Cheers to a New Year!

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"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right." – Oprah Winfrey

Ditch the Sh*^t in 2026

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If you want to give people something to talk about in the New Year, make it your newly enhanced communication skills. Almost every aspect of your life will benefit.

If you want to ditch the sh*^t in 2026, work on your communication style.  

Here, experts were asked what common habits need to be left in the past – and why.

Today in Global Small Business: Times Square New Year's Eve Ball Will Be Looking Gorgeous!

©iStock/Ryan Rahman

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

• New 2026 Waterford crystals installed on Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball celebrating holidays around the world.
• Tech trends that small businesses will focus on in 2026.
• Quote of the week:  "Approach the New Year with resolve to find the opportunities hidden in each new day." – Michael Josephson
  
• Ten New Year's resolutions for small businesses by the BBB.
• 10 crucial insights for small business owners to succeed in 2026—and beyond.
• How your startup or small business can succeed in 2026.
• For all the women business owners out there, let's go global!
• Oh my, to all my Global Small Business Blog readers, collectively, we've hit more than a half-million of you reading this blog every month!  Thank you! 👏

Merry Rest of the Year!

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Even after Christmas has come and gone, we can still bask in the warm glow of its joy – sweet cookies, treasured memories, loving family and friends, thoughtful gifts, and moments of reflection. Enjoy!" – Laurel J. Delaney, founder, The Global Small Business Blog

Hope, Forgiveness and New Life

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Today we celebrate that Jesus, the Son of God, was born to bring us hope, forgiveness, and new life.  He is God’s greatest gift to us.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Around the World!

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Wishing you peace, joy and love this Christmas, wherever you are in the world." – Laurel J. Delaney, founder, The Global Small Business Blog

Joy To Your World

Dubai Is Serving as a Springboard for Global Business Expansion

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Is there such a thing as the ideal location for global business expansion? Dubai’s transformation from a regional business center to one of the world’s most dynamic startup hubs is accelerating fast, and the ripple effects are now being felt far beyond the Gulf. With capital, talent, and regulatory support converging at speed, the city is no longer just attracting founders; it is serving as an international springboard for breaking into new overseas markets.

Here, three Dubai-based entrepreneurs shared some insights into their burgeoning global expansion journeys.

Today in Global Small Business: Holidays Around the World

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

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

• Nine fun facts about holidays around the world.
• Celebrating holidays around the world.
• Quote of the week:  "A holiday is an opportunity to journey within. It is also a chance to chill, to relax. It is when I switch on my rest mode." – Prabhas
  
• Holidays around the world bringing good cheer.
• Around the world in holiday celebrations.
• 12 fascinating traditions from around the world.
• Merry Christmas to all!

Merry Christmas and Happy 2026 From the Global Small Business Blog

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Merry Christmas and Happy 2026 from the Global Small Business Blog.  Thank you for being you and thank you for your readership.  We get you and appreciate you."  – Laurel J. Delaney, founder of the Global Small Business Blog

Have a Listen to AccuRadio

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AccuRadio is a station by music lovers, for music lovers – all 100% free. Delightful.  Several of the stations are curated by the famous 2X GRAMMY nominated author and gospel music historian Bob Marovich.  Give it a listen when you want to chill. 

When Is a Good Time to Go Global?

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From timing and location strategy to banking relationships, learn key considerations for international expansion.

What is essential is to follow global gateways to grow your business. Expanding internationally is a major milestone for any growing business.

Laurel Delaney's Global Trade Trends Report 2026 (wegginar® 1/7)

©2025 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All rights reserved.

What should we all be focusing on for next year beyond AI?  Find out by joining me [Laurel Delaney] when I present the Global Trade Trends Report 2026 on January 7, 2026 at 11 AM CT.

To learn more and to register free of charge, visit:  https://womenentrepreneursgrowglobal.org/2025/12/03/laurel-delaneys-global-trade-trends-report-2026/

Winter Wellness Travel Experiences Around the World

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The stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day has a way of compressing time, turning weeks into a blur of deadlines, obligations, and expectations. 

