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Next Wave of Globalization? Remote Workforce

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As the article penned by Jackie Bischof, Deputy membership editor for Quartz says, "globalization—the ideal of an interconnected world—is predicated on the idea that we are stronger working together than split apart."  But, she goes on to say, "it has proven politically divisive, in large part because its costs and benefits have not been shared equally." 

If the expansion of remote work makes it easier and more common to work with colleagues across borders, could it also make globalization more popular? 

For their field guide on virtual, borderless teams, Quartz asked experts what kind of impact the dramatic shift in working from home precipitated by Covid-19 might have on global collaboration.

Here's what they said – requires a free trial registration or subscription.

Today in Global Small Business: Emerge Stronger Post COVID-19

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

• Four questions (and answers) about Covid-19’s lasting impact on business (Bain & Company).
• As stores reopen, which customers are most likely to return (MIT Sloan Management Review).
• Quote of the week:  "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." – Winston Churchill
• Special issue on digital transformation (California Management)
• Emerge stronger post COVID-19 (pwc).
• Digital marketers race to meet the needs of a new era (Boston Consulting Group).

Love Is the Flower

©2020 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

“Love is the flower you’ve got to let grow.” – John Lennon

For All the Moms Worldwide: The Kids' Table

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A Chicago kids' cooking school offers virtual weekly classes for children ages 2 to 14.  Most classes are one hour, a new two-hour course, Supper Club, puts kids in charge of dinner.   Hmm, does that sound nice :-).  Spots I hear go fast, so book yours today.

With interactive instruction from our skilled instructors, young chefs get to chop, mix and roll their way to a different delicious dish in each class - with enough to share with the fam! Kids learn valuable culinary skills and new recipes, enjoy a fun hands-on activity, and are inspired to expand their taste buds to discover that "real food" can be really good. 

Learn more:  The Kids' Table

Exploring the Open Road Safely and Easily

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American Automobile Association (AAA) recently added a new map to their TripTik tool quiver (triptik.aaa.com), with all of the Covid-related data a traveler could need.  It includes:

• Features to show roadway checkpoints
• Border closings with Canada and Mexico
• Travel restrictions at the city, county or state level
• Confirmed cases of Covid-19 at the state/province and/or county level

The underlying data is updated every weekday by AAA's GIS (geographic information system) team, so travelers can count on having the freshest information at their disposal.

Serendipity Is a Skill

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In his new book, The Serendipity Mindset, Christian Busch, director of the global economy program at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs, makes the case that serendipity is the result of a sensibility that allows people to spot and act on unexpected, fortuitous connections when others would dismiss them.

And he suggests that it’s possible for people to cultivate this mindset and use unpredictability to their advantage. Busch talked to strategy+business about the serendipity mindset, which he says is key for companies in a time of pressing global challenges.

Read the full interview here.

SBA: National Small Business Week 2020 (Event Is Free of Charge)

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Here's the Agenda for the U.S. Small Business Administration's National Small Business Week that starts today, September 22nd (at 12:30PM ET) and runs until the 24th offering educational presentations and panel discussions that help both new and existing businesses to recover, adapt, and innovate in this challenging time.

Best of all: the event is free of charge.  Register here.

Today in Global Small Business: How RBG Made Girls Equal to Boys

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

• Disney+ rolls out globally.
• Some of the earliest countries to be impacted by the virus have been quick to adopt health certificates – but can immunity passports really help us travel safely again?
• Quote of the week: "Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." – Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s impact on women spanned age groups, backgrounds.  RBG made girls equal to boys.  That will continue.  A fact.  
• The secret sauce to getting more women to export – wegg® plays a key role.
• Daniel Pink:  How to not be overwhelmed right now.

A Horse Is An Adulthood Treasure

©2020 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"A pony is a childhood dream. A horse is an adulthood treasure." – Rebecca Carroll

How Small Businesses Are Adjusting to COVID-19

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How are America’s small businesses navigating the economic disruptions resulting from COVID-19, and how will the CARES Act affect their decisions and future prospects?

