Going Beyond Borders with a Global Mindset

Canadian Support to Exporters from Peru to Vancouver

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Emiliano Introcaso, Export Help Advisor at Export Development Canada (EDC), looks back to 2001, the first time he handled an international shipment, and then fast forwards to his current position at Export Development Canada helping exporters with their trade-related questions.  He shares many things to celebrate.

Read more about Emiliano's experiences growing from student to teacher and how global business training has shaped his rewarding career.  See all his posts for EDC here.

German Global Lending Platform

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The first German regulated global lending platform for small business loans and the first German company to receive a regulatory license for doing a Security Token Offering (STO), Bitbond, is launching an STO to fund small businesses in Asia with loans.

“Small businesses are an incredibly important part of the economy, and hire the majority of all employed people worldwide,” says Radoslav Albrecht, Founder and CEO of Bitbond. “We see this STO as a way to help small businesses create more jobs, and supercharge their own growth.”

Discover more about Bitbond's global lending platform.

A Step by Step Guide to Expanding Internationally

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Being aware of local marketing conditions can be the difference between successful growth and painful failure.  There are a number of risks associated with foreign expansion.  For starters, companies have to be careful when considering moving into volatile or emerging markets.  You want to make sure you get paid and on time.  The political environment in certain markets might affect your compliance obligations, too.  It’s also prudent to consider the relationship each country has with the U.S.

Now that you know some risks, follow these steps before expanding into world markets.

Today in Global Small Business: Remembering Americans Who Have Served

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

• Think of Memorial Day not as happy but reflective ... remembering and honoring Americans who have served and thinking about all the families who have sacrificed while their loved ones are deployed. 
• Quote of the week: “Memorial Day isn't just about honoring veterans, its honoring those who lost their lives. Veterans had the fortune of coming home. For us, that's a reminder of when we come home we still have a responsibility to serve. It's a continuation of service that honors our country and those who fell defending it. – Pete Hegseth
• Who knew?  Global helium shortage impacts local small business.
• For a second year in a row, Visa and the U.S. Small Business Administration teamed up to host a hackathon to kick off #SmallBusinessWeek, that took place May 5-11.  They awarded $60K in cash prizes.
• Will artificial intelligence enhance or hack humanity?
• Will 5G technology revolutionize SMEs in India?

Love Doesn't Just Sit There

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone; it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new." – Ursula K. LeGuin

Zero Footprint

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Green funeral startup Coeio is the maker of the Infinity Burial Suit for humans and pets.  Based off co-founder Jae Rhim Lee's TED talk, their products allow for a completely green funeral by leaving zero footprint.  You don't need an expensive casket, toxic embalming, or pollute the atmosphere with cremation.

The Infinity Burial Suit is a breakthrough in eco-friendly, green funeral options. It returns your body to the earth without harming the environment – decomposing the body using mushrooms and other microorganisms.

Coeio made headlines this year when it was revealed that the late Luke Perry, the former Beverly Hills 90210 actor, was buried in a Coeio Infinity Suit.

As of 2013, the funeral market alone was estimated to be a $20.7 billion and that's just USA.  Read more about Coeio, how the funeral market is poised to be disruptive and where the next big growth opportunity lies.

How to Avoid Making a Speech and Body-language Faux Pas That May Harm a Global Business Relationship

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The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), comprised of successful entrepreneurs 40 and younger, says that thanks to today’s global connectivity and communication technology, the business world is increasingly international. They go on to say that many business leaders, even small business owners, can now easily and seamlessly conduct business across the globe.

In the article below, a panel of YEC members explain with 10 points how to avoid making speech and body-language faux pas that might harm global business relationships.

1. Do Your Homework On Diversity And World Cultures
2. Be A Genuine, Decent Person
3. Be Observant And Open To New Cultural Experiences
4. Ask Your Business Contacts To Correct You
5. Keep Your Reactions, Word Choices And Tone Of Voice In Check
6. Avoid Humor
7. Conduct Cultural Awareness Meetings With Your Team
8. Mirror The Person You’re Speaking With
9. Make Time To Study Global Cultural Etiquette
10. Just Be Yourself And Be Real

To help you feel more comfortable and confident in your global interactions, read on.

The Future of Tech Entrepreneurship Across Borders

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Invigorated by the promise of innovation, global entrepreneurs take it upon themselves to embrace the potential of the largely nascent and uncertain.

Whether it’s a mindset or a process to be mastered, the changing face and the future of tech entrepreneurship is poised to carry critical ramifications for the wider global economy.

In its 2018 World Economic Outlook report, the International Monetary Fund asserted that globalization was responsible for the acceleration of cross-border innovation. The growing emphasis on international collaboration, as well as trade and the use of patents, has significantly impacted production and innovation, especially in emerging economies.

Read more about what to believe in:  the future of tech entrepreneurship across borders that is open and accessible to all.