Yet this season doesn’t have to be defined by exhaustion. Winter, with its quieter rhythms and natural pull inward, can be the perfect moment to pause, reset, and intentionally invest in well-being.

That’s where winter wellness travel comes in.

Today in Global Small Business: The Selfless MacKenzie Scott Does It Again With Her Philanthropy

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

• The selfless MacKenzie Scott does it again with her philanthropy.  Feeling inspired and want to donate to an impactful nonprofit before the year end?  Do it here (it's a nonprofit I founded in 2015).
• The columnist David Brooks sits down with Thomas L. Friedman to make sense of what the modern world’s cascading crises mean for the future.
• Quote of the week:  "Christmas is a season which almost all Christians observe in one way or another. Some keep it as a religious season. Some keep it as a holiday. But all over the world, wherever there are Christians, in one way or another Christmas is kept." – J. C. Ryle
• How does Costco keep nailing it?  It's one simple holiday staple.
• Melinda Gates says everyone should read this book.
• Key financial lessons from "It's a Wonderful Life."

Maybe Christmas Doesn't Come From a Store

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!" – Dr. Seuss

What Can GlobalEDGE Do For You?

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Funded in part by the U.S. Department of Education Title VI B grant, globalEDGE delivers a comprehensive research tool for academics, students and businesspeople. Connect with over 47,000 people using the gE Network while tapping into a directory of over 5000 quality resources. globalEDGE provides tools and resources to efficiently research nearly any international business question you may have.

Read more about globalEDGE.

Fighting Culture Wars

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The Trump administration wants to be: withdrawing from the military’s conventional arenas, like preparing for possible conflict with rival great powers and instead fighting, with overwhelming shows of swaggering force, the kinds of battles prioritized by online reactionaries. It wants to be fighting those culture wars in other theaters as well, promoting right-wing politics across Europe and encouraging a clampdown on migration not just in the United States but globally.

It's a sad place we are in.  

As David Wallace-Wells's opinion piece for The New York Times (12/10) says:  "Hence a “president of peace” presiding over 22 attacks (and counting) on boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, unilaterally pushing regime change in Venezuela and treating migrants living peacefully and for decades within the borders of the United States with such violence and cruel indifference that it has inspired rebukes from the new American pope and the conference of American bishops, long seen as an implacably conservative force in U.S. politics."

A Look Back on the Professional Achievements of Trailblazer Dr. Marsha Firestone, Founder of the Women Presidents Organization

Founder of the Women Presidents Organization, Dr. Marsha Firestone, passed away peacefully in her home on December 7, 2025.  I extend my condolences to her son Daren, daughter-in-law Nicole, her two grandkids and other extended family members.

Dr. Marsha Firestone founded the WPO in 1997 after previously serving as Vice President of Women Inc. and as Vice President of Training and Counseling at the American Woman’s Economic Development Corporation (AWED). In 2003, she was appointed to the National Women's Business Council.  She is the author of The Busy Woman’s Guide to Successful Self-Employment, has published research in business and educational journals, and is a frequent guest speaker.  Dr. Firestone earned her PhD in Communication from Columbia University and is an expert in adult learning theory, nonverbal communication, and managerial competency.

Having served on the WPO Board years ago and as WPO's Chapter Chair since 2003, I came to know Marsha very well. She truly embodied everything others have fondly recalled – a fearless leader, visionary, trailblazer, tireless worker, and passionate advocate for women business owners.

Writing a blog for WPO Chicago since 2003, I was able to search Marsha's name to see how many times I wrote about her.  This gives you a sampling here – certainly worth the journey.  A couple of the links no longer are active because they go back to 2005, when many media companies scrub old articles.  

And the CEO of WPO, Camille Burns, writes a beautiful tribute about Marsha on LinkedIn here.  

Her legacy will live on in all of us.  I am grateful to have known her. Rest in peace Marsha, deservedly so. 

