A Millennial Redesign by Britain's Oldest Brand Lyle's Golden Syrup

©iStock/StephanieFrey

Oh what is the uproar all about?  Because Lyle’s Golden Syrup is undergoing a redesign?

Wait.  There's so much more to it.

The British baking staple, now owned by Tate & Lyle Sugars, is highly recognizable because the logo has been unchanged for 140 years. The product is even the Guinness World Records holder for the world's oldest logo. 

Now, the company has redesigned the label on some of its products. The syrup that comes in a tin will retain the old label (the brand put out a social media post assuring dedicated consumers it wouldn't be changing), while a new design has been released for other products, as well as the Lyle's Golden Syrup that is sold in plastic bottles.

Criticism is always expected when you update a logo, especially one as old as Lyle's.  Gosh everyone hates change even if it is for the best!

Have You Heard of Poland's Blik?

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Poland's Blik is one of many homegrown mobile payment service providers (PSPs) that have become integral to commerce in the countries they were launched. As local PSPs become more popular, relying strictly on global PSPs is no longer enough for businesses expanding to new geographies. They must address payment localization to build trust with customers and avoid losing sales. 

Blik powered 70% of e-commerce transactions in Poland last year. Find out what this means and why it is important.

Never Retreat From Globalization – You Might Regret It

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What was globalization meant to be?  Brining the world closer together, enmeshing advanced and developing economies in a web of mutually beneficial economic and financial linkages. From about the mid-1980s, trade and financial flows between countries expanded rapidly as governments dismantled barriers to these flows. 

Not everything went according to plan. Tensions rose as the benefits were not equally shared within or among countries.

As the Foreign Policy article (as featured in The Broadsheet) says:

Globalization is not dead, but it has clearly taken a turn toward fragmentation along geopolitical lines, which could have important economic consequences for all countries. 

Learn more to guard against any whiplash effect caused by retreating from globalization.

Today in Global Small Business: Global Small Businesses Need Financial Services, Not Charity

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

• Global small businesses need financial services, not charity.
• Today’s small businesses face extraordinary multi-layered challenges on local, state, national and global levels.  Here's why.
• China holds the key to speeding up debt relief and ending the “silent crisis” that is holding back attempts to tackle poverty in the world’s poorest countries, a senior World Bank official has said.
• Quote of the week:  "I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver." – Maya Angelou
• A small business incubator coming to east Tulsa, Oklahoma will be a first-of-its-kind resource statewide.
• In case you forgot, the Year of the Dragon (2024) according to the Chinese lunar calendar, small business retailers are poised to embody the dragon's symbolic strengths of power, boldness, and prosperity.

I'd Like to Say Thank You Very Much

©2024 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"For all the supporters of Tesla over the years, and it's been several years now and there have been some very tough times, I'd just like to say thank you very much. I deeply appreciate the support, particularly through the darkest times." – Elon Musk

Does Your Global Business Services Function Add Value?

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Less than half of companies believe their global business services (GBS) function adds value. This requires GBS organizations to adopt a new mindset—one that goes “Beyond GBS.”

Highlights:

•  “Beyond GBS” organizations strengthen their ownership of end-to-end outcomes. They run GBS like a business in terms of performance, cost, and service levels, and they attract more attention from the C-suite.

•  They lead digitization initiatives, scale their best practices internally using consistent structures and processes globally, and provide new value-added services adjacent to their core delivery.

•  Implementing this model involves building a robust digital and data backbone, fostering internal partnerships, and redefining the GBS mandate to include value-added activities beyond traditional transactional processes.

Read (8-minutes) the entire article here.

First Glow in the Dark House Plant Yours for U.S. $29

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*** Ground breaking event!*** Consumers in the United States can now pre-order a genetically engineered plant for their home or garden that glows continuously.

At a base cost of US$29.00, residents of the 48 contiguous states can get a petunia (Petunia hybrida) with flowers that look white during the day; but, in the dark, the plant glows a faint green.

Biotechnology firm Light Bio in Sun Valley, Idaho, will begin shipping a batch of 50,000 firefly petunias in April.

Keith Wood, chief executive and co-founder of Light Bio, has been working on bioluminescent plants — which emit light through chemical reactions inside their cells — since the 1980s. 

What countries does Light Bio ship to?  Currently, they ship Firefly Petunias only within the USA.

There certainly is some upside potential here once they decide to take on the world with their plant.

#standuptoPutin

©iStock/Dzurag

May Alexei Navalny's heroic sacrifice be a wakeup call to all. 

