with “cyberspace.”  That's what the folks at Wired magazine wants you to do.

Ninety percent of the time, the meaning won't substantially change. That's because the term doesn't really refer to any one specific type of technology, but rather a broad (and often speculative) shift in how we interact with technology. And it's entirely possible that the term itself will eventually become just as antiquated, even as the specific technology it once described becomes commonplace. 

CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg or Satya Nadella talk about the metaverse as the future of the internet. Or it's a video game. Or maybe it's a deeply uncomfortable, worse version of Zoom?

So, with all this in mind.  Seriously, what does Metaverse mean?

Roe v. Wade: Women Have a Right To Choose

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A woman has a right to choose.  I have a right to choose.  Simple is that.  Yet, the Supreme Court has voted to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, according to an initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito circulated inside the court and obtained by POLITICO.

“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” he [Alito] writes in the document, labeled as the “Opinion of the Court.” “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”

David Axelrod has it right:  "This is a wholesale withdrawal of a basic right."

Women deserve better.  We decide and no one else does. "Women's rights are human rights and human rights are women's rights," says Hillary Clinton.

Legal information.  LIVE updates.  14th Amendment.

Turning An E-commerce Accelerator Into a Billion-Dollar Business

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Serial entrepreneur Somdutta Singh aimed to carve out a profession of her liking. Born to doctor parents from Kolkata, the first-generation entrepreneur has launched several ventures over the years.

“At a very early age, I had decided this was not the life and future I would want for myself. I wanted freedom of choice. I wanted to travel the world and have a better work-life balance. I was determined to break tradition and chase my dreams," say Somdutta.

Her latest startup, Assiduus Global Inc. — an AI-powered cross-border ecommerce accelerator — helps direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands launch, scale, and grow across ecommerce marketplaces and geographies by enabling their digital commerce through end-to-end distribution and supply chain management.

Today in Global Small Business: Work Remotely Forever

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

• Work remotely forever, that's what Airbnb tells its employees.
• Wearable medical devices are on the rise.
• Managing an international team.
• Quote of the week: “I can’t tell you the number of CEOs I talked to who are thinking, ‘I have to solve the diversity challenge in my business, and remote work is one of the key tools… We have to let go of this very office-centric culture and incorporate people who are in a lot of geographies.” – Hayden Brown, CEO of Upwork
• Movable Ink activates data into personalized content in any customer engagement and is a powerful extension to the technologies that marketers use today.
• Rooster connects seafood buyers and suppliers, giving them tools to trade effectively, negotiate prices and process deliveries in Europe.
• Happy World Trade month!