There Is No Christmas Without Classics (Music)

Today in Global Small Business: S.N.L. Explains 'Operation Kill Everybody'

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

• I just love these Saturday Night Live (S.N.L.) skits and this one does not disappoint.  Colin Jost plays Pete Hegseth.  Check it out.
• How global supply chains could become weaponized.
• Quote of the week:  "The past is in your head.  The future is in your hand." – The MindsJournal (Happy Bodhi Day).
• There's always rooms for another player ... Swap Commerce, where you can sell anything, anywhere, from one platform.
• World Bank Scorecard updates and outcomes.
• UCLA Anderson School of Management - Center for Global Management.

The Irish Donkey

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Martin O'Hara:  His poem about "The Irish Donkey" describes a solitary, wise old donkey, blessed with a cross on its back (a nod to the biblical story) and find joy in the simple act of scaring flies and enjoying tourists.

How Small Businesses Can Navigate Global Trade in An Era of Polycrisis

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Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) account for 95% of all businesses and 60% of global employment, forming the backbone of the global economy. Yet they face persistent barriers to fully benefiting from international trade, including limited access to finance, complex regulations and poor digital infrastructure.

These challenges are exacerbated by the current polycrisis of economic shocks, supply chain disruptions, climate change and geopolitical uncertainty.

With support, small businesses can compete globally and drive inclusive economic development.

Discover how small businesses can navigate global trade in an era of polycrisis.

A Guide For Leading Through Chaos, Without Losing Direction

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Today’s business environment is unpredictable, and the challenges leaders face are fast-changing and interconnected. In this world, executives must learn how to “pivot with purpose”: to constantly and courageously remain anchored in their values while adjusting to meet new realities. 

Here are five principles to follow in order to do so.

Here's What Everyone Is Reading According to the Staff of the New York Times Book Review

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The staff of The New York Times Book Review chose the year’s top fiction and nonfiction.  And the envelope, please. 

John Yunker Is Back By Popular Demand for a wegginar® 12/3 on Deglobalization and AI: The Calm Before the Storm

©2025 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All rights reserved.

Register free of charge for the LIVE wegginar® on Wednesday, 12/3 at 11 AM CT.  Here's what John Yunker, Co-Founder of Byte Level Research will cover:

• Deglobalization is suppressing growth
• AI promises a new wave of global growth
• Smaller companies are best positioned to leverage AI

To learn more and to register, visit: https://womenentrepreneursgrowglobal.org/2025/11/05/deglobalization-ai-the-calm-before-the-storm/

See you there!

Today in Global Small Business: 'Ugly' Fees On Chinese Ships Concern US Ag Exporters

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

• 'Ugly’ fees on Chinese ships concern US ag exporters.
• US strikes trade deals across Latin America, lowers tariffs on Argentina’s beef.
• Quote of the week:  "It is the function of the Navy to carry the war to the enemy so that it is not fought on U.S. soil.” Is now “Who cares that we have no merchant ships left to carry supplies overseas.” – Naval quote
• As we look ahead to 2026, the global supply chain enters a chapter defined by relative stability but underscored by persistent uncertainty. 
• OECD finds growing transparency efforts among leading AI developers.
• Learn how to research and select overseas markets confidently.

Let Your Christmas Spirit Be Bright

©2024 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Let your heart be light and your Christmas spirit bright." – Anonymous

How Today's Investments in Children Build and Skill Tomorrow's Leaders

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This is the story of how targeted, community-driven investments in nutrition, education, and social protection are creating building blocks for future resilience, prosperity, productivity, and leadership.

The early years of a child’s life—starting from conception—determine their outcomes in life and potential to thrive. Investing in these foundational years through healthcare, nutrition, education, and access to essential services is also critical to a strong workforce and jobs of the future.

One child.  One family.  One community at a time.

Cheers to a Happy Thanksgiving!

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"We should just be thankful for being together. I think that’s what they mean by Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown." – Marcie, a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

The Return of Rigid Gender Roles

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The political landscape is causing many to feel fearful. Simultaneously, traditional gender roles have come back with a vengeance. Perhaps there is a connection worth exploring.

