Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Global Trade Surprisingly Strong Despite Recent Shocks

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The recent DHL Trade Growth Atlas, which maps the most important trends and prospects of global trade in goods, is published by DHL and NYU Stern School of Business.  The report covers 173 countries, providing valuable business intelligence for policymakers and industry leaders. It shines a positive light on the resilience of global trade – despite recent shocks and market pessimism.

Read more to better understand global trade and its opportunities. 

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Japan Airlines (JAL): Ready for Takeoff Post Pandemic

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When the pandemic hit, the global marketing team at Japan Airlines (JAL) saw its budget disappear overnight.  They saw the whole thing disappear.  Poof.  There wasn't a whole lot to promote during the pandemic – back then JAL was operating between the US and Southeast Asia, routes without any stops in Japan itself.

Back in 2019, the airline’s plan was to streamline its global marketing efforts across regions, develop a more integrated approach to marketing, introduce new marketing-related skill sets and break down internal department silos.

Discover what they did, and how they are now ready for takeoff.

Monday, November 28, 2022

Today in Global Small Business: Carbon Neutral Shipping For Ecommerce Merchants

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

Saturday, November 26, 2022

Eat Chocolate

©2022 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.
"Stress out and eat chocolate." – Anonymous

Friday, November 25, 2022

Retailer's Huge Holiday Wish?

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Retailers’ biggest holiday wish is to get rid of all that excess inventory.  As some of the nation’s largest retailers report quarterly earnings and revenue, Wall Street is paying close attention to another number, too — inventory levels.

Who isn't carrying a great deal of inventory lately?  And who isn't experiencing issues with goods ordered pre-pandemic that are finally arriving now?  Yes, you read that right.  It's been one helluva ride for many companies.  

Whether it be Walmart, Target, Gap or Kohl's, they are all trying to sell through a glut of extra merchandise piling up in store backrooms and warehouses.

All retailers want for Christmas is diminished inventory levels.

Thursday, November 24, 2022

Happy Thanksgiving 2022 From the Global Small Business Blog

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We thank you for your readership since 2004.  Have a day filled with gratitude and beautiful blessings.

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Respect For the Individual

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One of the basic beliefs upon which Sam Walton founded Walmart is “respect for the individual.”  His strategy was built on an unshakeable foundation: the lowest prices anytime, anywhere. 

Walmart conducts retail and/or e-commerce operations in 24 countries around the world and sources product from more than 100 countries, each with its own unique cultural, economic, social, and political institutions and practices.

Learn more about Sam's basic beliefs (and history of Walmart) here.

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

What Drives Globalization?

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The author of "De-globalization – Myth or reality?" sees three forces that drive globalization. 

The first is the ability to shorten distances in both transport and communication. The second is the commitment of nation states to establish and adhere to rules, standards and safeguards that ensure that goods, services, capital and labor can move relatively freely across borders. The third is the incentive of firms and consumers to push the boundaries of what is possible in the ever-present quest for profits and pleasure.

Drill down on all three points to learn more, especially about what drives globalization.

Monday, November 21, 2022

Today in Global Small Business: Gratefulness Edition

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

Saturday, November 19, 2022

Her Angel's Face

©2022 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.
"Her angel's face, As the great eye of heaven shined bright, And made a sunshine in the shady place." – Edmund Spenser

Friday, November 18, 2022

Taking a Trip Abroad? Get Some Foreign Cash Before You Land

©iStock/Dilok Klaisataporn
Taking a trip abroad?  It’s wise to get some foreign cash before landing at your destination. And while currency exchanges at airports are convenient, you’ll get less bang for your buck due to their poor exchange rates.  To exchange your currency more affordably, skip the airport kiosk and look for another foreign currency exchange nearby. 

Here’s how to find one.

Thursday, November 17, 2022

Globalization's Next Phase is a Rewiring

©iStock/Sofiia Potanina 
According to a new report from consulting firm McKinsey, globalization is changing course — that much is clear.  But don’t call it a retreat, it’s just “reconfiguring," or "rewiring."

Today, international businesses are confronting the “complexities of an increasingly contested global order” where war, national security, supply-chain disruptions and technological change are all driving a shift in global trade flows.  The result of this shift, according to McKinsey, is that some supply chains could “shorten and become more regional” in the coming years.

Read more about globalization's next phase of rewiring.  Read the full McKinsey report, "Global flows:  The ties that bind in an interconnected world."

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Has Globalization Impacted the Legal Profession?

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How has the globalization of economic activity and the movement of a significant amount of that activity from the traditional centers in the Global North to the emerging economies in the Global South, impacted the legal profession?

Discover more here.

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Global Supply Chains Have a New Bottom Line

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The endless drive to reduce costs by relocating production facilities has resulted in a globalized, vertically integrated, and highly specialized manufacturing model that benefits specific countries and regions. Willingly and consciously, we have created unbridled globalized supply chains that focus on maximizing value.

From economic value to social and environmental values, global supply chains have a new bottom line.  Find out why.

