Treasure Chest of Living

©2023 Laurel J. Delaney. All rights reserved.

"The home should be the treasure chest of living." – Le Corbusier

Navigating E-Commerce on a Global Scale

©iStock/NVS

In this interview with Boris Rütten, head of global ecommerce at CPG giant Henkel, he discusses the ever-changing landscape of global ecommerce, emphasizing the need for continuous adaptation and staying attuned to market trends in order to achieve sustainable growth.

Three (3) key takeaways:

1. Establishing successful partnerships in business requires a collaborative approach.
2. Staying vigilant and adaptable to market trends is essential for sustained growth.
3. Customizing strategies according to market-specific needs is key to thriving globally.

8th Annual Global Small Business Forum 10/20/23

©2023 Global TradeSource, Ltd.  All rights reserved.

🌍 🌎 🌏 Let's take on the world 10/20/23! 🌍 🌎 🌏 

Registration is OPEN for our 8th Annual Global Small Business Forum (https://bit.ly/3PyjTv0) brought to you by lead sponsor Associated Bank and hosted by Foley Lardner.  Full disclosure:  I [Laurel Delaney] serve as the Director for the Forum.  We can't wait to see you Friday, October 20 from 8:00 AM CT – 11:30 AM CT.  Fans, supporters and global enthusiast have already signed up – because we are a sure thing – and 3 companies have secured vendor tables. Grab your ticket before we reach maximum capacity.

The theme this year is: Navigate Turbulence in the Global Marketplace (#navigateturbulenceintheglobalmarketplace).

Representation will be from all over the world due to the hybrid approach (option to attend in person #Chicago or remotely). We cherish diversity of thought and a rich exchange of information and that we guarantee you will experience. 

Associated Bank is our lead (Gold) sponsor. We thank them for their continued support.

Foley & Lardner LLP provides innovative legal services to businesses and is the host for the program – grateful to their support as well.

  

Now to the speakers, the people who will make our event rock! The following speakers have an amazing background in international trade, some are even #export-award winners:

• Bill McHenry, President, Widgeteer, Inc.
• Angie Kappel, VP Foreign Exchange, Capital Markets, Associated Bank
• Cathy Koch, Founder and CEO, K-Tec Systems
• Tom Dustman, International Sales Director, Sunnen Products Company
• Ellen Wheeler, Partner and Litigation Attorney, Foley & Lardner LLP
• Lori Novak, VP Foreign Exchange, Capital Markets, Associated Bank
• Ahmad Murrar, Litigation Associate, Foley & Lardner LLP (Moderator)
• Susan Walters-Flood, Chief Operating Officer, The Planting Hope Company
• Donald J. Lloyd, Senior VP, Manager: Capital Markets – Foreign Exchange, Rate Swaps and Commodity Derivatives, Associated Bank (Moderator)
• Lu Holter, Owner, Croix Valley Foods
• Richard Paullin, Executive Director, ITAGC
• Marc Schulman, President, Eli's Cheesecake Company

Topics covered:

–  How to get paid and avoid risks associated with foreign exchange fluctuations?

–  The value of EXIM bank financing.

–  What grants are available to businesses for international expansion?

–  The ins and outs to sourcing and importing.

–  Which overseas markets are right for you and how to figure it out?

–  Strategies for ingredient protection on food products.

–  Best practices in the area of post-pandemic recovery.

–  What does Made in U.S.A. mean to the world?

–  How to find customers and ship products worldwide.

–  What's involved to export foods products (e.g., labelling and regulatory issues)?

–  Strategies for working effectively across different cultures to form productive relationships with diverse clients.

Visit the website for more details and to register: https://bit.ly/3PyjTv0.

Our forum is known for attracting and featuring business owners who are #exporting or are about to #goglobal, incredible networking, and the exciting raffle of prizes at the end.  The prizes alone draw people to the event 😂!

Can't wait to connect with you in October 20th!  Together, let's take on the world!

Note to our readers:  Thanks to your readership, we have surpassed 150K views to our blog in September!

EXIM Bank Opens Up New Opportunities for Global Traders

©iStock/Iryna Imago

Archana Sharma discovered EXIM bank at a trade show and it opened up new opportunities for her company [that is not mentioned in the article below].  I believe it is:  AKAS – EXIM's Exporter of the Year in 2021. 

Back in her office, “I [Sharma] said, Hey, we can get credit insurance for exporting, so you know what? Next time let's tell them to buy $15,000 worth instead of $5,000 because we're going to give them insurance. And that was a game changer for us.” That’s why she said, “EXIM has been a very important part of our export journey,” and advocates for them, including testifying on behalf of EXIM in Congress.

Read more about how EXIM Bank can be a game changer for businesses who desire to export.

What's the Risk Around Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

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The chorus of big names in tech who have weighed in on the question of risk around artificial intelligence now includes Bill Gates.

Here's a few fresh ideas from Gates in an article by Will Douglas Heaven for MIT Technology Review. 