Are shifting gender roles a sign of the times or a fear response?  Learn more here.

How Great Leaders Inspire Action (Simon Sinek | TED)

Today in Global Small Business: What's the Worst That Could Happen?

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

• Making effective decisions under pressure isn't about listing the pros and cons, but about working with how the brain works to weigh what really matters.  Crisis decision-making:  what's the worst that can happen?
• Attend the next wegg® wegginar® with John Yunker, co-founder of Byte Level Research on 12/3 at 11 AM CT when he discusses:  "Deglobalization & AI:  The Calm Before the Storm."  The program is free of charge to attend thanks to wegg's sponsors.
• Quote of the week:  "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." – John F. Kennedy
• Will your next sushi roll come from a lab?
• Why CEO turnover is rising in 2025.
• Cheers for a Happy Thanksgiving.

Never Regret Anything That Made You Smile

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile." – attributed to Mark Twain

Open Your Mind To: Tranquilizer (Oneohtrix Point Never - D.I.S.)

The Hamano Bag: Fame Can Come At Any Moment

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The new"'it" bag.

“It,” of course, is the black tote carried by Sanae Takaichi, the new prime minister of Japan. Officially called the Grace Delight Tote, but often referred to simply as the Sanae Tote, it is a leather bag large enough to fit an A4 file. A simple rectangle with a neat silver clasp at the top and handles long enough to carry over one shoulder or in the crook of an arm, it is made by Hamano, a Japanese “leather crafts” company founded in 1880 and based in Nagano (as shown).

Saori Masuda, the editor of 10 Magazine Japan, called it the “Asprey of Japan,” referring to the heritage London leather-goods house beloved of the British aristocracy. It is available in nine different color combinations and retails for 136,400 yen (about $880).

Check it out but you better brush up on your Japanese.

The Global Small Business Blog Averages 1.3 Million Views Over the Past 3 Months!

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There is a reason The Global Small Business Blog is ranked #1 in the world for entrepreneurs and small businesses interested in going global. 

We are averaging more than 300K views per month – sometimes pushing near the half a million mark.

So I want to thank you, dear reader, for letting me know when I am hitting the mark and when I missed.

It's a pleasure writing, curating and producing material specifically for all of you who have an interest in going global. 

Let's keep the engagement going! 

Happy Global Entrepreneurship Week from wegg®

©2025 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All rights reserved.

Happy Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) which is an annual, international initiative that celebrates and supports entrepreneurs through a week of events, competitions, and activities held in November.

The week-long event runs for one week each November.  For 2025, it is November 17-23.  

It's an opportunity for aspiring founders, seasoned business owners, and other innovators to connect with mentors, collaborators, and fellow entrepreneurs.

Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global® (wegg®) shared its latest How She Went Global® podcast so the world can discover how a woman business owner takes a business global. 

Check out the offering for GEW here:  https://www.genglobal.org/events/how-she-went-globalr-podcast-produced-women-entrepreneurs-grow-global.  Go direct to wegg's website to listen to the podcast with Jackie Samuelson, Founder of Alpha Lady, LLC here.

Learn more about the Global Entrepreneurship Network.  Have fun!

Today in Global Small Business: Deglobalization & AI with John Yunker on 12/3 at 11 AM CT (wegginar)

©2025 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All rights reserved.

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

• Attend the next wegg® wegginar® with John Yunker, co-founder of Byte Level Research on 12/3 at 11 AM CT when he discusses:  "Deglobalization & AI:  The Calm Before the Storm."  The program is free of charge to attend thanks to wegg's sponsors.
• Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global's 10-year anniversary on Thursday, November 6, 2025 in Chicago at the Tortoise Supper Club was a HUGE success.  Photos can be found here (courtesy of Lisa Miller Photography).  For those who couldn't attend and want to support the organization, go here.  Become a wegg® Angel!
• Quote of the week:  "Globalization is here to stay but not as we know it." – Guy Miller, Chief Market Strategist & Economist at Zurich Insurance
• David J. Lynch is worried about what happens next on globalization.
• Global shifts, or inflection points.
• The world as we know it is a product of globalization – and this era of globalization might be coming to a close.

