Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Untold Opportunities for Women

©iStock/IPGGutenbergUKLtd 
In his opening remarks, Navin Seeterram, Trade and Business Development manager, Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, said there were still untold opportunities for women especially with regards to the development of the private sector and diversification of the economy.
The session titled Entrepreneurship: A Female Perspective, featured four of T&T’s leading female entrepreneurs—Kristine Gibbon-Thompson from Chuck E Cheese’s, Dominique Lewis from Amare Probiotics Limited, Angella Persad from The Office Authority, and Jacqueline Francois from Oscar Francois Limited.
Seeterram conceded later on in the program that gender equality was an issue which needed to be addressed in a significant way.

Read more about how female entrepreneurs are encouraged to step up.

Monday, October 30, 2017

Today in Global Small Business: Shipping Container House Delivered by Amazon

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

Saturday, October 28, 2017

Strike It Lucky

 
Looking for bowling with premium lanes, live DJs with state-of-the-art sound system, and luxurious, modern decor coming together for a one-of-a-kind atmosphere?  Lucky Strike Chicago has you covered.  Check them out here.

Photos courtesy:  @2017 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Why Global Trust is Waning

©iStock/Jacob Ammentorp Lund
We all know to excel in this world you must develop trust and articulate a value far beyond the numbers to different audiences worldwide.

Global trust in large businesses is waning, yet recent studies show that trust is highest amongst people’s friends, neighbors, and communities – the places where small businesses thrive.

The good news is that new digital tools are making it easier than ever to start and run a global business and we are in an environment where investors are constantly looking for opportunities to diversify.

However, small businesses still struggle to grow.

Learn about the real strength and value of small businesses here.

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Why Hong Kong Is an Ideal Base for Global Business

©iStock/danielvfung
With cross-border e-commerce growing bigger and faster, it is worth noting that an increasing number of retailers are choosing Hong Kong as their base location.  It's an ideal market where cross-border retailers can grow two to three times faster than the global average.
Today, e-commerce has effectively removed the entry barrier for starting a new business, giving a platform for small and new retailers to compete on the same level as those who are more established and globally recognized. This results in a burgeoning cross-border market where local startups can go global even without physical market presence.
To make it happen though, you will need a trusted, reliable global business logistics provider.

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Sensational: 3rd Annual Global Small Business Forum Held in Chicago


Our Global E-Commerce Explosion (#GEE) was a sensational success.  Special thanks to our Event Sponsor, MB Financial Bank and to our Event Host, Loyola University Chicago, Center for International Business, Quinlan School of Business for their support on this program.

Our amazing speakers were as follows:
  1. Marc Schulman, President, Eli's Cheescake
  2. Richard Paullin, International Trade Association of Greater Chicago
  3. James Kornacki, Chief Wine Revolutionary, Ullo
  4. Andrea Sreshta, co-founder, LuminAID
  5. Lil Mohan, Entrepreneur and Academician
  6. Jennifer Bayon, Vice President of International Sales, Paris Presents
  7. Alexander Lans, Founder and CEO, Foal LLC 
In addition, we thank all other important participants:  vendors, moderators, Major Partners, and helpers.  See the full line up of speakers and moderators here.

The Forum enabled attendees to set an e-commerce strategy, improve their online selling techniques, drive more sales, expand globally, and more.

We encourage everyone who attended the Forum to keep the conversations going and connect with all the people you met to grow your business globally.

Get ready for the 4th Annual Global Small Business Forum held Friday, September 19, 2018 in Chicago.  See you there!

Photos courtesy:  @2017 GSBB Media LLC.  All rights reserved.

Monday, October 23, 2017

Today in Global Small Business: The Impact of NAFTA on Midwestern Businesses


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

Saturday, October 21, 2017

Where Ideas Sing: The New Apple Store at 401 North Michigan Avenue in Chicago

Grand opening (10/20) of the new Apple store at 401 North Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois.  What a treat.  Go visit. Sing.

Photo credit:  ©2017 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Friday, October 20, 2017

Sell Your Wares to the World

©iStock/ipopba
Having a website rather than a bricks-and-mortar shop means a company can sell their wares to the world. But taking payments for international sales may not be straightforward.
"One of the biggest realisations we had when looking to expand was that credit card penetration is generally much lower in most markets outside the UK and US," he [Nigel Whiteoak, co-founder of LoveCrafts] explains.
Payment difficulties contribute to about 15% of online shoppers abandoning their virtual shopping baskets before completing the purchase, research suggests. That and difficult-to-navigate, fiddly websites.

Read more ... how can you help your local online business go global?

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Invest in Exporting

©iStock/wissanu01
Expansion into Europe was already a no brainer for Vancouver-based Axine Water Technologies ahead of CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement), Canada’s free trade agreement with the European Union, taking effect this fall.  “The biggest thing that I see in the short term is just access to talent,” said company president and CEO Jonathan Rhone.
“As we’re becoming more of a global trading system, I think that small and medium-sized enterprises have to understand that there are opportunities to be had in investing in exporting,” [Werner] Antweiler [associate professor at the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Sauder School of Business and a chair in international trade policy] said, adding that many European manufacturers are already poised to take advantage of that trend, being on average a bit larger than those in Canada and possessing a stronger culture of global expansion.
Read more:  Seeking CETA's Small Business Benefits

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Using Bitcoin to Facilitate Global Trade

©iStock/thamerpic
Many people roll their eyes when you bring up bitcoin.  Yet IBM is using the technology behind bitcoin to help farmers and other small businesses in underdeveloped countries participate in global trade.
The companies [Stellar.org and KlickEx.com] will use IBM's blockchain technology to process financial transactions across borders and currencies — a process which is often prohibitively slow and costly for small business owners, especially when they are in developing regions with smaller banking infrastructures.
It's a path forward through underdeveloped payment corridors.

