A Different Perspective to Going Global

Are you operating an online business in Australia and thinking about expanding into the United States?  What are the factors you should consider before moving ahead?

Discover what Guy Ward (pictured), business mentor, Small Business Mentoring Service (Australia), has to say on this.

What to Consider When Going Global

Demonstrate Your Ability to Conduct Global Business

In our interconnected world that is constantly changing, it's hard to stay ahead of all the rules and regulations concerning international trade.  How can you continue to learn, discover best practices in global commerce and prove to prospective clients that you know a thing or two about conducting global business?

One way is to become a certified global business professional (CGBP). 

The primary benefit for becoming a certified global business professional is to demonstrate your ability to conduct global business and to recognize your vast global business knowledge.

Below we outline what is a CGBP, how to become certified and what are the benefits.

How to Become a Certified Global Business Professional
by Laurel Delaney

Illustration credit:  NASBITE

As a Small Business, How Can You Go Global?

We will help you cut to the chase:

For a small-business owner, dealing with language barriers, cultural differences and all that red tape is daunting. The good news is that there is an entire government agency, the U.S. Commercial Service, dedicated to smoothing the way for companies that want to make that leap, with offices in more than 100 cities offering services specifically targeted to small businesses.

Are you ready?

Read the entire article here. It's worth it.  Heather Ranck, office director for the U.S. Commercial Service in North Dakota offers some great advice.

Related articles:

• The Gold Key Service:  How to Find Customers the World Over
• How to Find and Pre-Qualify Importing Wholesalers For Your Product Line Overseas

Illustration credit: U.S. Commercial Service

World: Bird's Eye View of Chicago

©2012 Laurel J. Delaney, "Bird's Eye View of Chicago"

Our photo above (taken at Fullerton and the Chicago lakefront) was featured on NBC Channel 5 last night and in the weather section of the Chicago Sun Times (9/25).  Enjoy!

Posted by:  Laurel Delaney, for the The Global Small Business Blog

Expand Internationally, Find Customers and Get Paid

I authored this three-part series for The Knowledge Center - American Express.  I hope it helps you prepare for international expansion, find customers and get paid by customers all over the world.

International Expansion Part 1 of 3:  Are You Ready for International Expansion?

International Expansion Part 2 of 3:  How to Find International Customers

International Expansion Part 3 of 3:  How to Get Paid By International Customers

If you have any questions, feel free to email me.  Or, if you have additional tips to share, please comment, thanks.

Come Take A Look at the Rising Breed of Global Business Leaders

Fusion Entrepreneurs:  Cross-Cultural Execs & Companies Revolutionizing the Global Economy by Edward Iwata

A new book, Fusion Entrepreneurs: Cross-Cultural Execs & Companies Revolutionizing the Global Economy (cover shown), authored by our esteemed colleague, journalist, blogger and friend, Edward Iwata (9/21):

I'm pleased to announce that my new independent e-book, Fusion Entrepreneurs: Cross-Cultural Execs & Companies Revolutionizing the Global Economy, is live now in the Amazon Kindle Store and on Smashwords, a leading e-book distributor in Silicon Valley. (If you don't have Amazon's Kindle e-reader or Barnes & Noble's Nook e-reader, you can download a free Kindle app or Nook app to read their books on your computer or mobile device.) Fusion Entrepreneurs also will appear in a few days in Apple's iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, Sony Reader Store, Diesel and other e-book retailers.

Fusion Entrepreneurs explores the rising breed of diverse global business leaders and the powerful economic megatrends sweeping the world. There are profiles and interviews of AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega, Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, IBM Venture Capital Group's Claudia Fan Munce, Azul Airline founder David Neeleman, rapper and Internet entrepreneur MC Hammer, the Pi Brothers mixed-martial-arts sports entrepreneurs, and others.

His blog is:  CoolGlobalBIZ.com

Get your book here.

Illustration credit:  CoolGlobalBiz.com (post about the book)

Posted by:  The Global Small Business Blog

Get Cultured

Are you familiar with the Culture-ist Magazine?

Culture-ist is an online magazine for people who are passionate about being active members of a global society. Our mission is to spread the word about innovators, entrepreneurs, artisans and philanthropists who spend their days making life just a little bit better for others.

They even have a small business section.

Get cultured here.  Related post:  Designing across cultures.

Think Export: Supply and Demand

Tools like Google can make exports come alive.

QuickBooks Goes Global

Now small businesses can work smarter from any place in the world.  For the first time, small businesses globally can easily create localized invoices, pay bills and track expenses with the availability of QuickBooks Online from Intuit Inc.

Check it out here to make it work for your business - in your country.

Beacon of Hope For the World: Small Businesses

Is America’s preeminence in the world endangered?

The American Dream has become an inspiration and a beacon of hope not only for America, but for the entire world. As an entrepreneur who has benefitted greatly from the American Dream, I am personally ...

Read the entire opinion piece here: Preserving the American Dream Through Small Businesses

Illustration credit:  Saving the American Dream (book)

Small Businesses Are Part of Solution to the World's Economic Slowdown

ISBC, International Small Business Congress, opens in South Africa, the next growth frontier after Asia.

What is ISBC?

The International Small Business Congress (ISBC) gathers individuals from governments (policymakers), small business support agencies, entrepreneurs, business membership organizations, academia, financial institutions, international development agencies and various others with an interest in entrepreneurship and small business development around the world to discuss issues pertinent to the promotion of entrepreneurship and small business worldwide.

 South African Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies says:

"Small enterprises do not only provide economic opportunities for the runners and operators of those small and medium enterprises, but also many of the new jobs that are created in expanding economies come from small enterprises.

Learn more about what's happening here.

