Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Thick or Built as BRICS?

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Welcome new member South Africa into the BRIC club.
The four-nation group — Brazil, Russia, India and China — is a collection of what many economists see as the world’s most important emerging markets. Each has a gross domestic product well above $1 trillion and together they make up almost half the world’s population.
To match up with even the smallest BRIC country, Russia, South Africa would have to quadruple its economy.

Is South Africa a good investment destination -- the next new frontier?  Read the entire article here.

Monday, July 30, 2012

Domestic Markets Will Not Sustain Job Creation or Revenue Growth

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What do you get when you combine the services of Pennsylvania’s SBDC and those of the U.S. Commercial Service?
Enable small businesses in the commonwealth to learn more about the benefits and challenges of exporting their products from the United States.
Learn more here.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

London 2012 Olympics

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Track it here:  schedule, results, medals and tickets.

London 2012 Olympics

Friday, July 27, 2012

Going Global: Know Before You Leap

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Our friend and esteemed colleague, Rieva Lesonsky, writes a thoughtful article, "Taking Your Startup Global."  We are delighted to be included.

Our heartfelt thanks to Rieva for her continued support to our work. She is the founder and CEO of GrowBiz Media and widely recognized as a small-business expert and author of the the best-selling book Start Your Own Business.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Hello Mr. or Ms. Global Economy

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According to the commentary, "Global economy's cure is worse than the disease," it suggests to take two aspirin and call Bernanke in the morning.
Dear Doctor: Thank you for referring Mr. Global Economy to me.  

The patient’s history includes a seizure in 2007/ 2008 — financial losses, banking problems, a major recession. Liberal injections of taxpayer cash avoided catastrophic multiple organ failure, assisting a modest recovery. 
Read the commentary here.  Author info (Satyajit Das) here.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Seven Ways to Achieve Success in the Global Marketplace

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Tony Loup, Regional Business Development Manager for Binghamton, New York-based Insulating Coatings Corporation, shares seven ways to achieve success in the global marketplace.

Read:  Pointers for Going Global

Monday, July 23, 2012

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Find a Place of Relaxation

©2012 Laurel Delaney, "Cape San Blas, Florida"
"Everything you do can be done better from a place of relaxation." ~ Stephen C. Paul

Friday, July 20, 2012

Meet the New Global Tax Collector: World Bank

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Jim Yong Kim, the new head and 12th President of the World Bank, proposed that the Bank advise troubled developed nations like Greece and advise rich countries.
“While Jim Yong Kim emphasized that his top priority would be to protect developing nations at a “pivotal moment” for a world economy that is losing steam rapidly, he said the bank could also deploy its technical know-how to help richer nations with structural problems. “We only go into countries when asked, but I feel the kind of expertise we have could be relevant in many, many countries in the world, including high-income countries,” the Korean-born American told reporters on his first day on the job. “My staff feel they have the relevant experience that could add value …”
Read the entire article here.


Photo courtesy: Wikipedia

Thursday, July 19, 2012

U.K. Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Insights: Brought To You By the World Entrepreneurship Forum 2012

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This is the third installment in our interview series and in preparation for the 5th edition of the World Entrepreneurship Forum 2012 in Lyon, France (October 24-27), which I will attend.

The theme for this year's Forum is:  "Entrepreneurial Ecosystems:  Cultivating Communities to Drive Wealth Creation and Social Justice."

Below is the interview with Peter Harrington, UK, is currently the CEO of SimVenture (Venture Simulations Ltd), a company that specialize in Innovative Business Simulation Technology. Peter has been official member of the World Entrepreneurship Forum since 2011.
From your experience and knowledge, what do you think Entrepreneurial Ecosystem is?