Today in Global Small Business: Leveraging the IoT For Exponential Global Growth

©iStock/ipopba

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

• Global expansion offers businesses leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT) the potential for exponential global growth, enhanced market reach, and a broader customer base.
• Secretary Blinken announced New Zealand as the latest donor partner to join the Global Equality Fund (GEF), protecting human rights with a new international partner.
• Brands that are looking for long-term growth and success need to expand their brand internationally at some point.
• Quote of the week: “Like air and drinking water, being digital will be noticed only by its absence, not its presence." – Nicholas Negroponte
• Cultural differences can guide best practices when expanding internationally. It's up to company leaders to make sure their teams are well-prepared.
• Go global if you can beat local.

The Whole World Is a Garden

©2023 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” – Frances Hodgson Burnett

Claims That Globalization Is Dead Is Fundamentally Wrong

©iStock/mrjo2405

Everywhere we are seeing claims that “globalization is dead.” Such declarations are fundamentally misguided (wrong).  Globalization is changing.  That's about it. 

The system we are moving toward is more complicated than a reversion of global interconnection. In many cases, trade is simply being rerouted rather than shut down. Most commercial industries will remain open and global, but certain critical sectors will turn inward, toward localized supply chains.

And then there is AI.  See how all of this plays into the need to prioritize international collaboration and engender a new global mindset – one that aims to innovate responsibly and unleash human potential.

Leveraging AI in the Global Supply Chain

©iStock/metamorworks

Organizations are using AI not only to collect more data but to utilize that data to reduce cost while improving efficiency and resiliency. They’re betting on AI optimizing operations from the global scale to the last mile.

AI can take over some repetitive tasks that can be easily automated. But it doesn’t have intuition or common sense. With customers looking for more and more services, humans can take on those more complex tasks.

Learn more about how to leverage AI in the global supply chain.

Restoring Global Growth Will Be Challenging

©iStock/1st Step

The coming downturn is not inevitable, but restoring global growth will be extremely challenging.

The IMF’s World Economic Outlook and Global Financial Stability Report suggest a difficult road ahead, warning that “the fog around the world economic outlook has thickened.” The rapid succession of large interest-rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve and other major central banks has caused public and private sector debts to increase to their highest levels in decades, enhancing the risk of financial instability. 

Can the current global economy avoid a lost decade?

Galvanizing Global Small Businesses Worldwide By Supporting Women and Young Entrepreneurs

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Facing limited access to affordable finance, capacity-building support, partnership networks, and global markets, women and young entrepreneurs need help to overcome the numerous challenges that frequently stifle the growth of their businesses, confining many of them to informality or necessity entrepreneurship.

Learn more about how we can leave no one behind.

Today in Global Small Business: Merrilee Kick of BuzzBallz Shakes Up the World (podcast)

©2023 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All rights reserved.

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

• Tune in to Merrilee Kick's How She Went Global® podcast, "Shaking Up the World with BuzzBallz."  Learn about global shipping, payment terms, branding and more.
• Hooray!  We are pushing past 110K readers (aka followers) this month to The Global Small Business Blog.  Founded in 2004, we have served you for 19 years!  YOU rock because of your readership and we rock because we publish content you like to read!
• Defending globalization by the Cato Institute.
• Quote of the week: “No generation has had the opportunity, as we now have, to build a global economy that leaves no-one behind. It is a wonderful opportunity, but also a profound responsibility.” – Former U.S. President Bill Clinton.
• Trends to watch in the global pet food market.
• The global consumer packaged goods market is expected to reach $5.48 trillion in 2030.

Anyone Can Make Gum

©2023 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Anyone can make gum. Selling it is the problem." – William Wrigley Jr  

Yo -Yo Ma: Nature At Play (Music Video)

Does Globalization Need a Revamp?

©iStock/metamorworks

Does globalization need a revamp?  Find out via a video from Robin Niblett, Distinguished Fellow, Chatham House – published by World Economic Forum.

The Shifting Global Small Business Mindset

©iStock/Chansom Pantip

VISA launched its 7th edition of its Global Back to Business Study, which found that a majority of surveyed small and micro businesses (SMBs) plan to prioritize cross-border sales as they look to scale beyond Main Street and High Street to new geographies.  

The survey focuses on four key themes, one being the shifting global small business mindset, which is moving from survival mode to growth mode.  

Expand Your Market Base: Go Global

©iStock/gemenacom

If you’re interested in learning more about the SBA’s STEP program, visit their website.  Why?  Because in the case of Delaware and Maryland more than $860,000 is set to be awarded to small businesses to help expand their exports.  It's a superb way to find your next global customer.  On the ground, this funding will be the link to resources that business owners need across the world. 

“To find out number one whose distributors, suppliers, wheres my market base at in those countries? So you can potentially use these funds to cover some of the costs that are associated with actually going that ground game, going to those countries, finding your distributors, finding your market,” said Michelle Harris, the Director of the Small Business Administration Delaware.

Today in Global Small Business: We Are Headed to Well Beyond 100K Readers to the Global Small Business Blog!

