Viking Genes for Sale and For Export

©iStock/Everste

Viking genes are for sale and for export.  Danish sperm banks have grown into a successful export industry. Now Norway seems to be following the same path.

The Norwegian Directorate of Health (link is in Norwegian) has allowed a fertility clinic, Livio, to export donor sperm to its clinics in Sweden and Iceland. Sperm from a Norwegian donor can be used to create six Norwegian families, six Swedish families, and two Iceland families.

Expect a large influx from single women who want to get pregnant with the help of donor sperm.

Japan Is Red Hot With Tourists and Investors

©iStock/DoctorEgg

Japan, declares tourist after tourist, investor after investor, is red hot. The yen is tumbling, the shopping is amazing, the stock market is flying, the sushi is cheap. It is also, perhaps, the only place in the world right now where you can buy a globally successful $20bn company for free.

Like all good tricks, this so-far-hypothetical $20bn great gratis grab takes a bit of setting-up. For a start ...

Today in Global Small Business: ChatGPT Has Thrown a Wrench Into SEO

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

• When search was king, companies could turn to SEO—and paid ads—to land atop search results. ChatGPT has thrown a wrench into that arrangement.
• Why e-commerce has plenty of room to run, especially global.
• For retailers, will your e-commerce tools survive federal data privacy regulations?
• Quote of the week: “In a few years artificial intelligence virtual assistants will be as common as the smart phone.” – Dave Waters
• Five (5) charts showing what's driving e-commerce growth.
• On Memorial Day 2023, honor the men and women who have served our country, USA, with bravery.

Watching My Cat

©2023 Laurel Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Just watching my cats can make me happy." –  Paula Cole

What to Choose When Expanding Your Business Globally: Local Entity or PEO?

©iStock/Caiaimage/Martin

You can establish a presence in a new and unfamiliar market yourself by setting up a local entity.  Alternatively, you can partner with a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) to expand into the new market far more quickly with less risk and without needing a full-fledged local presence. 

Here are some tips to help you decide whether a local entity or PEO is right for your business's global expansion. 

Going Global Doesn't Have to be Complicated

©iStock/Dmitry Kovalchuk

To go global, businesses must navigate complex regulatory environments, cultural differences, language barriers, and logistical issues, not to mention the task of finding customers and getting paid.

Given the potential benefits of expanding internationally, the effort is worth it on mastering the above.

How can businesses best prepare for and navigate the inherent challenges of global growth?  Prepare a global strategy and take the time to consider all aspects of going global to ensure success. 

A Blast From the Past: We Are the World (Music Video)

How to Change the World

©iStock/anyaberkut

As Ryan Holiday says for Entrepreneur, "Each of us has the power to contribute to a problem or to be part of the solution. The decision to reform oneself is not an isolated one. It may matter only a tiny bit in the big scheme of things, but it does matter.  All the decisions we make as [global] business owners matter. We have agency, we have a say.  The question we all face, then, is obvious: How will we use it?"

That's how to change the world.  Read on to learn why all business is global business today.

Today in Global Small Business: Making International Shipping Easier For Brands and Retailers

©iStock/Tryaging

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

• Making international shipping easier for brands and retailers.
• General e-commerce statistics for 2023 and forward.
• Design thinking was supposed to fix the world. Where did it go wrong?
• Quote of the week: "When ships reduce their speed they use less fuel, resulting in fewer greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants; the global shipping industry accounts for nearly 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions." – Tatiana Schlossberg
• The state of AI in 14 charts.
• Strange maps.

I Must Have Flowers

©2023 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

“I must have flowers, always and always.” – Claude Monet

Georgia Knows How to Break Into Export Markets

©iStock/f11photo

Twenty-seven (27) Georgia companies were honored this week (May 18, 2023) with an annual recognition for their expansion of export sales into new markets over the previous year. 

While some were seasoned exporters that simply found buyers for their goods or services in one additional new country, at least three of the firms sold internationally for the first time ever in 2022. 

There are so many winners!  Check them out here.

Who's Courting Who to France?

©iStock/Oleksil Liskonih

French President Emmanuel Macron and Tesla CEO Elon Musk will be attending the “Choose France” Summit, which is set to not only unveil roughly 13 billion euros of new business investments into the country but also tout France as the market of choice for expanding businesses in Europe.

Meanwhile, they had a little meeting – not sure who's courting who. May the clean-shaven man earn whatever they are going after!

Alongside its dramatic production ramp, Tesla has been growing its global market presence in parallel. This has included founding new facilities outside its home market of the United States and entering countless new markets with its popular Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. 

Create and Customize Quality Trips From A to Z From All Over the World

©iStock/VV Shots

Start creating and customizing quality trips from A to Z all over the world in the blink of an eye with the next generation connected-trip operator Worldia, a B2B2C connected-trip company.

The Paris-based startup plans to continue its mission of “transforming the travel industry” for travel professionals and consumers, said Grégoire Pasquet, the company’s co-founder and CEO. 

A key player in the French market, Worldia has also successfully expanded into the German, Belgian and Spanish markets and has done a first pilot in the US.

The Midwest (USA) Is the Gateway to the World

©iStock/wellesenterprises

With a globally connected location and robust industry supply chain, the Midwest, in particular Michigan, is the gateway to the world.  In fact, $61.1 billion in total goods was exported from Michigan in 2022 alone. 