Peter: For me, a successful Entrepreneurial Ecosystem is a space run by people with very entrepreneurial minds. Ecosystems are self-supporting, energetic environments that attract, nurture, move on and reward different stakeholders. Rules are few and failure is encouraged; yet through mutual trust, shared thinking and doing, budding entrepreneurs develop the right attitude of mind and acquire key skills to take them into their future world. Budding entrepreneurs are also able to learn and enjoy work through a process of discovery, responsibility and some adventure - rather than ...
Read the entire interview here.

Watch for more information and interviews regarding the World Entrepreneurship Forum 2012!

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Benefits of More Competition in Global Business?

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As the article "Globalization Comes At the Cost of Humanity, Environment" states:
People all over the world are constantly assured of the benefits of more competition in business. But billions live in poverty, while the environment deteriorates. Is a humane economic order at all feasible?
 Read the entire compelling article here.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

U.S.A. Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Insights: Brought to You By the World Entrepreneurship Forum 2012

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This is the second installment in our interview series and in preparation for the 5th edition of the World Entrepreneurship Forum 2012 in Lyon, France (October 24-27), which I will attend.

The theme for this year's Forum is:  "Entrepreneurial Ecosystems:  Cultivating Communities to Drive Wealth Creation and Social Justice."

Below is the interview with Professor Patricia Greene, who is a pioneer member of the Forum and a Professor of Entrepreneurship of Babson College, USA, where she holds the Paul T. Babson Chair in Entrepreneurship.
YH Robillard:  Professor Greene, being based in the USA which is traditionally perceived as THE place for entrepreneurs, you are familiar with successful entrepreneurial ecosystems creating outstanding global companies. Which ones, according to you, are the most interesting cases to study?

P. Greene:  If I had to select a few ecosystems all over the US, I would mention the following four: Silicon Valley, Boston, Kansas City and New York City. Each of them is at the heart of a vibrant entrepreneurial community comprising high-growth companies - but not only. Just as in the case of a rainforest being made of different trees, bushes and leaves, a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem is not made of high-growth companies oriented ...
Read the entire interview here.

Watch for more interviews to come from Peter Harrington, SimVenture (U.K.) plus more!

Monday, July 16, 2012

Embrace Rootedness and Then Branch Beyond

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Professor Pankaj Ghemawat concentrates on strategic management at ESE Business School in Barcelona.  He says the skills leaders need has been confused by misconceptions about globalization, and the fact that too many of the experts pronouncing on the topics are simply adapting their traditional leadership ideas to global leadership.
This persistent rootedness of companies and their employees should be embraced rather than fought. Nurture your own roots and branch beyond them to connect with counterparts elsewhere who are also deeply rooted in their culture.
This is worthy of exploring further.  Go here to read the entire article.

Related posts. And one other refresher on "leadership" here.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Crane in the Clouds

©2012 Laurel Delaney, "Crane in the Clouds"
"Buildings, too, are children of Earth and Sun." ~ Frank Lloyd Wright

Friday, July 13, 2012

Globalization Reduces Racism

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President Shimon Peres -- the ninth and current President of the State of Israel -- calls for increased development in underdeveloped countries. In addition:
Peres credited globalization with reducing racism. The time has come, Peres said, for global companies to group together, and do what governments can’t do, such as for instance investing in underdeveloped countries which will become their future markets.
Read the entire article here.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Sri Lanka Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Insights: Brought to You By the World Entrepreneurship Forum 2012

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In preparation for the 5th edition of the World Entrepreneurship Forum 2012 in Lyon, France (October 24-27), which I will attend, we have some wonderful interviews lined up to share with you here.

The theme for this year's Forum is:  "Entrepreneurial Ecosystems:  Cultivating Communities to Drive Wealth Creation and Social Justice."

Below is the first interview with Asanga Abeyagoonasekera -- one of the 2012 Young Global Leaders from Sri Lanka.  He is currently the Executive Director of Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies a government think tank that helps to “generate board policy indicators for the guidance of the Government of Sri Lanka."
1. What do you think the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in your region is made of?

