Rain Kissed the Flower

©2021 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Rain kissed the flower, and the petals embraced the rain drops." – Arvinth Manoharan

10 Ways to Spot a Toxic Mentor Anywhere in the World

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With the global pandemic, many people have been reaching out to total strangers online to help provide a lifeline to building a better business or becoming a more effective leader.  Good mentorships are built on trust and respect. Without these vital elements, mentoring can become toxic.

Here are 10 signs that your mentor may be toxic.

1. Self-focused 
2. Lack of encouragement 
3. Unreliable 
4. Low listening skills
5. Failure to admit weakness 
6. Zero boundaries 
7. Shares too much 
8. Berates you
9. Lacks a sense of humor
10. Bad advice 

Read the entire article, here.

What Does Brand Purpose Mean to You?

©iStock/Onur Hazar Altindag

What is “brand purpose”?  Should all brands have one?  How can you figure out what your brand’s purpose should be?  Should it be local or global or both?  How has your brand evolved during the pandemic?

Let's find out.

Think Your Business Is Ready to Go Global?

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Exporting might seem like reaching for Mars (maybe not to Richard Branson or Jeff Bezos) with customers thousands of miles away or speaking another language. 

In reality, those customers are closer than you think, and luckily, you have your own Mission Control Dashboard to provide guidance as you move along your export journey.

Read on to learn about government resources that will help you be ready to go global.

Acknowledge Cybersecurity Needs Fixing

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What you need to know about cybersecurity:  Expect a future where a computer doesn't just connect you, but can also be a weapon.

Not a week seems to go by anymore without news of another U.S. agency or business falling victim to a cyberattack.  

For perspective on the problem, a panel of experts was rounded up to answer 10 questions. Check out their answers.

Today in Global Small Business: China's Growth Is Starting to Level Off

©iStock/Julien Viry

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

• After a year of leading the global economy out of the pandemic slump, China’s growth is now starting to level off, as the world tries to assess whether the country’s recovery will continue or peter out.
• Diversity is America’s greatest economic development asset.
• African start-ups attract international investors – but need local ones too.
• Quote of the week:  “When we started the e-commerce, nobody believed that China would have e-commerce because people believed in 'guang-shi,' face-to-face, and all kinds of network in traditional ways. There's no trust system in China." – Jack Ma
• Creating a successful online business from scratch.
• Galaxy Basmati Rice can proudly boast of itself as one of the few companies that can produce basmati rice conforming to the highest international standards.

There Are No Wrong Turnings

©2021 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"There are no wrong turnings.  Only paths we had not known we were meant to walk." ― Guy Gavriel Kay, Tigana

The Next Big Global Thing In Alternative Meat and Dairy

©iStock/etienne voss

Chicago-based Nature’s Fynd has raised $158 million in funding from investors including Bezos, Gates, and Al Gore. The company’s meatless breakfast patties and dairy-free cream cheese are scheduled to hit grocers’ shelves later this year, with other meatless products including burgers, chicken-less nuggets and yogurt in development.  The product is made using fungus as the primary ingredient to create alt-meat foods.

The climate-conscious food consumer:  Beyond fungus, Nature’s Fynd also is representative of the food sustainability movement, whose mission is to reduce the carbon footprint of global food systems, which generate 34% of greenhouse emissions linked to climate change.

The trick is learning to do more with less.  Read on ...

The Supply Chain Due Diligence Act: Protecting Human Rights and Ensuring a Sustainable Production

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The Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, coming into force on January 1, 2023, is intended to protect human rights and to ensure a sustainable production.Under the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, companies are obliged to identify and assess human rights and environmental risks and to establish an adequate and effective risk management system.

Scope of Application:  The new law is applicable to companies having their head office, principal place of business, administrative headquarters or registered office in Germany and employing more than 3,000 employees. In addition, foreign companies with a branch office and a corresponding number of employees in Germany are also subject to the new law. From 2024 onwards, this threshold shall be reduced to 1,000 employees. 

Read on to learn more:  The New German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (with a view across the border).

Shipping Delays and High Freight Rates Hurt All Businesses, Especially Global Small Businesses

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An average of 30 container ships a day have been stuck outside the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach just waiting to deliver their goods. The backlog is part of a global supply-chain mess spurred by the pandemic that means consumers could see delivery delays for weeks.

The net result?  Everybody loses, especially global small businesses. 

Grow BIG By Going Global: 6 Trends by 6 Experts That Will Reshape 2021

©2021 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

As we move through 2021, the picture is becoming very hopeful and global business is not going away.  Through my work as President of Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global® and Chicago Chapter Chair for the Women Presidents' Organization, I’ve discovered that women business owners, now more than ever, are ready to grow big by going global.  It’s a fast ticket to find new customers.  

I asked six experts (as shown in the photo) to weigh in on six key trends – digital, strategy, wellness, supply chain, security risks, and remote work – that business owners should understand as they navigate through uncharted global territory.  

Here’s what they said.  

Today in Global Small Business: Global Loneliness Crisis?

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

• We are in the midst of a global loneliness crisis that struck long before “social distancing” entered our vernacular and our smiles were occluded by masks.
• The cryptocurrency exchange has processed trillions of dollars in trades this year as it transfers digital and conventional money around the world through a constellation of affiliates. And yet it has no headquarters.  Read on.
• A wide range of countries have agreed on a major overhaul of how to tax the world’s largest companies when doing business across borders.
• Quote of the week:  “Times may have changed, but there are some things that are always with us - loneliness is one of them." – Laurie Graham
• More than 200,000 [unverified] transport SMEs have joined the platform Vahak so far and roughly about 75-80%  per cent of them are small-scale companies.
• Amazon small business days:  Over 84,000 SME sellers received orders, 68% sellers from non-metros.