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

• Thanks to your readership, we are headed to well beyond 100K readers (aka followers) this month to The Global Small Business Blog.  Founded in 2004, we have served you for 19 years!  Your engagement is important to us.  Looking forward to hitting the quarter-million mark soon.  
• Factors to consider when thinking abut doing business in Dubai.
• Franchises have become game-changers, fueling global entrepreneurial ambitions and economic expansion.
• Quote of the week: "Growth is uncomfortable; you have to embrace the discomfort if you want to expand." – Jonathan Majors
• US-China relations in the Biden era:  a timeline (updated 8/30/23).
• Are you aware?  Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) consists of reports compiled by FAS Foreign Service Officers and staff around the world. They provide agricultural market intelligence, insight and analysis of interest to exporters of U.S. agriculture. FAS currently generates more than 3,000 reports a year, dating back to 1995.
• The enduring legacy of 9/11. 🙏 

The Magic Is Inside You

©2023 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

“The magic is inside you, there ain’t no crystal ball." – Dolly Parton

Earth Top 100 (Video)

Satisfy Your Global Customers' Needs

©iStock/melitas

If you want to build a successful relationship with your customers, it is essential that you take time out to satisfy their needs, regardless of whether they understand your language. 

You could use picture cues if written or spoken communication is optional. Hiring a professional translation company or a linguist to help you is the most effective way to communicate efficiently with a foreign client. 

Remember to keep the atmosphere light, be patient, and encourage them to ask questions.  Need some tips?  Check them out here.

Captain Fresh: Fueling Global Ambitions

©iStock/seamartini

Captain Fresh – a B2B fish and seafood startup – says it relies on the Indian Ocean Region for its supply, with India representing a significant 90% of the supply. In terms of demand, Europe, the US, and India each contribute roughly equal shares, with additional demand originating from South East Asia.

The company has raised $20 million as part of an extended Series C round led by Japan-based SBI Investment and Dubai-based Evolvence Capital.

Captain Fresh will use the fresh capital to fuel its global ambitions, with expansion plans in Europe and the US.  Their approach involves combining a digital commerce platform with a robust physical fulfillment layer to provide retailers across various formats with dependable, equitable, and transparent purchasing experiences.

From Grill to Global: Exporting the BBQ Experience (wegginar® 9/6/23)

©2023 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global.  All rights reserved.

🔆 🔆 Buckle up for some exporting knowledge Global Small Business Blog fans! 🔆 🔆 

Every month it's a given that Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global® features women business owners on its wegginars and How She Went Global® podcast talking about how they have taken their businesses global. 

wegg® is proud to showcase these women who are breaking boundaries and helping others understand what it takes to expand a business internationally.  Full disclosure:  I serve as President of wegg. 

If you missed this month's roster of programs, you can find them all here: https://lnkd.in/e--Hj4-9. 

Meanwhile, come learn with us at our next wegginar this Wednesday, September 6th at 11 AM CT with Lu Holter who claims that exporting is her middle name :-). After speaking with her, I agree. 

Lu will speak on, "From Grill to Global: Exporting the BBQ Experience." 

Who's Lu? 

Lu Holter is the owner of Croix Valley Foods in Hudson, WI, and is a passionate exporter. Re-read that: passionate exporter! With a keen eye for international markets, Lu has played a pivotal role in expanding the brand’s global presence. Her dedication and expertise in navigating trade regulations have propelled the company’s success in #exporting premium food products worldwide. A visionary leader, Lu continues to forge lasting partnerships, making Croix Valley Foods a name synonymous with excellence in the international culinary arena. 

At her September 6th wegginar, Lu will discuss:

• Why you should be exporting.
• Where to find resources and support for exporting.
• Marketing tactics for international customers.
• The value of trade missions and trade shows. 

This is all substance and no fluff. For any business owner who wants to learn the ropes to exporting and taking a business global, you won't want to miss this. 

Register FREE of charge (thanks to extraordinary support from esteemed lead sponsors as noted in the graphic): https://bit.ly/3qjGsNq. 

🔆 🔆 See you there! 🔆 🔆 

#womenbusinessowners #exporting #goingglobal #pushingboundaries #wegginar #internationaltradeshows #trademissions #internationalcustomers #wegg #womenentrepreneursgrowglobal

Today in Global Small Business: On Labor Day, America Honors and Celebrates the Labor Movement

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

• Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United States. 
• How outsourcing technology can lead to greater global business expansion.
• Why global expansion is a good idea for your business.
• Quote of the week:  "Labor Day is seen as a day of rest for many hardworking Americans." – James P. Hoffa
• September 1, 2023 is a sad day; Jimmy Buffett left our world and enters another.
• A global search for Paul McCartney's 1961 Höfner guitar.

After Notre Dame

©2023 Laurel J. Delaney.  All right reserved.

"After Notre Dame, what is there?" – Ara Parseghian

From Day One: Operate Globally

©iStock/cherezoff

For many business owners, operating internationally from day one is crucial to long-term success. But starting a small business domestically is hard enough, how can these leaders be expected to go global so quickly?

Given the incredible long-term opportunity international expansion presents for these businesses, leaders need to think and operate globally as quickly as possible. 

Here's what to know about getting started and ultimately expanding your business abroad.