Monday, January 30, 2017

Today in Global Small Business: What Do SMEs Worldwide Think?

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

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Friday, January 27, 2017

Top 10 Global Startup Hubs of 2017

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How did Inc.com arrive at the top ten global startup hubs in 2017? It appears to be based on the sheer number of accelerators, startups, working spaces, tech companies, and millionaires in a city throughout the world -- fueled with heavy government support and investment opportunities.  Here's the list.
  1. London
  2. Paris
  3. Berlin
  4. Los Angeles
  5. Boston
  6. Singapore
  7. Bangalore
  8. Stockholm
  9. Moscow
  10. Tel Avid
Read more about specifics here.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Improve Your Bottom Line Via Exports

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Geri Stengel, president of Ventureneer, writes a great piece for Forbes on How Exporting Can Improve Your Bottom Line.  We are honored to have been a key part of the article and especially grateful to see a mention of our favorite nonprofit, Women Entrepreneurs GROW Global (disclosure:  Laurel Delaney serves as President of WEGG, which is a 501(c)3 organization).

Thank you Geri Stengel!

Read more here.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Laurel Delaney's Cheat Sheet to Growing a Global Business

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From choosing the right market to learning how to set prices thoughtfully, this is your cheat sheet to growing a global business. Here's an article I [Laurel Delaney] penned for GoDaddy.

Monday, January 23, 2017

Today in Global Small Business: Business Builders Are the Heroes of the Global Economy

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

Saturday, January 21, 2017

The Day After

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Hundreds of thousands of women plan to meet today (1/21/17) at the Capitol (USA) to demonstrate their freedom and the freedoms of those they love.

Here's where you can learn more:

Friday, January 20, 2017

The 45th President of the United States of America: Donald J. Trump

How to Dive Into International Markets

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Unsure of how to dive into international markets?  Or are you opting to avoid it altogether?  Especially with recent international uncertainties such as Brexit (UK) and the new President-elect Trump (USA), being wary is understandable.

Yet, how can small businesses not only expand by selling globally, but also ensure that they have a successful outcome despite economic or political uncertainties? Here are five strategies.  The first one being diversify your selling to different markets and countries.

Read more here.

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Bright Future for American Small Businesses?

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According to BizBuySell.com, an internet business-for-sale marketplace, annual small business transactions reached record levels in 2016, topping the previous year’s totals by 8.6 percent and 2014’s previous high by 4.6 percent.

The question remains:  Are small businesses selling their businesses because they want out now as opposed to a wait and see approach or are they really selling because it feels like a healthy environment to make a move?  Only time will tell.
Overall, small business indicators point to a healthy market for buying and selling in 2017,” House [President of BizBuySell.com and BizQuest.com] said. “Although there will certainly be issues to watch under the new Trump administration, as long as small business financials continue to improve and a steady supply of listings enter the market, transaction activity should continue its momentum well into the new year.”
Read more here.

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Building Bridges in the Global Startup Community

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Seedrs, the London-based crowd funding network with an international outlook, with investors and entrepreneurs from more than 60 countries using the platform, has partnered with a major Chinese venture capital (VC) firm for one of the largest international entrepreneurship competitions.
Seedrs Founder, Jeff Lynn, added: "IEIC [the China Innovation and Entrepreneurship International Competition] is building bridges amongst global startup communities and will be an invaluable experience to ambitious young business founders.
Applications for the IEIC are open until February 28, 2017. You can enter the competition here.

Read more.  Note:  Seedrs will be opening to American investors shortly.

Monday, January 16, 2017

Today in Global Small Business: Imagine a World Without Hate

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

Saturday, January 14, 2017

The Mellie of All Cats

©2017 Laurel J. Delaney.  "Mellie."  All rights reserved.
"Time spent with cats is never wasted." ~ Sigmund Freud

Friday, January 13, 2017

Embrace Technology to Streamline Processes

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Forward-thinking global SME owners and managers are continuously embracing technology to streamline processes and restructure their business models for greater profitability.  As a result, outsourcing is becoming a priority.  It is estimated to be a global market place worth over $600 billion per annum with cost-savings being the primary reason for doing so.

