Small Businesses Make a World of a Difference

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In the United States we have Small Business Saturday, the Saturday after US Thanksgiving during one of the busiest shopping periods of the year, where people are encouraged to shop local.

In April, the UN General Assembly marked June 27, 2017 as a global day for the celebration of small and micro enterprises, recognizing the significant contribution this sector makes to its global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

To support local vendors ...

“Each and every one of you should go to three small businesses today and spend a minimum of $10 dollars,” he [Victorian Small Business Minister Philip Dalidakis] suggested. 

The reason [the UN] have got it right here is because small businesses do make a world of difference,” he [Dalidakis] said.

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4 Ways to Tap Into Rapidly Developing Economies

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As you craft your new overseas market expansion plan, think critically about where you should be going next to achieve massive growth. Discover the power of adding these tips that I [Laurel Delaney] write about here to your business development model and consider tapping into emerging markets to accelerate your company’s global growth.

Read more:  4 Ways to Achieve New Growth in Rapidly Developing Economies

Today in Global Small Business: Ireland's Most Powerful Women

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

• Ireland's most powerful women.
• How to finance export sales (WEGGinar™on 7/12 - no charge).
• Oh UPS and Martha Stewart are kissing ... to Alibaba because China is a BIG market.
• The pros and cons of selling on Amazon.
• How to take a website global.
• A view of business expansion via exporting.

Radio Obsession

©2017 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"I'm obsessed with radio.  It's a good start to Sunday morning." -- R.L. Stine

Be Local. Sell Global.

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Hassle-free exporting is on the way thanks to the Amazon Marketplace.  Amazon claims they can help get you on the world stage.

The Amazon Academy took place last month at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) in Edinburgh with the goal of helping small business owners navigate the world of ecommerce and exports.  If you couldn’t make the event itself, below is a round-up of some of the key points highlighted during the event.

Thanks to the internet and technology, Katie McQuaid, Director of Amazon Marketplace UK believes we can now be local and sell global.

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Internet Giants Are Transforming Trade

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While the Internet giants such as eBay, Amazon and Alibaba are transforming trade, global small businesses are doing their best at making it work too.  But the biggest barrier to a large-scale increase in SME cross-border trade is lack of finance.

E-commerce platforms are shrinking the world. Research by eBay estimates that whereas a 10% increase in distance between two trading partners reduced conventional trade by 18%, this number reduces to only 3% over the eBay marketplace. 

The question that begs to be asked is:  What are banks doing to review their own SME and trade finance models to make more funds available for international trade.  This will help SMEs transform their global trade activities too.

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How to Sustain Global Business Success

Finding a Spark to Identify Solutions for Contemporary Problems

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More and more universities are promoting global entrepreneurship.  According to Katia Passerini, Ph.D., Dean, College of Professional Studies at St. John's University, an innovation and entrepreneurial movement is taking place around the world and is building environments that encourage new, forward-thinking approaches.

“By connecting with students from different parts of the world, my hope is that they find that spark to identify solutions for contemporary problems,” said Dr. Monteiro [Basilio Monteiro, Ph.D., Associate Professor of International Communication at St. John's University]. “The future of business is in small enterprises, and entrepreneurs are the ones who are best prepared to respond to the needs of the marketplace, and particularly promote effective sustainable development goals.”

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Today In Global Small Business: How Can We Better Support Global Female Entrepreneurs?

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

• Amazon buys Whole Foods for more than $13 billion.  Forget groceries.  It's now about more important things.
• Which country accounts for 40 percent of global ecommerce transactions?
• How to finance export sales (WEGGinar™on 7/12 - no charge).
• The entrepreneurship bug is spreading in Canada.
• How can we better support global female entrepreneurs? And then there is WEGG.
• Do you have a global mindset?  And then there are other characteristics that lead to overseas success.

Save the World

©2017 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"I can save today, you can save the world." -- Steve, from the Wonder Woman movie (2017)

Canadian SMEs Get Help From Their Government on Exports

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How do Canadian SMEs boost their exports?  They turn to Export Development Canada (EDC), Canada's export credit agency, offering trade finance, export credit insurance, bonding services, and foreign market assistance.

Here's a look at some of the expertise offered by EDC:

• Country Risk Quarterly
• ExportWise
• Canada Tariff Finder
• Export and Business Plans
• Competitive Strategies
• Knowledge Center
• Country Information
• Compliance in International Trade ...

and there's more, visit:  Export Development Center (EDC)

7 Steps to Take a Business Global

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Career advice expert Margaret Francis talks about how to transform a local business into a global brand that has the potential to impact billions of lives across the globe.  She focuses on seven (7) key steps to take a business global:

1. Get ready and be prepared.
2. Be focused.
3. Use technology.
4. Find reliable partners.
5. Educate yourself about other cultures.
6. Start slow.
7. Utilize trade shows.
8. Oh, there's one more:  Read a good book.

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