South Asia is one of the fastest growing regions, yet home to the largest concentration of poor in the world. Among the enterprises operating in South Asia, the bulk is comprised with the Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs) which account ...
Read the entire interview here.

Watch for more interviews to come from Patricia Green, Babson College (U.S.A.) and Peter Harrington, SimVenture (U.K.)!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Export Galore, That is, U.S. Metropolitan Areas

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How U.S. metropolitan areas are driving national growth. That's according to the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings.

Snippet of findings:
  • U.S. exports grew rapidly in the first year of the nation's economic recovery (as shown).
  • Large metro areas powered the nation's export growth.
  • The Great Recession accelerated the shift of U.S. exports toward developing countries.
  • Manufacturing drove the export resurgence in 2010.
  • High-value-added service exports witnessed uninterrupted growth through the recession and recovery.
Learn more here.  Jump to download the full report.

Related post

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Political Opening of the Chinese System

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Google Chairman Eric Schmidt says, "Technology and information penetration in China will eventually force the Great Firewall of China to crumble and even lead to the political opening of the Chinese system."

Read the entire article:  The Great Firewall of China Will Fall

Monday, July 09, 2012

Iran's Nuclear Ambitions

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Geo-strategist and President of Eurasia Group Ian Bremmer suggests that a “nuclear-armed Iran” is inevitable because ...
in an emerging “G-Zero World” where no single bloc of countries can dominate international affairs, the emerging powers can frustrate the West’s efforts to thwart Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. 
Find out two underlying assumptions to his argument:

Has the Developing World Abandoned Iran?

Related to Ian Bremmer, who appears to have coined the expression "G-Zero World:"  Countries With Promising Advantages

Saturday, July 07, 2012

Chicago 'L' System Map Sign Broken Into

©2012 Laurel Delaney, "Chicago 'L' Rail System Map Sign Broken Into"
Chicago 'L' - the rapid transit system serving the city of Chicago. 

Photo courtesy: ©2012 Laurel Delaney

Friday, July 06, 2012

Hotbed for U.S.A. Manufacturing? Tennessee!

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According to Adrienne Selko for Industry Week, Tennessee is a hotbed for manufacturing due to aggressive incentives and a focus on workforce training, leadership and innovation that help position the state for continued manufacturing growth.

They are cashing in on the trend of non-U.S.-based companies to produce locally for the huge U.S. consumer market.
The auto sector remains dominant. In fact, Tennessee sits at the No. 8 spot in auto production, and the industry accounts for 34% of manufacturing jobs with 105,000 employees. Adding up OEMs, suppliers and ancillary manufacturers, there are 864 auto-related companies in Tennessee. 
Sounds ripe for exports as well.  Read the entire article here.

Thursday, July 05, 2012

Producing Something New and Useful In Our Diverse World

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Find out why it is important to work with people from other cultures in order to collaborate creatively.
Cultural misunderstandings and different ways of operating (government control over filmmaking, for instance) can lead to unforeseen setbacks and delays, threatening the success of creative business ventures. 
 Read Michael Blanding's entire article:  Collaborating Across Cultures - HBS Working Knowledge

Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Tap Into New Markets and Find New Customers

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The only way to accomplish two great expansion efforts at once -- tapping into new markets and finding new customers -- is to naturally take your business global.  And we are thrilled to be quoted in this important article below, especially noting the plug about the #1 blog in the world for entrepreneurs and small businesses interested in going global:  The Global Small Business Blog.

Read: Take Your Business International

Monday, July 02, 2012

Making Informed Decisions About the Food We Eat From Around the World

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The World Trade Organization (WTO) rules that country-of-origin labels will remain the same while the U.S. government continues to review the ruling.
The ruling, public advocates fear, could lead to trade sanctions against the United States or a watering down of the labels designed to tell consumers where their meat comes from.
U.S. statement:
The United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk put a happy face on the WTO ruling, “which affirmed the United States’ right to adopt labeling requirements that provide information to American consumers about the meat they buy.”
Read the entire article here.