Monday, November 14, 2022

Today in Global Small Business: TikTok Shop Launched Invite Only In-App Ecommerce Feature

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

Saturday, November 12, 2022

Life Is Like a Cocktail

©2022 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.
"Life is like a cocktail, made up for the most part of sweet things, and tinged with a dash of bitters. We must drain it to the dregs to get at the cherry, just as we must live a full and rounded life to know all its pleasures." – Edgar Guest

Friday, November 11, 2022

Don't Overestimate the Staying Power of the Pandemic’s E-commerce Boom

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During the pandemic, businesses of all sizes, from mom-and-pop shops to big box retailers, invested heavily in growing their digital footprints — including through advertising on social media — to reach the rapidly expanding online customer base.

Instead, the digital shopping revolution appears to have stalled.

Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg made a startling admission on Wednesday during a private Zoom call for the 11,000 workers his company had just laid off: They were losing their jobs partly because he overestimated the staying power of the pandemic’s e-commerce boom.

Don't make the same mistake.  Focus on your core business and think now, more than ever, about innovation.  How to make your core sing.

We salute all veterans today, 11/11/22.  

Thursday, November 10, 2022

Is Bad Customer Service Killing Your Brand?

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What steps can companies take to make sure that they have a strong customer support strategy? How does it impact a company's growth?  Do you think selling via marketplaces such as Amazon has changed customer support?  Is there is a generational divide when it comes to expectations around customer satisfaction?  

Those questions and more are addressed in the interview with CEO of eDesk Ray Nolan and conducted by Gary Drenik.  Access it here.  Also pay a visit to a recent wegginar®.

Wednesday, November 09, 2022

Without Internet Connectivity, Global Small Businesses Miss Out

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Digitalization opens new possibilities to connect, engage and share with others, to earn, learn and socialize, to find solutions that can reduce our climate impacts.

Without connectivity people miss out on access to education, jobs and social activities, while micro, small, and medium businesses lose their competitive edge. 

The B20 Digitalization Taskforce will focus its message to G20 leaders on universal connectivity, digital skills and the digitalization of businesses of all sizes. To accomplish these goals, networks need to be put in place at scale, fast and affordably.

Learn more on why we must drive universal connectivity and extend digital to global small businesses, without delay.

Tuesday, November 08, 2022

What Would a One-Party America Look Like?

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Paul Krugman has been an Opinion columnist since 2000 for The New York Times and is also a distinguished professor at the City University of New York Graduate Center. He won the 2008 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his work on international trade and economic geography.

Here's what he has to say about a one-party America.

Monday, November 07, 2022

Today in Global Small Business: How CSR and ESG Can Fuel a Strong Company Culture

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

Saturday, November 05, 2022

The Year's Last, Loveliest Smile

©2022 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.
"Autumn ... the year's last, loveliest smile." – William Cullen Bryant

Friday, November 04, 2022

Globalization's Next Phase

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Globalization is not over. There may be retrenchment in some areas such as critical technologies and reshaping in others such as onshoring or regionalization.

But this new globalization is also a unique opportunity to rethink the current framework where we maintain the benefits garnered from an open flow of trade, people, information, and culture. It is a chance to reestablish the partnership between the private and public sectors to ensure we achieve the optimal balance between efficiency and risk mitigation, corporate profits, and income equality. And prioritize social concerns such as human rights, climate change, and workforce prerogatives.

Read the entire article about globalization's great reboot.

Thursday, November 03, 2022

Companies Combating Climate Concerns Benefit With Additional Revenue Growth and Earnings

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The EY organization announced the release of the 2022 Sustainable Value Study, a survey of over 500 chief sustainability officers and equivalents representing companies worth more than US$1b around the world.

The survey finds companies taking decisive action to combat climate concerns are benefiting from unexpected financial value in areas like revenue growth and earnings, with 7 in 10 seeing financial benefits that exceed their expectations. 

Those companies taking the boldest steps are also seeing unexpectedly positive benefits in areas like staff retention, recruitment, brand perception and customer purchasing behavior.

Read more on how businesses are finding unexpected benefits from climate initiatives.

Wednesday, November 02, 2022

Figuring Out Financing on U.S. Exports

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Finally, a guide to help navigate all the options available for collecting money from customers overseas.  Yes!  

This particular edition spotlights commercial trade finance instruments as well as U.S. government export financing resources available through the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank), U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

Best part of the whole report?  The following:

Tips for Exporters

  • Be mindful of emerging trends that could reduce the complexity, cost, and processing time of trade finance transactions.
  • Inquire with your current trade finance provider about available or planned digital options that could enhance efficiency and reduce costs.
  • Explore trade finance options, including consulting new fintech-based trade finance providers about both traditional instruments and innovative offerings.
  • Be cautious of potential fraud and cyber security risks that may accompany new technologies and online trade finance platforms.

And there’s plenty more as outlined in the 17 chapters!  Access the Trade Finance Guide (PDF) here.

Tuesday, November 01, 2022

Yearning to Return to Immigrant Roots with a Global Company (wegginar®)

©2022 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global.  All rights reserved.
Are you yearning to return to your immigrant roots as you grow a global company?  Then join wegg® on Wednesday, November 2nd at 11AM CT to hear Dena Javaras's journey brought out by a friendly chat led by Moji Eagan, Senior Vice President, Bank of America.  Dena is President of LED Tranquility, Inc.

The wegginar® is powered by Associated Bank, Bluedog Design, FedEx and GlobalCare Clinical Trials, which makes it free of charge.

To learn more and to register, visit:  Yearning to Return to Immigrant Roots With a Global Company.