To explore these questions, we [the National Bureau of Economic Research] conducted a survey of more than 5,800 small businesses that were members of the Alignable business network. The survey focused on assessing (1) the current level of financial fragility among small businesses, (2) the extent to which small businesses have already temporarily closed and laid off employees, (3) expectations about how long the crisis will last - and how this is affecting business decisions, and (4) decisions about whether to seek funding through the CARES Act, and how this will impact layoff and closure decisions.

Discover the survey results and themes that emerge.

Entrepreneurship is An Integral Component of African Economies

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Entrepreneurship is an integral component of African economies – it is not surprising that the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report for 2014, ranked Uganda as the World’s top entrepreneurial country.

With a high market value and uses in cooking and cosmetics, Shea butter has become known as Burkina's gold. By training groups of entrepreneurs in the best processing methods and how best to sell their end product, TREE AID is turning an everyday tree product into meals, medicines and schooling.

Most business entities in Uganda are small-scale ventures and operate extensively in the informal sector – young entrepreneurs have low growth expectations as not many of them innovate or develop new products.

Learn more about the challenges and prospects of SMEs and entrepreneurship in Africa.

Are the World Bank Doing Business Rankings Accurate?

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The World Bank's Doing Business rankings had a goal of evaluating countries’ openness to the private sector.  Right now, they are in a little hot water.  Seven years ago the bank rejected an independent panel’s recommendation to do away with the ranking system due to what appeared to be data manipulation [irregularities].

Now they have paused the publication of its next Doing Business report, originally planned for October, while it conducts “a systematic review and assessment of data changes” in the last five reports, as well as an audit of the data collection process and data integrity controls.

Sounds like they have some explaining to do ... we've always called their work Ease of Doing Business Rankings.

Georgia: The Epic Center of Global Trade in the Southeast, USA

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The new Export Georgia, USA Directory hosted by Georgia Department of Economic Development’s International Trade division  provides Georgia businesses with the global connections they need to reach new markets and diversify their international customer base. The site (www.georgia.org/export) currently features more than 60 Georgia businesses.  The new marketing tool has been created to provide virtual connections between international buyers and Georgia suppliers.

“Georgia has quickly become the epicenter of global trade in the Southeast,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson. “As we continue to celebrate a record-setting year for trade in 2019 – our trade team is focusing on the future. Not only will this tool help Georgia businesses find new buyers in international markets, but it will also help businesses get back on their feet as they seek out new opportunities to succeed.”

Read more about how Georgia helps companies connect to international buyers.

Today in Global Small Business: Fascinating Cultural Differences Around the World

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

• COVID-19 has changed global marketing strategies.
• Create agile global marketing plans.
• Quote of the week: "The Internet is the most effective instrument we have for globalization." – Milton Friedman
• Fascinating cultural differences around the world.
• A study finds that colors evoke similar feelings around the world. 
• Students are caught between globalization and nationalism.

Being Real Awesome

©2020 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Being a unicorn isn't about being real.  It's about being real awesome." – Unknown.

Riding the Love Wave: Smooth Jazz For the Global Soul

Business As Unusual During the Global Pandemic

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As entrepreneurs deal with industry shutdowns, quarantines and fewer customers, “business as usual” takes on an entirely new meaning during the global pandemic.

Being a small business owner can often feel lonely, carrying the weight of the world, clients and employees on their shoulders. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Alaska Small Business Development Center (SBDC) want one message to ring clear for businesses figuring out a pivot plan: you are not alone.

Learn more how a pivot plan is critical for Alaska small business survival.

How Does a Company Grow 700% During the Global Pandemic?

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As the article below states, it’s rare for a start-up to glide silently under the media’s radar. “We never decided not to go to the media, we just never decided we would, and now seems like the right time to tell our story, before someone else writes about our financial technology start-up, Melio Payments, without asking us," says Melio CEO Matan Bar.