How do you choose the right outsource partner?  Read more here.

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Egypt Supports Local Entrepreneurs to Unleash Their Potential Internationally

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According to the Washington Times and based on numerous studies, Egypt's ideal entrepreneurial ecosystem fosters the growth of entrepreneurial and innovative ventures and has five main pillars:
  1. Access to funding.
  2. Entrepreneurial culture.
  3. Educational systems supporting the entrepreneurial mindset.
  4. Accommodating regulatory and tax regimes.
  5. A coordinated approach linking the public, private and voluntary sectors.
Egypt seeks to not only attract foreign innovation-driven ventures to capture its high potential youth market, but it is also wants to support local entrepreneurs to unleash their potential in the domestic and international markets.

Read more here.

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Bar Chain Social is Rocking India

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The bar-office chain Social is now rocking India but its founders are graduates from the culinary school of hard knocks.  In India, many investors have created wealth from food but seldom overnight.  Big factors to success in this industry include timing, experience, experimentation and luck. And of course along the way there will be inevitable setbacks.

Read more here.

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Wine and Fruit Are the Answers to Better Relations Between USA and China

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American president-elect Donald Trump met yesterday (1/9) to discuss Alibaba executive chairman Jack Ma's plans to create 1 million U.S. jobs by growing trade between U.S. small businesses and Chinese consumers.

According to Scott Kennedy, director of the Project on Chinese Business & Political Economy at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, Ma intended to set the structure of Alibaba’s business with the U.S. in a framework Donald Trump understands, as an innovative company that is creating jobs for both Chinese and Americans.
"It was a very productive meeting," Ma told reporters. "The door is open to discuss the relationship on trade issues."
Ma specifically mentioned agricultural products such as wine and fruit that could be sold through Alibaba to consumers in China and Asia.
Read more here.  And then there are other issues which must be overcome first, namely pirated and counterfeit goods.

Monday, January 09, 2017

Today in Global Small Business: The Hoffice Movement Spurs Better Use of Collective Intelligence

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

Saturday, January 07, 2017

A Place You Never Grow Tired Of: Heartland Cafe in Rogers Park, Illinois

©2016 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.
Good wholesome food for the mind and the body in Rogers Park, Illinois, United States:  Heartland Cafe.  See it by day as well.

Friday, January 06, 2017

SMEs are Embracing Global Mobile: Here's Why

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Opportunities abound for entrepreneurs in the new year.  Yet, finding and capitalizing on them requires knowing what to look for and how to decipher quality from quantity and which ones offer the greatest impact for business growth.

Jim Squires, director of market operations at Instagram, shares insights with Small Business Computing, predicting that entrepreneurs will face no shortage of opportunities for success in 2017.

Read more:  Small Businesses Going Global and Embracing Mobile in 2017

Thursday, January 05, 2017

The Future of the American Economy: Women Entrepreneurs

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We've been following Geri Stengel, president of Ventureneer, for quite some time with her reports on what's happening and needed for women entrepreneurs to prosper and grow in the USA.  Below she pens a mighty good piece:

14 Assists That Will Help Women Entrepreneurs Score in 2017 via @Forbes (#whatWEneedtosucceed).

Don't miss it.  Especially if you are, like I am, a woman entrepreneur.  Pass it along.

Wednesday, January 04, 2017

TPP: The Future of Our Country’s Participation in the Global Economy

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With or without the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the challenge remains the same: The United States must maintain its dominant position as a world trade leader.  Otherwise, companies big and small will be at a competitive disadvantage in the international marketplace.
The election is over, and campaign rhetoric must give way to real dialog. The issue isn’t just the future of TPP, but the future of our country’s participation in the global economy.
How will we compete?

Read more here.

Tuesday, January 03, 2017

A Look Back on 2016: 10 Top Trends

And if you are interested in looking forward at global trade trends 2017, go here.

Monday, January 02, 2017

Today in Global Small Business: Laurel Delaney's Global Trade Trends Report 2017

©2017 WEGG.  All rights reserved.
What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners: