Today in Global Small Business: Show Respect and Do Business Across Borders

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

• Just the fear of a trade war is straining the global economy.
• Join the next WEGGinar™ on 7/11 to learn how to harness cloud computing and at the same time find out key growth lessons from more than 50 startup owners using cloud computing.  It's free of charge and you can register here. 
• How to show respect and do business across borders.
• The Trump trade war effect on certain US cities.
• eBay go global platform attracts a lot of Malaysian businesses.
• Don't be vulnerable to big companies -- learn to scale.

Happiness Radiates

"Happiness radiates like the fragrance from a flower and draws all good things towards you." -- Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Photos courtesy:  ©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Global Superstar Firms

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The rise of the global superstar firm.  That is a warning buried at the end of the International Monetary Fund's (IMF's) report on the American economy.

The question becomes:  Are some businesses just too dominant, too big, for the overall good of the economy?

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The IMF - a membership organization of 189 nations - is careful not to name names.

And firms which some might think the target - such as Apple, Facebook or Google - point out that their success comes from providing products and services that consumers want.

"Markets reward success," as the article The rise of the global mega-firms -- why the IMF is worried, states.

Why Go Global? Top Ten Reasons.

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Less than one percent of America’s 30 million companies export – a percentage that is significantly lower than all other developed countries.

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Yet successful small businesses are learning how to master the transition from being a local company to global. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, more than 70 percent of the world’s purchasing power is located outside of the United States.

That’s why many businesses are jumping on the global bandwagon – to capitalize on the potential of tremendous growth. Here are ten reasons to do so.

Top 10 Reasons to Go Global by Laurel Delaney

Britain's SMEs Enjoy Export Boost

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Telford-based Global Freight says the national figures, as noted below, mirror its own experience working with SMEs.

New figures which show that Britain’s small manufacturers are enjoying the fastest growth in export orders in more than a decade.

Nicole Gunter, managing director of Global Freight, said the figures reflected an increased drive by small manufacturers to tap into new markets in the wake of Brexit.

Read more about how SMEs are winning new business around the globe.

Catching the Global Entrepreneurial Bug

Today in Global Small Business: From Startup to Global Expansion

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

• Harness cloud computing and at the same time find out key growth lessons from more than 50 startup owners using cloud computing. 
• For future growth and prosperity, the Brits, especially Prince William, have a big push on exporting.
• States are rolling out the welcome mat for global trade.
• Where are we now on global trade for SMEs?
• How to turn website visitors into customers.
• From startup to global expansion.  A dream come true.
• Listen in on the WEGGinar™, "Grow Globally by Offering Competitive Financing Solutions" and learn how NOT to lose a sale because you don't know how to offer good terms to your overseas customer.

Wonders of a Summer Sunset

©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator." -- Mahatma Gandhi

Small Town Businesses Get a Global Presence

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According to the report (PDF) "Platform-Enabled Small Business Formation as a Counterweight Against Forces of Economic Concentration" from the eBay Policy Lab, online marketplaces give small businesses and entrepreneurs access to outside economies in these rural areas. This is driving growth in counties across the country which are not experiencing the same amount of expansion as in the coastal or more popular regions. -- Source:  Small Business Trends

We [eBay] have studied the patterns and growth of enterprises using the eBay Marketplace. Irrespective of where in the world we have looked, we have found micro and small businesses leveraging the online commerce platform model to engage in expansive commerce, often on a global scale. Across more than 50 countries we have studied so far, spanning the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe, technology is empowering small firms to build operations that serve consumers across an unprecedented number of countries.

Learn more about how eBay is giving small town businesses a global presence.

Rewiring the Global Small Business Economy

©iStock/Worawee Meeplan

By giving businesses and their advisors a way to grow their business through connected accounting and business tools, Xero is soaring.

Herman Man, Vice President of Product and Partnerships at Xero, said: “Xero has long had a vision to rewire the global small business economy by giving small businesses and their advisors access to a powerful, global platform. 

Learn more about Xero's new features to small business accounting, which help accountants and bookkeepers assist their clients by asking the big questions, on cash flow, profit and revenue.

The World Has Lost the Great Designer Kate Spade

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Kate Spade, whose handbags every woman seemed to have, is dead at 55.  Here are some articles that related to her company's global growth.

• How Social Media Helped Kate Spade Become a Global Brand
• Kate Spade is a Brand Ready to Boom Around the World
• International Stores for Kate Spade
• Kate Spade New York Announces the Launch of a New Global Lifestyle Brand, Kate Spade Saturday
• Coach Just Bought Kate Spade New York for a Cool $2.4 Billion

In closing, read more about how Kate Spade became an icon and why her fashion legacy will live on despite her recent death.

Been There. Done It.

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British Childs Farm founder and Chief Executive Officer, Joanna Jensen says that making friends with entrepreneurs who have been there and done it is a key to eventual global business success. "Cosmetics can be a lonely place; it's all global pharmaceutical companies," explains Jensen.

[Fast forward ...] Today, the firm has 20 staff and an annual turnover of £5.7m. Bestsellers include its cocoa and shea butter baby moisturizer (£4.50) and a grapefruit and organic tea tree oil hair detangler (£5). It exports to Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Read more about the mechanisms out there to help build a global business like Childs Farm.