Just so you know:  Melio is Venmo for mom-and-pop stores. The Israeli startup thinks its tech can save America's small businesses.

See what you think.  Pretty impressive.

Where are the World's Tallest Buildings?

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It seems that humanity is always vying to exceed our past accomplishments, and nowhere is the evidence clearer than in the tallest buildings that make up our cities.  Take a look at the tallest buildings on every continent.

Today in Global Small Business: Are the COVID-19 Pandemic and Digitalization of Export Promo Services Here to Stay?

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

• Are the COVID-19 pandemic and digitalization of export promotion services here to stay?
• Why study abroad?
• Quote of the week: "A lot of people, including business leaders, think the future belongs to China. Globalization is not a zero-sum game, but we need to hone our skills to stay in play." – Jon Meacham
• New book:  Saving Face by Maya Hu-Chan on how to preserve dignity and build trust.
• China's exports are surging despite tariffs and the coronavirus.
• Coronavirus tests future of Japan's yellowtail exports.
• Happy Labor Day to all American workers.

Cherish Each Day and Cherish Your Visions

©2020 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements." – Napoleon Hill

American Express Global Small Business Owners: Pay Over Time

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American Express, one of the last remaining issuers of charge cards, recently announced that many of their small business credit cards would now be automatically enrolled in their ‘Pay Over Time’ feature at the start of the November billing cycle.  Pay Over Time allows a cardholder to revolve their balance like a traditional credit card.

With a charge card, the balance is typically due in full at the end of each billing cycle. Amex’s Pay Over Time feature enables a cardholder to carry a balance on eligible purchases of $100 or more and pay interest on that portion of their balance they revolve from one month to the next. In other words, it allows an American Express business charge card to act just like a traditional credit card.  Prior to November, cardholders would have to request that Pay Over Time be applied to specific purchases.

Learn more about how American Express business cards default over to time plans.

Navigating Business Disruption During COVID-19

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 COVID-19 has shown us that it is the interconnectedness among companies tied to a just-in-time supply chain that is designed to meet immediate consumption needs.

Covid-19 has caused a massive disruption to business operations up and down the supply chain, including to the operations of growers, producers, manufacturers, processors, and distributors, as companies struggle to generate revenue amid government shutdowns, closed schools, and abrupt changes to consumption patterns.

There are two critical factors necessary to ensure that a company’s business disruption does not trigger a legal process that impairs recoveries for creditors and undermines a distressed company’s ability to reorganize.

Read more about how to navigate business disruption in uncertain times.

Are You Zone Skipping?

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There are many challenges and obstacles that can derail global operations.

"Leading cross-continental teams is a bit of a balancing act," says Deepak Agarwal, founder of several global businesses. "There is so much to educate yourself on as you enter a global marketplace. You have to think beyond your home office. Localizing, or understanding the way business is conducted in the areas where your business is present, can have a tremendous positive impact on your strategy for going global."

Agarwal provides five (5) pointers concerning:

1. Language
2. Payment method
3. Price point and currency
4. Shipping (which brings up zone skipping)
5. Cultural nuances

Learn more here.

Thinking of Abandoning Globalization? Reconsider.

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The coronavirus pandemic exposed the vulnerability of our global supply chains, interrupting the flow of critical imports into the U.S., and triggering calls for American multinationals to reshore production.

Coming on the heels of the trade war and Washington’s push to de-couple economically from China, this has brought widespread predictions of deglobalization. The U.S. Special Trade Representative even wrote a recent op-ed calling for the end of offshoring.

Ultimately, we will see changes in the way the global economy works.  According to Thomas Hout for HBR, "the fundamentals of our globalized economy — and China’s role within it — will not change."  Here are the four reasons why in his article: Abandoning Globalization Will Only Hurt U.S. Businesses.