Oh It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas!

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Strolling along in the Loyola University Chicago area of Rogers Park Lake Shore Campus.  Beautiful holiday decorations are already up for everyone to admire.  

Prosperity Through Global Entrepreneurship

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Building on the momentum of MIT's 2025 conference, the MIT Kuo Sharper Center for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship (KSC) will once again in 2026 bring together a dynamic community of entrepreneurs, policymakers, corporate leaders, academics, and investors from across Africa, Latin America, the Arab region, Central Asia, and South and Southeast Asia—regions defining the future of the global economy.

Discover more:  Innovation in Global Growth Markets: Prosperity through Entrepreneurship

Moving Factories From China to Elsewhere

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A trade truce between the United States and China has calmed nerves, but it won’t stop the broader movement of companies to countries like Vietnam.

When President Trump started a trade war with China during his first term, Simon Lichtenberg decided to ride it out. He owned factories making leather sofas in China since the 1990s and figured the two sides would resolve the dispute.

He doesn’t think that anymore. Mr. Lichtenberg invested around $20 million to move his factory for American clients to Vietnam this year. Now, not even the cease-fire Mr. Trump has reached with China has changed his outlook that deep-seated animosity between the countries has altered the economics of his business.

Read:  Why Factories Will Keep Looking for Alternatives to China

International Expansion Plan For Paris Pop-Up

©iStock/Elena Zolotova

The American brand founded by sisters-in-law Veronica Swanson Beard and Veronica Miele Beard is moving into a 270-square-foot space fitted with picture frame moldings, curved brass hanging rails and a travertine table that wouldn’t look out of space in a Parisian interior.

With reason: the pop-up on the department store’s first floor, which runs through Dec. 8, is the opening play for the brand ahead of a permanent retail base in the City of Light, Veronica Beard president Stephanie Unwin said in an exclusive interview. 

Alaska Airlines Reshapes Its Identity Into a Globally Recognized Carrier

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Alaska Airlines (AS) is reshaping its identity from a West Coast staple into a globally recognized carrier. With its base at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), the airline’s network growth, new aircraft, and the Atmos Rewards program mark the next stage in its transformation.

The past year has redefined Alaska Airlines’ growth strategy. After acquiring Hawaiian Airlines, the Seattle-based group launched the unified Atmos Rewards loyalty program and a premium cobranded credit card, signaling a shift toward a more global brand identity.

Today in Global Small Business: A Guide to Expanding Your Business Globally

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

• A guide to expanding your business globally.
• Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global's 10-year anniversary on Thursday, November 6, 2025 was a HUGE success.  Photos coming soon – stay tuned.  For those who couldn't attend and want to support the organization, go here.  Become a wegg® Angel!
• Quote of the week:  "The limits of my language mean the limits of my world." – Ludwig Wittgenstein
• I took my company global this year. Here are 3 things I wish I did differently.
• Today, 78% of global companies are using AI in their daily operations. 
• Amazon takes low-cost e-commerce service global.

It's That Time: Marshall Field's Walnut Room Christmas Tree 2025

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

About the experience visiting the Walnut Room at Marshall Field's (now Macy's) in Chicago, Illinois.

"We would go have lunch in the Walnut Room and sit by that beautiful tree with those waitresses in their black dresses and their white aprons ... It just had such great memories this time of year."

"It was simply magic going to Fields during the Christmas season and eating lunch by the tree in the Walnut Room. No internet, no iPhones just people enjoying the company of other people. The memories are indelible."

"The cherry on top of it all was being able to get a seat right near the Christmas tree and feel a sense of peace and joy, basking in the warmth and glow of it all."

"We would always eat in the Walnut Room and somehow we always got a table that was so close to the tree that I felt I could reach and touch it." 

Learn more about the history.

Photo courtesy:  Laurel J. Delaney and taken on 11/7/25.