And while Michigan is home to many global corporations, the state’s small business community is actively involved in contributing to Michigan’s presence in the global market. Case in point: nearly 89 percent of Michigan exporters are small businesses.

Yes, that's right.  Small business exporters are driving growth for Michigan.  Check out how Michigan can help you grow your exports.

Today in Global Small Business: Simple Ideas for Expanding a Business Globally

©iStock/Nuthawut Somsuk

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

• Simple ideas for expanding a business globally.
• Going global is an adventure.
• Avoid these 3 mistakes when going global.
• Quote of the week: "America's support for human rights and democracy is our noblest export to the world." – William Bennett
• What's a must for successful companies?  To go global.
• A guide to going global.  And another one that is considered the bible for exporting. 

The Best Thing To Hold Onto

©2023 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"The best thing to hold onto in life is each other." – Audrey Hepburn 

How To Be Less Dependent on China

©iStock/Oleksii Liskonih

Every manufacturing leader or CEO should be preparing for the worst should things fall apart in China by doing five critically important things. Things that need to happen now – it’s too late once conflict erupts. 

To become more self-reliant and avoid future supply chain storms, invest in these five areas to develop the right strategy.

What Is An Export Trading Company?

©iStock/krblokhin

An export trading company is an independent company that provides support services for firms engaged in exporting. This may include warehousing, shipping, insuring, and billing on behalf of the client.

Find out what else an Export Trading Company can help with.

Learn how Warren Buffet is investing in Japanese Trading Companies.

Prospective Hindsight (TED video)

The Biggest and Best Entrepreneurial Excellence Forum 2023 in Vegas Hosted by the Women Presidents Organization

More than 750 women business owners from around the world have arrived in Las Vegas for their annual Women Presidents Organization Entrepreneurial Excellence Forum 2023 to network, learn and grow together. This is the most amazing program of the year for WPO.   And I [Laurel Delaney] am so honored to have the opportunity to attend.  Full disclosure:  I am serve as the Chicago Chapter Chair for the Women Presidents Organization.

I am really looking forward to connecting with the best and brightest women business owners from all over the world and at the same time have an opportunity to moderate a panel discussion on "Intentional Growth Beyond Borders" with two international stars:  Caroline Tompkins, President and CEO, Forum for International Trade Training (FITT) and Laura Didyk, Vice President, Client Diversity, Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC).

If you are attending, ping me to meetup and if you are not yet a WPO member, learn more here about joining so you can attend next year's Forum.

Today in Global Small Business: AR Translation Glasses Will Widen Your Global Reach

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

• Google AR (augmented reality) translation glasses: why it's finally time for them to become reality.
• Expanding your e-commerce business globally.
• Top 10 10 most in-demand job skills right now, according to the World Economic Forum.
• Quote of the week: "I do think that a significant portion of the population of developed countries, and eventually all countries, will have AR experiences every day, almost like eating three meals a day. It will become that much a part of you." —Tim Cook
• Country guides by DHL.
• The rise of the fandom business, making it a key aspect of the global economy.

Beer Holder

©2023 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder." –  Kinky Friedman

Robert Herjavec Wasn't Born a Successful Global Entrepreneur

©iStock/Biod

To get what he wanted in life, Robert Herjavec discovered at an early age that he needed to step outside his comfort zone. The world, he said, would not beat a path to his door.

The charming, articulate executive [Robert Herjavec] we see today on ABC’s Emmy Award-winning show “Shark Tank” is a far cry from the shy, uncertain young man who grew up in Canada after fleeing communist Yugoslavia with his parents.

Learn more about Robert Herjavec and how he earned the 2023 Asper Award for Global Entrepreneurship.

Is Your Startup Ready to Go Global?

©iStock/metamorworks

While the most successful companies tend to follow the money, that shouldn’t be your sole motivation for going global. 

There are five main indicators for determining if your startup is ready to go global. If one or two of the indicators here apply to your business, you’re definitely headed in the right direction. 

But before you take the leap, you need to be aware of the challenges and risks. Start by asking yourself these questions.

Chewy Eyes International Expansion

©iStock/Liudmila Chernetska

“International expansion has long been a part of our strategy,” said Sumit Singh, Chewy’s CEO, during the [most recent earnings] call. “It was a matter of when, not if Chewy would take our superior value proposition into new geographies.”

Details about which markets Chewy plans to expand to were scarce but Singh said the company is considering “entry markets that possess attractive characteristics for our initial international expansion plans.”  

Making the World a Better Place (wegginar® 5/3/23)

©2023 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global

Who doesn't want to make the world a better place?  Founder of OMSutra, Jyoti Jaiswal, will be talking about how to get started and weave in positivity and consciously crafted design to make her point.

Join Jyoti and wegg® free of charge on Wednesday, May 3rd at 11 AM CT.  To learn more and to register, visit:  https://bit.ly/3UtqomN.  Or, to move even faster, capture the QR code.  See you there!

Today in Global Small Business: Inspirational Songs For Global Entrepreneurs

©iStock/cienpies

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

• Music can benefit your business, as it has for these 50 entrepreneurs. Check out their picks for inspirational songs (hint:  "My Way" by Frank Sinatra).
• Global retail ecommerce forecast 2023.
• ChatGPT as a thinking partner.
• Quote of the week: "One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain." – Bob Marley
• Developing positive character.
• Charting the global economy:  Inflation in US remains stubborn.