World, We Are Out to Expand Your Mind

According to edudemic:

6 Videos On Globalization and Technology That Will Blow Your Mind

Worth a watch.

Illustration credit (unrelated to the videos): Imagining the Internet 

Posted by:  The Global Small Business Blog

Benefits to International Trading, a UK Perspective

Lloyds TSB -- supporting UK businesses -- provides the benefits of international trading, then takes you through the stages of assessing your own company's suitability for exporting.

• Key considerations
• Minimising risk
• Exporting cashflow calculator
• Exporting decision tool
• Real stories
• Trading for growth

Learn more here.  For an American perspective, visit here.

Condolences to the United States and Victims' Families

We express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims of this week's attack on the U.S. compound in Libya. Those victims are: Ambassador Chris Stevens, Glen A. Doherty, Sean Smith and Tyrone S. Woods.

An Online SME Portal For the World

I have been pitched on a new tool for small and medium-sized businesses who are interested in navigating the complexities of exporting and participating in the global market.

Feel free to explore and give it a test drive:  WebPort Global (in partnership with Export.gov)

America's Best: Allen Edmonds Poised for Export Growth

Meet Kermit Lynch: Wine Importer for 40 Years

When Kermit Lynch first started out, he imported wines from all over the world.  Now, he focuses on small, family-owned estates in Italy and France.

As Mr. Lynch says:

"You can't really dig too deeply if you try to cover the world."

He estimates that he imports wines from 150 producers, and is always looking for more. For every 100 producers he visits, Mr. Lynch might only add a single one to his portfolio.

Read more about Kermit Lynch here and learn about a book he wrote, Adventures on the Wine Route (as shown above), that is considered one of the best on the wine business.

Netrepreneurs Will Drive Growth in China

Netrepreneurs will drive forward progress in China, says Alibaba Group founder and chairman Jack Ma (pictured) at the company’s annual AliFest gathering in its home city of Hangzhou.

“I’m confident and optimistic,” Ma said, telling the audience that they were like immigrants who would build a new era in China. “Transparency and sharing will be the cornerstone of our value system,” he said. “On this basis, netrepreneurs will drive forward progress in China.”

Read all about what's going on with Jack Ma, China-based Alibaba (where consumers will buy more than $157 billion worth of merchandise) and the netrepreneurs in China here.

Singapore Opens Doors For African Partners

Have you heard this?  African leaders say they want to become the Singapore of Africa.  That's according to Singapore's minister of state for foreign affairs, Masagos Zulkifli.

The Singapore-Africa relationship is not new, but much of it is happening under the radar of the respective national authorities. The Singaporean high commissioner to Nigeria, Shabbir Hassanbhai, explains that he was surprised to learn about a Singaporean company with offices in Nigeria that imports auto parts and has a turnover of $2m per month. "We would never have even known about them if they hadn't approached us to help with a payment issue," says Hassanbhai.

Learn more about what's happening ... Can Singapore Drive Africa's Growth?

Illustration credit:  The Africa Report.com

The Wrigley Building Chicago at Night

©2012 Laurel Delaney, "Wrigley Building At Night"

The Wrigley Building Chicago at night ... a Chicago original.  Related Wrigley posts here.

Photo credit:  ©2012 Laurel Delaney, "Wrigley Building At Night"

Looking for Disruptive Ideas? Try the Developing World

Where will the next game changing idea take place? 

We Americans may think of poorer nations as hotbeds of war and disease, a place to send our charity checks. But emerging economies are actually an invaluable breeding ground for innovations that could change lives in the U.S.

Think along the lines of what is called "reverse innovation" or a Lab For the World.

Discover more here.

Illustration credit:  dENiZEN® | Levi Strauss & Co.   The dENiZEN® name means “inhabitant” – belonging to a community of family and friends. Denim is in the name, the heart of the brand.

Learn, Grow and Prepare for Global Business

A good read can get you thinking about how to become a great global citizen.  Here are fourteen (14) books about global education.  It's a good follow on to our What's the Key to the World? post.

14 Best Books About Global Education

Illustration credit:  Global Student by Maya Frost

Bloopers and Blunders in the World Marketplace

Does it really matter how or what you communicate to your customers around the world, especially when it involves your brand?  If so, then read these fourteen examples of funny mistranslations that could have been avoided had the companies cared enough to hire a professional translator or translation agency.

Funny Mistranslations From Around the World

The Global Small Business Depot: Your Store for Great Global Gifts

Looking for items that promote going global?  Look no further.

Visit:   The Global Small Business Depot -- a store for entrepreneurs and small businesses interested in going global.

You will find caps, shirts (as shown -- I just bought to wear!), pins and stamps.  Take a look!

Full disclosure:  We create these products for fun and to promote going global.

Building a Business in the Arab World

The Wall Street Journal talks with Aramex co-founder Fadi Ghandou about expanding into the Arab world.  Here's one of the questions addressed.

WSJ: How important is it for new companies starting out to think regionally—or even globally?
 
Mr. Ghandour: You need to think of the neighborhood. How do I sell my product or services? The Levant (Lebanon, Syria and Jordan) and the GCC (the Gulf Cooperation Council, which comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) are a must [for companies in the region]. You can't scale up unless these markets open. Eventually, going global is another story altogether. It takes more time and capital

Read the entire interview here.

Here's another good article on doing business in the Middle East and this one involves the Cheesecake Factory.

For the World to See: Sunrise in Chicago

©Laurel Delaney 2012, "Sunrise in Chicago 1"

©Laurel Delaney 2012, "Sunrise in Chicago 2"

©Laurel Delaney 2012, "Sunrise in Chicago 3"

Enjoy your weekend!

Posted by:  Laurel Delaney, for The Global Small Business Blog