Monday, March 18, 2024

Today in Global Small Business: Why Are the Houthis Attacking the Red Sea Ships?

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

  • Why are the Houthis attacking the Red Sea ships.
  • The Red Sea shipping crisis:  lessons for importers.
  • The impacts of the Red Sea crisis.
  • Quote of the week:  "What’s happened right now is short-term chaos, and chaos leads to increased costs,” says Ryan Petersen, CEO of the supply chain management company Flexport. “Every ship that gets rerouted has 10,000 containers on it.  It’s a lot of emails and phone calls getting made to replan each of those container journeys.”
  • Many companies are impacted by the Red Sea conflict, including the arts.
  • How the shipping industry is dealing with the tensions in the Red Sea.

Saturday, March 16, 2024

The Irish Emit a Kind of Happiness, a Joy

©2024 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.
"Even when they have nothing, the Irish emit a kind of happiness, a joy." —Fiona Shaw [Happy St. Patrick's Day 2024!  Photo of Grace O'Malley's.]

Friday, March 15, 2024

Say Hello to Sora, the Next AI Game Changer

©iStock/tiratus phaesuwan
OpenAI has introduced new technology – Sora – that uses artificial intelligence to create high-quality videos from text descriptions. 

The company released short clips showcasing vivid, seemingly realistic videos, including woolly mammoths trekking across a snowy field, ocean waves crashing against a cliff’s shoreline and people doing everyday things like reading a book or walking down a city street.

You heard it here second.  The Wall Street Journal reported it first.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Tmall Global: Serving 100 Million Customers in a Decade

©iStock/Adriana Montoya
Tmall Global’s cross-border goods are stocked in warehouses in China’s biggest cities, making next-day delivery possible for over half of its orders. 

What is Tmall Global?  Alibaba Group’s Tmall Global has built a cross-border platform serving over 100 million customers in the last ten years – helping brands from British beauty devices brand CurrentBody to Australian health products producer Blackmores reach China’s consumers. 

Take a look at their major milestones from launch to running China’s largest platform for imported goods.  You'll also spot quite a few familiar American faces selling their wares through Tmall Global.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

The Potential of AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) For Global Growth

©iStock/metamorworks
From a global standpoint, almost three-quarters (73 percent) of business leaders are excited by the potential of AI and large language models (LLMs) for business expansion—and this excitement is well-warranted. AI and LLMs are going to enable global growth in a way never before seen.

Learn more how AI will shape global business expansion in 2024 and the top 4 trends to watch.

Monday, March 11, 2024

Today in Global Small Business: Accelerating Women's Economic Empowerment

©iStock/Media Lens King
What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

Saturday, March 09, 2024

The Irish

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.
"There are two kinds of people in the world:  the Irish and those who wish they were." – Irish Saying

Friday, March 08, 2024

Saluting All Women Worldwide For Their Enormous Achievements

©iStock/PeterSnow
"The most important thing one woman can do for another is to illuminate and expand her sense of actual possibilities." – Adrienne Rich

Thursday, March 07, 2024

How to Successfully Navigate International Growth

©iStock/liuzishan
Businesses are increasingly considering international expansion as a key avenue for growth. However, navigating unfamiliar territories can be a daunting task for those venturing into new markets for the first time. 

Eighteen Newsweek expert forum members share tips for how businesses can successfully navigate international growth. By prioritizing research and building strong local connections, business leaders can engage with new audiences with confidence.

Wednesday, March 06, 2024

For the Product Creators and Global Traders the World

©iStock/gorodenkoff
Six (6) interesting resources that I [Laurel Delaney] write about for businesses operating in the global marketplace.  Mainly for those who are sourcing and need help with product creation.

From TradeWheel to KYG Trade, expand your resources in order to thrive with your global small business.

Tuesday, March 05, 2024

Designing For Extremes: wegginar® by Keona Moy on 3/6 at 10 AM CT

©2024 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All rights reserved.
What does it mean to design for extremes for a global audience?  Find out on Wednesday, March 6th at 10 AM CT when CEO and founder Keona Moy talks about "From Niche to Norm:  The Global Power of Designing for Extremes" and:

  • How to broaden impact through specific solutions
  • How to design for extreme cases
  • What the benefits are when designing for extreme cases
  • How to adopt a mindset of designing for extremes to transform a company culture
  • How to identify extreme use cases and integrate these insights into a design process

Enlightening?  You bet because designing for extremes ensures that products cater to a wide range of users, not just the average.  To learn more and to register free of charge, visit:  https://bit.ly/4994UlO.

Who is Keona Moy?

Keona Moy is a dynamic entrepreneur and self-taught designer with a rich 15-year background in healthcare. Her unique journey in the healthcare industry, combined with a self-driven foray into fashion design, led to the founding of VKTORI. As CEO, Keona's deep understanding of health and wellness influences her approach to fashion, emphasizing comfort and inclusivity.

Her transition from healthcare consultant to fashion entrepreneur was sparked by a personal realization: the necessity for apparel that marries comfort with style, especially for neurodiverse individuals. This inspired the creation of VKTORI's signature product, the No-Nip Tee, embodying the brand’s ethos of challenging traditional fashion norms.

Keona's expertise in identifying niche needs and translating them into universally appealing designs is at the heart of VKTORI. Her vision extends beyond clothing; Keona sees VKTORI as a platform for empowering women to be shamelessly comfortable with all their 'extremes'. 

Participate here.