Read more here:  IBM, bitcoin and countries in weak banking systems.

Monday, October 16, 2017

Today in Global Small Business: How to Cut Costs on International Sales

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

Saturday, October 14, 2017

Time Spent With Cats

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

Friday, October 13, 2017

Unlocking Market Access to China for South African Small Businesses

©iStock/sculpies
South African Small Business Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu is unlocking the Chinese market for South Africa’s small businesses and cooperatives.  Zulu challenged her Chinese counterparts and Chinese businesses to help open their markets to South Africa’s small and medium businesses.
“Many SMMEs and Cooperatives have pointed out to us that their growth and sustainability is hampered by lack of access to markets. CISMEF must be a platform that opens the doors for many SMMEs to enter global markets,” Zulu said.
Read more about unlocking China for South African small businesses.

Thursday, October 12, 2017

One-Third of Global Employment is Created by SMEs

©iStock/Prasit Rodphan
Small businesses are the backbone of the world.
Indeed, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) contribute significantly to the GDPs of their countries. In fact, in the U.S. alone, SMBs account for 46 percent of private, non-farm GDP, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.
But there's another measurement to track the progress of SMEs:  jobs.
In emerging markets like China and Medico, SMBs make up one-third of employment and up to 40 percent in developed economies.
Read more about how SMEs around the world create jobs.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Men With a Vision, a Passion, and Powerful Mind

When I watched this video, all I thought is:  They need more women!  So here's one of mine from 2014.

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Manage a Spotify Ad Campaign for Your Global Small Business

©iStock/Wachiwit
Listen up global small business owners.  You now have access to a powerful tool to reach potential new customers.  With the new self-serve advertising platform called Spotify Ad Studio, you can now create and manage a Spotify ad campaign for your small business.
The big question for a small business is, will an audio ad have any impact in today’s video-centric world? According to a 2017 Nielsen Media Lab study, Spotify cites audio ads had 24 percent lift compared to display ads. What this means is, with the right platform, such as Spotify, your audio ad spend will go further to engage with your customers.
Read more:  Small Businesses Can Now Advertise on Spotify with New Ad Studio Launch

Monday, October 09, 2017

Today in Global Small Business: What's in Store for Global Business Travel in 2017?

©2017 Women Entrepreneurs GROW Global.  All rights reserved.
What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:
  • Global business travel in 2017 is complex.  Find out how to navigate it via a free WEGGinar™ on 10/11 with Stephanie Lewin, Global Immigration Attorney at Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (www.balglobal.com). She is responsible for managing the global immigration accounts of multi-national companies, providing leadership and guidance to legal teams and clients: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6874264726093775875.
  • Are you a New Jersey business owner who wants to expand your business globally?  Apply for a STEP grant.
  • Is Facebook a trusted tech company?
  • Join us for the 3rd Annual Global Small Business Forum held in Chicago on Friday, October 20. Check out the amazing speaker lineup!  This forum is for and about entrepreneurs and small businesses who are running global e-commerce businesses.  First 5 business owners who email me wanting to attend the forum are guaranteed a 'flash discount.'
  • Look who is boosting e-commerce sales with a new check-out toolkit.
  • One of the biggest and most profitable sectors of the financial industry is the lending sector. See how Fin Tech is changing the global financial segment.

Saturday, October 07, 2017

A Canvas to Our Imagination

©2017 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.
"The world is but a canvas to our imagination." -- Henry David Thoreau

Friday, October 06, 2017

Found: Success in Exporting

©iStock/thitivong
According to the Greater Philadelphia Export Plan, launched by the Economy League of Philadelphia and the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia (WTCGP) in April 2016, manufacturing and services firms that export enjoy higher revenues, faster growth, a stronger labor pool and higher profitability than non-exporters.

Here are four Pennsylvania companies that have found success in exporting, are growing their businesses, and strengthening Pennsylvania's economy.
  1. VideoRay
  2. Sandmeyer Steel
  3. GreenerWays
  4. Bassetts Ice Cream
Read:  how four Pennsylvania companies found success in exporting.

Wednesday, October 04, 2017

Why Cross-Border Promotion of a Brand is New For China

©iStock/a-image
Cross-border investment isn’t new. Cross-border promotion of a brand is relatively new for China and increasingly diverse for Japan.
Many of Asia’s corporations are expanding their brands overseas. From Alibaba and Tencent leveraging their internet, social media and payments capabilities to invest in and grow businesses outside China, to Malaysia’s Grab expanding its ride-hailing capabilities in Southeast Asia, companies are broadening their reach.
In the global marketplace, it's easy to expect the unexpected.  In this case, expect Southeast Asian companies to increasingly spread their wings.  But the key to success will be a company's management team and whether it is up for the task.

Want to expand overseas?  Hint:  Make your sure your management team is worth exporting.

Tuesday, October 03, 2017

Global Opportunities Abound for Startups

©iStock/anyaberkut
Global enthusiasts from the public and private sectors recently gathered at Temple University’s Fox School of Business for Startup Global Philadelphia. This was the seventh Startup Global event, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Global Innovation Forum meant to provide focused assistance and information to early-stage companies by connecting entrepreneurial ecosystems with government and community resources.

What prompted the event?  Today’s startups and small businesses can be global from day one.  Sometimes it only takes a few resources to make the journey less daunting and way more efficient.

Here are a few of the event’s key takeaways, specifically 3 tips on selling overseas.

Monday, October 02, 2017

Today in Global Small Business: How to Adopt a Small Fish Culture

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