Create Something New Everyday and Watch it Go Global

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Here's the sweet, creative story.

36 Days of Type, a global design challenge that now partners with Adobe, started as a personal project that went global after Nina Sans and Rafa Goicoechea, both graphic designers from Barcelona, first decided to challenge themselves to create something new everyday, as a way to experiment with new stuff outside their comfort zone by setting personal daily design challenges.

This year [2019], the project asked designers everywhere to come up with visual interpretations of the letters A through Z, and the numbers 0 through 9, and share them on social media between April 2 and May 8.

McKinsey Design got involved.  Almost 50 designers and graphic artists from across the firm, including client and non-client facing colleagues alike, volunteered to submit artwork. You can see all of their pieces right now, along with captions explaining their process or inspiration, at McKinsey Design’s Instagram account.

Look closer at where a creative journey can lead you and it's probably where you least expect it.

Today in Global Small Business: If You Want to Lift Up Humanity, Empower Women

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

• Anytime is a good time to expand a business internationally.  Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
• Quote of the week:  “If you want to lift up humanity, empower women.  It is the most comprehensive, pervasive, high-leverage investment you can make in human beings.” – Melinda Gates
• With global sales among franchisees doubling to $2 billion over the last five years, Waco-based Neighborly has become a household name.
• Entrepreneurs burn out and often walk away from their businesses before they reach the success levels they so longed to reach. They give up just before things “take off” in their business.  Find out why and what to do about it.
• Global trade and exportation of such good is an intricate, complex, and often difficult task that hinges on financing; trade financing.  Trade financing, much like many forms of credit providing, is a key component of the success of small to medium enterprises (SMEs), but that key is not always easy to obtain.  Learn how blockchain-based trade financing is playing into the equation.
• India is looking to fight a lonely battle on global rules for e-commerce trade at the World Trade Organization (WTO) with close to 70 countries siding with the US to have a multilateral mechanism.    

An Undiscovered Gem in Rogers Park, Illinois

Super easy to find -- right off the red line Jarvis stop in Rogers Park, Illinois.  It's Anto Pizza Chicago, a little storefront restaurant with limited seating that offers, among other things, freshly made pasta in a cone cup (yes you read that right) and Roman-style pizza.

Grab your seat at this little gem of a restaurant and enjoy the Italian fare.

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

Grow Global with Google

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Google has always offered tips and tools on how to build an online presence.  But in this case, listen in on Google's President of Global Customer Solutions, Mary Ellen Coe, who shares specific tips to help your small business grow.

Grow your global small business with Google.

With a Digital Presence, Small Businesses Can Grow Global

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Jersey Business is expanding its presence from local – mechanics, hairdressers and electricians – to an off-island customer base that enables them to thrive, globally.

A number of our [says Alexia McClure, head of operations, Jersey Business] successful stores have a digital presence, particularly on social media, which allows them to sell to the UK and further afield. These sales enable our favourite outlets to be financially sustainable and, as a result, we, their local customers, benefit from their ability to maintain a vibrant offering.

It is a fact:  Many of these businesses think internationally right from the start.

McClure goes on to say:

"I think the breadth of Jersey’s existing exporting success has only just come to my attention because it is only in the past 12 months that we have really started to develop our support for businesses selling internationally."

Why limit your ambition when the world is there at your feet?

For Jersey and NY business owners, feel free to register for an export seminar on 7/18 that helps you develop a digital presence.

Ambitious Women Are Unleashing Their Potential by Starting Businesses

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Foreign correspondent Tanzeel Akhtar talks to successful female entrepreneurs from Nigeria and South Africa to find out about their achievements and discover what motivates them.

Female entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa is rising rapidly, with a number of ambitious women defying the odds, going solo and unleashing their potential.

There are also a number of global initiatives supporting and propelling female-run businesses on the continent but the fact remains that there are still challenges women need to overcome.

For example:

In sub-Saharan Africa, at least 40% of the labour force is female, according to the Pew Research Centre.  However, 74% of women’s non-agricultural employment is informal, in contrast with 61% for men.

Read more about the wonderful stories of women who dare to dream.  Be inspired.

Free-of-Charge Cybersecurity Toolkit for Global Small Businesses

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When it comes to cybercrime the risks are great, especially for small businesses that are the lifeblood of the global economy.

The statistics, according to the World Economic Foum (WEF) show that 58% of cybercrime targets small businesses, with the global cost of cybercrime standing at $600 billion in 2018.

What many people don’t know, however, is that small businesses are often the easy way into larger enterprises. Attackers will, for example, gain access to the credentials of a small business in the supply chain of a large enterprise as a pathway into the larger company, and the breach will often go unnoticed until after the attack has been carried out.

Read more about how helping small businesses fight cybercrime benefits the global ecosystem.

Tip of the day:  The GCA Cybersecurity Toolkit for Small Business enables smaller firms to navigate the confusing array of advice free of charge, to help them shore up their cyber defenses and reduce their cyber risk.

