Girl Power: Be the Heroine of Your Life

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Above all, be the heroine of your life.  Not the victim." — Nora Ephron

Grow. Scale. Expand to U.S.A.

©iStock/Karolina Madej

Scaling internationally isn’t without its own risks, but the United States is one market European startups eye when they’re looking to go global.  Here are three tips for European startups with aspirations to grow, capital to scale and their sights set on expansion into the U.S.A.

1. Know your market
2. Build the right partnerships on the ground
3. Hire the right talent in the U.S.A.

Read 3 tips for European companies to scale in the U.S.

A Softening of Global Economic Conditions

©iStock/CarlosAndreSantos

Business Roundtable President Joshua Bolten said in a report, "As we encounter a potential softening of global economic conditions, it’s all the more important to advance policies that will promote American innovation and strengthen the U.S. economy for the long term."

What prompted that statement?

Optimism among chief executive officers of large U.S. companies cooled for a fourth straight quarter amid greater uncertainty about global economic growth, a Business Roundtable survey showed.

The lobbying group’s CEO Economic Outlook Index fell 9.2 points to 95.2 in the first quarter, the lowest since the third quarter of 2017 though still above the gauge’s historical average.

Read more about how U.S. CEO optimism cools as global uncertainty dims outlook.

For the World To See: The Chicago River Dyed Green for St. Patrick's Day 2019

A Global String of Possibilities

©iStock/metamorworks

Small businesses can make a major impact. Thanks to the Internet, small business owners have far-reaching opportunities to change both their immediate surroundings and places that are worlds away.  Head coach Rhett Power frames it as "individual connections on a global string of possibilities."

He offers ways to rev up your differentiation and satisfy your desire to give back, by adopting these three strategies.

1. Work toward fair wages.
2. Source materials responsibly.
3. Weave your social mission into your story.

Read the entire article about how small businesses can make a big difference.

Today in Global Small Business: The Ultimate Freedom is the Freedom to Experiment with New Ideas

©iStock/Benjavisa

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

• How to ease small business trade concerns; it starts with a financing and payments platform for businesses.
• Quote of the week:  “The ultimate freedom for creative groups is the freedom to experiment with new ideas. Some skeptics insist that innovation is expensive. In the long run, innovation is cheap. Mediocrity is expensive—and autonomy can be the antidote.” – Tom Kelley, General Manager, IDEO
• If your business is going global or has experienced challenges, consider these five tips.
• 76 countries have agreed to negotiate new rules governing global ecommerce, creating an opportunity for governments to eliminate barriers that impede cross-border online shopping.  Here's what should be addressed.
• Learn how to create a strong natural deodorant brand with worldwide appeal?
• How to manage the risks of international e-commerce.

I am Proud to Be Irish and Today is My Favorite Day of the Year

"There are two kinds of people in the world, Irish and those who wish they were." – Irish saying

Photos courtesy:  @2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

The Making of a Global Leader: Empathy, Cultural Awareness and an Open Mind

Lack of Clarity Can Be a Stumbling Block for Franchises Going Global

©iStock/ra2studio

Senior research analyst Ritwik Donde at FRANdata says that international expansion has opened numerous doors for small businesses looking to uncover new streams of revenue. But to succeed globally, business owners must successfully navigate the new territory of cultural divides.

A big stumbling block for franchises, for example, is lack of clarity for franchisors embarking on a rapid growth plan, often resulting in mistakes that can put the franchise at risk.

Among 480 small and medium-sized enterprises from 12 countries surveyed by the Economist Intelligence Unit in 2014, a majority foresaw expanding their business internationally as the future for their companies. However, very few understood the importance of finding the right advisory partner (or partners) to help them navigate the choppy waters of international growth.

Read more about the five common mistakes made by international franchisors and how to avoid them.

Free Trade Opens Doors to New Markets and Creates New Opportunities for Small Businesses

©iStock/Sinenkly

According to Hector Barreto, chairman of The Latino Coalition and the former U.S. Small Business Administrator, "for businesses of all sizes and types – from manufacturers to farmers and ranchers – free trade opens doors to new markets and new opportunities. New and better-paying jobs are created."  He goes to say:

International trade is actually incredibly important to small businesses. It is a little-known fact, but 98 percent of all U.S. exporters are small firms. Nearly 300,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are exporting to foreign markets every day; those companies support around four million American jobs as a result.

At length and with great passion, Barreto explains why international trade is incredibly important to small businesses.

From Idea to Export Business

©iStock/sergio_kumer

Everything we do today is potentially relevant to consumers anywhere in the world, provided they understand what we are doing. So if that is the case, how do we sell to the world?  Here’s an example of how the journey to exporting or launching an export business begins.

Read more about how an export business is born.

Today in Global Small Business: wegg® Workshop in Chicago 3/13/19

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

• JOIN us March 13 in Chicago for an experiential learning session hosted by Associated Bank and wegg® for an on-the-ground workshop with Kiesque CEO Jacqueline Smith who will talk about how she started and runs a global personal care product company. Learn more and register (limited seating):  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wegg-workshop-roundtable-discussion-with-jacqueline-smith-ceo-kiesque-tickets-56688344364 
• Internet big-picture stats, get them here.
• As the world is becoming smaller thanks to technology, people are becoming more interdependent and connected.  Here are some things to consider before you cross boundaries.
• Quote of the week:  “The sidelines are not where you want to live your life. The world needs you in the arena.” – Tim Cook, Apple CEO
• Digital marketing is becoming the mainstream tool of conducting marketing strategy. In today’s highly advanced and digitally accelerated world, traditional marketing is rapidly becoming obsolete.
• This machine learning tool helps small e-commerce companies compete with Amazon and Walmart.