Note:  Photo is of a young girl putting her hand to a frosted wall in support of Alexei Navalny during a rally against his arrest in Moscow on January 23, 2021. 

Intrapreneurs Changed Corporations From Within

©iStock/syahrir maulana

What do these examples have in common?  Sony’s Playstation, Google's Gmail and 3M’s Post-it notes.  They all have intrapreneurship in common which was first coined in the 1970s in the context of corporate organizations.

Intrapreneurship was first coined in the 1970s – principally in the context of corporate organizations in a paper titled Intra-Corporate-Entrepreneurship. While entrepreneurs were creating start-ups, intrapreneurs were changing corporations from within. Intrapreneurs were corporate changemakers.

Smaller organizations have never been considered as being suitable places for intrapreneurs – where the need for organizational survival is tempered in mature organizations, the opposite is true in an SME context. 

Find out why here.

Today in Global Small Business: Celebrating U.S. Presidents Washington and Lincoln

©iStock/Gaurav Pandey

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

• Let's celebrate the birthdays of Washington and Lincoln.  Happy Presidents' Day.
• Unified Payment Interface (UPI) goes global.
• How Project Arya – launched by a 15-year-old entrepreneurs – is set to make a significant impact.
• Quote of the week:  "In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing." – Theodore Roosevelt
• Where's a good place to start a business in the world?
• The Norwegian Technical Calculation Committee for Wage Settlements sees inflation at 4.1 per cent in 2024, according to a recent statement.

I Know Exactly What I Want

©2024 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"I'm tough, ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay." – Madonna 

Amazon Audience Targeting: Increase Your Revenue, See Real Conversions and Maximize Your Ad Budget

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If you’re looking to increase your revenue and see real conversions, Amazon audience targeting helps maximize your ad budget. 

Amazon provides the perfect opportunity to sell to millions online, extending reach far beyond a brick-and-mortar storefront. Due to the sheer volume of web traffic that Amazon receives each month, many sellers focus all of their efforts exclusively there rather than open their Direct to Consumer (DTC) website.

eCommerce brands will see greater success by narrowing their target audience rather than selling to every consumer in the world.

Learn about three basic types of ads that appear in specific places with Amazon targeting.

Global-First Mindset

©iStock/FotografieLink

What’s the difference between doing business globally, and being a global-first business? What are the positives, pitfalls, and most crucially, how do you ensure your business isn't left behind in the race towards global-first dominance in 2024? 

Doing business globally might involve expanding your operations across borders, tapping into international markets, and perhaps establishing a presence in multiple countries.  

On the other hand, being global-first is a strategic mindset that places the global market at the forefront of every decision. 

Learn more about the distinction between the two here.

Love Is Our True Destiny

©iStock/Marina Leer

"Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone - we find it with another." – Thomas Merton

The One and Only Web Globalization Report Card 2024 by John Yunker

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I've been a fan of John Yunker's for more than two decades.  No one knows web globalization like John does.  He's the expert of all so-called experts on this topic.  Check out some past post about John here. 

The exciting news is that he is finishing up his latest popular report card, "The Web Globalization Report Card 2024," available in two weeks.  Meanwhile, here's a glimpse of what the report offers.  He adds:

"I can tell you now that I've seen a small but notable rebound in languages, which is nice to see. Last year was the first time we witnessed a net loss in overall languages. Looks like the average number of languages supported by the leading global brands will come in at 34 languages."

Reach out to John to learn more about his company and discover a special package deal he is offering that includes a one-hour presentation on "10 Lessons from 20 Years of Web Globalization."

His email is listed in the lower left hand corner of his website: https://bytelevel.com/.    

Today in Global Small Business: What to Expect in the Year of the Dragon 2024

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

• What you should expect in the Year of the Dragon 2024.
• The Year of the Wood Dragon 2024, an explainer.
• The Year of the Dragon, predictions for your Chinese zodiac sign.
• Quote of the week:  "You’re a Dragon, and of all the signs only a Dragon can tame the fates. Only a Dragon can wear the horns of destiny, duty, and power." – Lisa See
• Thousands turn out for the Year of the Dragon 2024 celebrations.
• Learn more about the Chinese zodiac.

My Heart Beats Differently When I'm in Chicago

©2024 Laurel J. Delaney.  All right reserved.