Let's all work together to fight cybercrime on a global scale!

Today in Global Small Business: The Future of the Norwegian Startup Ecosystem

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

• McDonald's menu to feature worldwide favorites.
• Quote of the week:  “I find the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.” – Thomas Jefferson
• Chinese brands quicken pace to go global.
• Japanese drugmaker Takeda is strengthening its roots in the United States and enriching its global research heft, by unveiling a 165,000-square-foot facility in San Diego, California, in addition to its existing R&D center in Cambridge, Massachusetts and plant in Shonan, Japan.
• The future of the Norwegian startup ecosystem.
• When international expansion can go wrong.

Women Who Have Very Little Fear

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"A lot of people would say 'sexy' is about the body. But to me, 'sexy' is a woman with confidence. I admire women who have very little fear." – Allegra Versace

Global Startup Ecosystem Report

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Europe leads in the “number of top growing ecosystems across phases," says a recently released report Startup Genome’s 2019 Global Startup Ecosystem Report.

The Global Startup Ecosystem Report is “based on primary and secondary data from over 10,000 founders and more than one million companies across over 150 cities worldwide,” according to the authors, Startup Genome and the Global Entrepreneurship Network.

Amongst the top 10 global startup ecosystems, Paris and Berlin have the least amount of female founders.

Four key takeaways from the report:

1. Paris and Berlin to step up female entrepreneurship
2. Frankfurt’s Fintech focus
3. Blockchain in the Balkans
4. Keep your eye on Helsinki

Read more about the takeaways from the Global Startup Ecosystem Report.

Facebook's Push to Make Money Off WhatsApp: A Mobile Payment

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Facebook has been seeking ways to make money from the messaging service WhatsApp and has been testing payments via the app since last year in India, WhatsApp’s largest market with more than 200 million users.

Where will the rollout start?  Facebook intends to drive a global expansion of mobile payments on WhatsApp from London, accelerating its efforts to make money off the popular messaging service.  They are dispatching engineers from Britain to support its initiative.

Read more about how Facebook is plotting a global expansion of mobile payments on WhatsApp.

From Stage-Paralysis to Expressive Self

The Coca Cola Company Is Proof That Small Businesses Can Go Global

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For a business that was started as a concoction experiment and has survived different strategic transitions, one can say that The Coca Cola Company is a testament that small businesses can go global.

In 2018, The Coca Cola Company raked about 31.9b dollars in revenue. Recognized as a top ten private employer, providing a means of livelihood to more than 700,000 people. 

In your quest to expand, founders should not neglect virtues like persistence and patience because the journey is an adventure. Even The Coca Cola Company realized this.

Read more about how small businesses still go global.

Today in Global Small Business: Create a Winning Global Marketing Strategy

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

• An international lesson from Airbnb.
• Quote of the week:  “Female talent in shipping is promoting diversity. I think it can also promote innovation and give this industry a more competitive advantage.” – Katerina Stathopoulou, WISTA EXCO Board Member.
• Embracing different approaches for global B2B payments will go a long way towards strengthening the supplier relationship and minimizing payment pain.
• Creating a functional world-class team.
• LUX Blox wins FedEx grant!
• Create a winning global marketing strategy.

Women and Weed

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

“Instead of taking five or six of the prescriptions, I decided to go a natural route and smoke marijuana.” – Melissa Etheridge, musician and cannabis business owner

Take Strategic Steps to Compete

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Aaron Kibbey, Managing Director, Huron Consulting says:

Organizations today face a significant, but not impossible challenge: to cut through a noisy landscape with a value proposition that addresses consumers’ ever-changing expectations. Brands that rely on legacy alone will get lost in the shuffle unless they’re backed by a differentiated experience and long-term vision. By transforming a company’s substance, not simply style, leaders can hone an enduring competitive edge.

He goes on to say:

"Organizations saddled with excess amounts of debt have less flexibility to fund new platforms or service initiatives, but they can still take strategic steps to compete:

• Seek out the right partner [and this can be beyond borders]. 
• Restructure debt to enable reinvestment."

Read the entire article on creating revenue streams when brand matters less.

This Dude's Intense: Comment by a Viewer on Jim Collins's Keynote Address Looking Ahead and Applying Peter Drucker's Timeless Principles

2019 Status of Foreign Trade and Investment Barriers to American Exports Around the World

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From the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR):

The National Trade Estimate (NTE) is the U.S. government’s major annual report on the barriers to trade, investment, and services that American exporters and other businesses and their workers encounter around the world. The report is required to be published each year by March 31 and is submitted to the President and Congress.  The USTR works closely with other government agencies and U.S. embassies to prepare the NTE.

The USTR is responsible for the preparation of this report.

Access:  2019 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers

Fact sheets:

• Digital trade
• Key developments on technical barriers to trade
• Removing barriers to U.S. exports worldwide
• The President's trade agenda and annual report