Exports Matter: Diversify Markets, Strengthen Firms and Grow Jobs

©iStock/bugphal

San Diego, California-based FoxFury Lighting Solutions exports cutting-edge “Xtremium” headlamp products to China, Japan, and other countries around the world, helping fire and rescue officials respond to major global humanitarian disasters from earthquakes in Fukushima and Italy to hurricanes in Puerto Rico and Texas.  Its shift from a domestically-focused company to a global exporter is an evolution that is still relatively uncommon among U.S. firms.

Many of these efforts stem from the Global Cities Initiative, which made the case in the aftermath of the Great Recession that exports mattered because of the opportunity to diversify markets, strengthen firms and regional economies, and grow well-paying jobs.

Learn more about how FoxFury made crucial connections to dealers in Japan and Germany, establishing the firm as a potential partner in a business where leads and trust can often take years to build.

Five U.S. officials Shaping Trump's Trade Battles

©iStock/Aurelio Antonio

As President Trump's trade fights fuel fears of a global recession and threaten his reelection prospects, five U.S. officials are shaping many of Trump's decision:

1. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin
2. White House trade adviser Peter Navarro
3. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer
4. National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow
5. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell

The president’s trade battles with China, Europe and the Democratic-controlled House are seen as further restraining an already slowing global economy.

Read more about five key players in Trump's trade battles.

How SMEs Can Develop a Killer Customer Experience

©iStock/Urupong

For small businesses, the internet is something of a double-edged sword. It has leveled the marketing playing field, while simultaneously opening small local markets up to international competition.

Today, however, small businesses have a new option – to exploit their local bona fides with a local digital marketing strategy.

Explore further on forward-looking strategies.

Today in Global Small Business: How to Move Toward Greatness

©iStock/olm26250

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

• Best cell phone plans for small businesses.  
• Quote of the week: “When [what you are deeply passionate about, what you can be best in the world at and what drives your economic engine] come together, not only does your work move toward greatness, but so does your life. For, in the end, it is impossible to have a great life unless it is a meaningful life. And it is very difficult to have a meaningful life without meaningful work. Perhaps, then, you might gain that rare tranquility that comes from knowing that you’ve had a hand in creating something of intrinsic excellence that makes a contribution. Indeed, you might even gain that deepest of all satisfactions: knowing that your short time here on this earth has been well spent, and that it mattered.”— Jim Collins, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't
• U.S. small business owners feel 'peachy' over the state of the global economy? 
• Are you using social media to empower your small business?
• Global e-commerce trends to launch your business across borders.
• 18 must-have travel apps for traveling abroad.

Life is Better at the Beach

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Happiness is a day at the beach." -- Anonymous

The Global Ecommerce Playbook

©iStock/gorodenkoff

There are huge challenges when embarking on cross-border commerce.  Yet nearly 84% of global ecommerce sales happen outside of Western continents such as North America and Europe, and overall sales are expected to reach $4.8 trillion USD by 2021.

Some of the world’s largest and best-known multi-nationals have failed spectacularly when expanding abroad.  How so?

Find out through a white paper, The Global Ecommerce Playbook (requires registration).

The Pain is Growing for American Small Businesses on Chinese Tariffs

iStock/OrnRin

To grow and succeed, a significant number of small and midsize businesses across America rely on trade with China.

Karen Kerrigan, President and CEO, SBE Council, goes on to say, "the Trump administration’s latest decision to impose 10 percent tariffs on $300 billion worth of Chinese goods along with China’s retaliatory tariffs only serve to pile new costs on small businesses and consumers, and squeeze what market access small businesses currently have."

Find out why the United States needs to adopt more effective alternatives to the use of tariffs.

Team USA World Champ Simone Biles Makes History With Her New Triple-Double on Floor (Crown This Woman!)

The Growth Show (Podcast)

©iStock/masterzphotois

Host Meghan Keaney Anderson, VP of marketing at HubSpot, takes a deep dive into trends, turning points, and success stories in The Growth Show. She interviews CEOs and founders to discover how successful companies thrive. With over 1.5 million downloads, this podcast is perfect for anyone who wants to get inspired and see how to drive sustainable business growth.

It’s never been easier to start a business, but it’s never been harder to succeed. Each episode of The Growth Show explores the inspiring stories behind how people grow a business, an idea, or a movement.

Listen to the Growth Show podcast here.

Today in Global Small Business: The Art of Selling Online Globally

©iStock/BlackSalmon

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

• The art of selling online – globally.  
• Quote of the week: “We weren't born to create excuses, we were born to create excellence.”— Janna Cachola
• Hey New Yorkers, Chinese company Alibaba wants to teach you how to use their global B2B tool.
• Learn how to jump into the international market!
• Discover what small businesses think about artificial intelligence.
• How building a community can overcome a global culture of contempt.

The Positive Side of Things

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"No matter what you're going through, there's a light at the end of the tunnel and it may seem hard to get to it but you can do it and just keep working towards it and you'll find the positive side of things." – Demi Lovato

How Do We Ensure That Middle Eastern Family Businesses Survive?

©iStock/FS-Stock

According to Hassan Jameel, Deputy President and Vice-Chairman, Abdul Latif Jameel (ALJ), family businesses play an outsized role, accounting for over three-quarters of the private sector economy’s workforce. Many of the largest businesses in the region remain family run, having grown over the course of several generations from small enterprises into conglomerates spanning sectors and geographies.  Even his own firm, ALJ, established by his grandfather, started off as a small vehicle distributor in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Today, 70 years later, the company has grown to become a significant global distributor and has diversified into multiple sectors including energy, real estate and finance, operating in more than 30 countries around the world.

For many the idea of a family business immediately conjures up an image of a small shop, in which a son is stacking the shelves while his father ponders the proud day he hands over the keys. It is easy to forget that some of the business world’s biggest names, such as Ford, Walmart or Tata, are or once were family enterprises, built on big ideas seized by bold entrepreneurs that have now been passed down through generations.

Learn how some of the biggest family businesses in the region grew from humble beginnings and discover what was behind their success.