Relaxing Celtic Music: The Ultimate Calming and Soothing

The Novel Coronavirus Disrupts the Entire Global Supply Chain

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Even if you are buying from factories in India, Vietnam and Myanmar, many of the materials to finish off a product still depend on Chinese producers.

The deadly novel coronavirus that has devastated the Chinese economy is having a ripple effect across the globe. And while it has hit the lucrative auto, tech, energy and tourism industries particularly hard, it is also hurting the small businesses that shape everyday life in just about every corner of the world.

The food we eat, the work we do and the clothes we wear are all daily reminders of the vital role China plays in the global economy.

Read more about how the coronavirus is a daily reminder of China's global reach.

Today in Global Small Business: A Formula for Global Growth

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

• Everybody is hurting over the coronavirus – big and small companies alike.
• If it weren't for manufacturers and strong exports, North Carolina would not nearly be so healthy economically.
• Quote of the week: “You will never FIND time for anything.  If you want time, you must MAKE it.” – Charles Bixton
• Here's a formula for global growth after the start-up stage.
• New research will help make marketing to Millennial Small Business Owners (MSBOs) less of a shot in the dark.  Who wouldn't want to find this out?
• Take a look at a comprehensive analysis report entitled Global Ecommerce Tools for Small Businesses Market Size, Status and Forecast 2019-2025 that gives an overview of the relevant market including analysis, latest market trends, and developments including features, technology and market chain types, applications and top manufacturers.

Let Yourself Go So You Can Rise

©2020 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Life is like a balloon.  If you never let yourself go, you'll never know how far you can rise." – Anonymous

The Central Role Black Entrepreneurs Play in our Global Economy

Let's celebrate the achievements of African Americans – especially during Black History Month – and recognize the central role they, as individuals and communities, contributed to U.S. history.

When an entrepreneur starts their own business, they create new jobs in the community. In fact, small businesses generate two of every three net new jobs and deliver essential goods and services to our community.

Here are top resources that help small business owners grow.

The Idea of Real Food Without Preservatives Is That It Can Get Ugly

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Burger King is showcasing a nasty looking Whopper to promote the idea that it is dropping preservatives from its food.  And they call it something!  How creative is that?

The campaign, aptly called “The Moldy Whopper,” shows what happens if a Whopper is left out on a table for more than a month. Spoiler alert: It spoils. It underscores the chain’s decision to eliminate artificial preservatives from its food.

View a time-lapse video that shows the burger getting nastier by the day.

Rethink What It Takes to Lead in Our Digital World

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Organizations must empower leaders to change their ways of working to succeed in a new digital economy.  The 2020 Future of Leadership Global Executive Study and Research Report, "The New Leadership Playbook for the Digital Age: Reimagining What It Takes to Lead,” finds that leaders may be holding on to behaviors that might have worked once but now stymie the talents of their employees.

Executives around the world are out of touch with what it will take to win, and to lead, in the digital economy. Digitalization, upstart competitors, the need for breakneck speed and agility, and an increasingly diverse and demanding workforce require more from leaders than what most can offer.

The authors of the report surveyed 4,394 global leaders from more than 120 countries, conducted 27 executive interviews, and facilitated focus-group exchanges with next-gen emerging leaders worldwide. The findings are as sobering as they are inspiring.

Find out what they discovered.

The Global Trade Barometer and Economic Impact

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Every component of the Goods Trade Barometer, which provides real-time information on the trajectory of world trade relative to recent trends, will be influenced by the economic impact of COVID-19 and the effectiveness of efforts to treat and contain the disease,” says the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The Geneva-based body’s latest forward-looking Goods Trade Barometer stood at 95.5, compared with a level of 96.6 in November. 

The WTO goes on to say that global trade in goods will likely remain weak in coming months as disruptions from the coronavirus outbreak in China stanch the movement of international commerce already slowed by tariffs and uncertainty.

Today in Global Small Business: Unlocking the Potential of Women's Businesses in Africa

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

• Profiting From Parity:  Unlocking the Potential of Women's Businesses in Africa (report)
• 'Black swan' coronavirus casts its shadow over the global economy.
• Quote of the week: “I don’t like when investment bankers talk about EBITDA, which I call bulls--- earnings.” – Charlie Munger, Vice Chairman, Berkshire Hathaway
• Speaking of Munger, he warns there are 'lots of trouble coming' because of 'too much wretched excess'.
• The coronavirus is disrupting the global economy, including e-commerce.
• How PayPal is future-proofing its business.

Love Yourself. Love Others.

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Health Epidemics are a Global Risk

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At the end of January, Tesla CEO Elon Musk had downplayed the risk of Novel Coronavirus, but two more weeks with it, the health epidemic instilled a new fear that caused a change of mind.

Tesla’s latest annual 10-K filing revealed a new risk to its business: “health epidemics.” In the filing, the electric automaker said its gigafactory in Shanghai was closed for a brief time as the coronavirus spread in China. “It is unknown whether and how global supply chains, particularly for automotive parts, may be affected if such an epidemic persists for an extended period of time,” the company said. “We may incur expenses or delays relating to such events outside of our control, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, operating results and financial condition.”

Read more at CNBC's update and get live Novel Coronavirus updates here and here.

Is the Business Case for Diversity Working?

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Sarah Kaplan's contribution to Fast Company makes an interesting and strong point in her article, "Why the 'business case' for diversity isn't working."

"Hmm," that's a bummer.  She says:

Workplaces and executive boardrooms should reflect the world’s diversity, and lots of companies are using the so-called “business case” for diversity to instigate action. But, popular as it may be, it’s a failed strategy.

Curious where she takes this piece short of giving up on the business case?  Read on to learn more.