"It’s one of the greatest cities on the planet. My heart beats differently when I’m in Chicago. It slows down and I feel more at ease." – Jeremy Piven

Soul Calming Music For the World to Heal

Creating a Consistent Global Customer Experience

©iStock/Stock photo and footage

Building a global company is easier, but also more nuanced and complex, than ever before. In the past, companies could limit expansion in a more controlled fashion to just one market at a time. In the digital age, global growth is far more continuous and incremental in nature. 

But with this new approach comes risk: If your customers in one market receive less value than those in another, they perceive your offering differently. This is not only unfair to them, but it can also hurt your business in the long run. 

To truly create an equitable experience for your customers, you will need to focus as early as possible on driving a global mindset.  Start here to learn how it is done.

Dubai Government's $136 Million SME Push to Help Small Businesses Globalize

©iStock/IR_Stone

The Dubai government’s $136 million SME push to help small business to globalize will trigger an immediate influx of entrepreneurs and top talents from around the world to either expand or set up new businesses in the emirate, before taking them global, because of the inclusivity of the initiative, experts and industry players said.

The new initiative is also expected to ignite a flurry of expansions and new product launches by existing small and medium businesses and marketplaces by taking advantage of the interest-free loans to gear up for their regional and global plans. 

The move should attract a wide array of talent.  Is this something you should consider for your global small business?

From Japan to Global – a wegginar® with Kaori Shimazaki (2/7/24 at 11 AM CT)

©2024 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All rights reserved.

Who is Kaori Shimazaki?  Glad you asked because she is wegg's next wegginar® presenter!

Kaori is CEO and founder of SAKE Generation.  Her journey spans diverse corporate landscapes and entrepreneurial milestones.  It goes like this ...

Before entrepreneurship, she held pivotal roles, including Business Planning Lead at Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan, P&A Manager at Asurion Japan, and Controller at Credit Suisse.  During her tenure at Coca-Cola, Kaori pursued an MBA at the University of Chicago while co-founding the pioneering SAKE project with an international team. This venture reached the finals of the Chicago Global New Venture Challenge Competition. 

Once she established SAKE Generation in 2019, her initiatives garnered recognition from various prestigious platforms, such as the U.S. Embassy’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Program, where she secured the Bronze Award in a competitive pitch contest. 

Additionally, she contributed to Tokyo’s NY Expansion Support Program (X Hub Tokyo) and the APTWoman program, which led her to explore Silicon Valley as a cultural envoy. 

Kaori’s commitment to expertise is reflected in her professional qualifications, including a U.S. CPA acquired in 2008, an MBA from the University of Chicago in 2019, and certifications as a Certified SAKE Professional and Sake Sommelier in 2019 and 2021, respectively.

If that doesn't all WOW you, this will.

You can participate in Kaori's upcoming wegginar free of charge on 2/7 at 11 AM CT thanks to wegg's generous sponsors: https://bit.ly/3vx7xik.

Find out how she accomplished all of the above when she presents: "From Japan to Global:  Exporting the new SAKE Experience!"

Today in Global Small Business: Honoring Black History Month

©iStock/Elena lakovieva

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

• Black History Month is a month to reflect, honor and value the contributions African Americans have made to our country.
• Six (6) books for kids to read to learn about Black history
• The man behind Black history month (might require subscription).
• Quote of the week: "The battles that count aren't the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself - the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us - that's where it's at." – Jesse Owens
• Ways to celebrate Black History Month.
• Why we celebrate Black History Month.

Hang Out With the People You Love

©2024 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"I surround myself with some pretty cool people, and we all have a great time together, and so I just like to hang out with the people I love and see what happens. We always have a good time." – Charlie Weber

What's Next For Evergrande's Creditors and What Their Collapse Means for Global Business

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A Hong Kong court on recently ordered the liquidation of Evergrande, the heavily indebted Chinese property giant. The decision comes two years after the company defaulted, setting off a financial crisis at other developers and adding to the challenges facing the world’s second-largest economy. 

The company’s dissolution raises questions about fairness for overseas creditors — which could have wider implications for foreign businesses operating in China. 

Learn how Evergrande fell (limited access).

Global Growth Stronger Than Expected in 2024

©iStock/Galeanu Mihai

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), global growth is stronger than expected and will be 3.1% in 2024, the same as in 2023, as the US and emerging economies have shown resilience to previous crises, with strong consumption driving the growth.

The IMF has increased its previous forecast by 0.2%, in its latest World Economic Outlook report, factoring in upgrades for China, the United States, and large developing economies.  Global GDP is expected to accelerate slightly in 2025, by 3.2%.

Read the entire piece, including a mention about shaky growth in Europe.