Tuesday, February 18, 2025

What Does It Take to Thrive in an Uncertain World?

©iStock/VectorMine
The world is facing profound disruption. From technological advances like GenAI to social instability and climate change, businesses are navigating rapidly shifting megatrends that demand reinvention, resilience and bold action. So, how can companies thrive in such an uncertain world—and avoid being left behind? 

Tune in.

Monday, February 17, 2025

Today in Global Small Business: Originally Called Washington's Birthday, Presidents Day 2/17/25

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

  • Presidents Day, the holiday was originally called Washington's Birthday and celebrates the birthdays of former presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, according to the National Archives. It was also the first federal holiday to honor an individual's birth date.
  • Threatening the global economy with Trump's one-for-one tariff plan (might require subscription).
  • Quote of the week: “Men do not get up and do mischief, without there is someone in the head of it." – Andrew Jackson
  • Brushing (keeping) up with Trump's tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China.
  • The biggest change is the new 10% U.S. tariff on all Chinese-made goods, which went into effect immediately. Unlike previous tariffs, this applies to all products of Chinese origin, regardless of where they are shipped from. Good tariff overview for 2025.
  • According to Trump, everything is about tariffs.

Saturday, February 15, 2025

Love is Just Damn Good Business

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.
"Love is not only appropriate in the context of business, it’s the foundation of great leadership." – Steve Farber

Friday, February 14, 2025

Fabletics Is Transforming Supply Chain to Support Global Expansion

©iStock/Ridofranz
Activewear fashion brand Fabletics operates more than 100 stores in the U.S., Canada and Europe, with expansion expected into Mexico in 2025.  They are in the process of transforming supply chain to support global expansion.

Fabletics is deploying the Blue Yonder SaaS-based supply chain planning suite, including solutions for demand planning, allocation & replenishmen, merchandise financial planning, and size scaling, to help support expansion of its global footprint. 

Read more to learn how Fabletics is transforming supply chain to support global expansion.

Thursday, February 13, 2025

Even the NBA Has an International Expansion Strategy

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The NBA's global reach has never been stronger, and the annual NBA Paris Games are a crucial part of that expansion. As the league continues to engage fans worldwide, these international events serve as a catalyst for growing the game and strengthening its global presence.

According to NBA Senior Vice President and Head of International Strategy Leah MacNab, international games are a "key component” of the NBA’s year-round efforts to grow the game globally and engage fans around the world.

With a passionate fanbase in France and across Europe, the NBA Paris Games provide an exclusive opportunity for fans to experience the league up close. 

Learn more about the NBA's international expansion strategy.

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Two Indispensable AI Tools: ChatGPT and Claude

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Two indispensable tools, Open AI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude, stand out as top AI platforms for global business owners.  Here’s why.

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

The Global Market for Hearing Solutions Is About to Get Louder

©iStock/Moon Safari
EssilorLuxottica recently announced that its Nuance Audio Glassessmart glasses with hearing aid – have gained clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for over-the-counter sales in the United States. 

This development is accompanied by the achievement of CE marking under the European Union’s Medical Devices Regulation, which opens the door for a broader launch in select European markets next year.

Nuance Audio Glasses represent a novel entry into the med-tech segment by merging eyewear with hearing technology. 

Monday, February 10, 2025

Today in Global Small Business: Put Your Heart Health First

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

Saturday, February 08, 2025

Sending Early Happy Valentine's Day Vibes

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.
"I know of only one duty, and that is to love." – Albert Camus

Friday, February 07, 2025

Something Snapped In Us

©iStock/Eblis
After US President Donald Trump threatened Canada with steep tariffs, Monika Morelli from Montreal cancelled her subscriptions to Netflix and Amazon, two giant American companies.  She also called off a trip that she had planned for later in the year to New Orleans.

"There is something that has been irrevocably broken now, after centuries of the US and Canada being allies," Ms Morelli, 39, told the BBC.

The threaten of import taxes, she said, plus Trump's remarks that Canada could become the 51st US state, "have made something snap in us all".

Read more about how Trump tariffs have caused a riff beyond repair with Canadians.

Thursday, February 06, 2025

Alex Yancher from Passport Shipping on DTC Tariffs

©iStock/IvelinRadkov
Ref:  Temu, Shein, and the ‘First Sale Rule’: The Next Big Test for DTC Tariffs

From Alex Yancher, CEO/Co-founder, Passport Shipping: "Did you know that Temu/Shein and other China-based shippers are planning on paying US tariffs on the cost of goods, not the retail value? So for a Temu product that a buyer pays $20 for, Temu will pay tariffs on COGS, something closer to $2 vs. $20 (sales price). Let’s say tariffs are 20%, that’s only $0.40. Temu’s prices will go from $20 to $20.40. *But there’s a catch*."

How does it work?  Read his full LinkedIn post here.

Wednesday, February 05, 2025

What the Year of the Wood Snake 2025 Means For Your Chinese Zodiac Sign

©iStock/MoleskoStudio
Say farewell to the Year of the Wood Dragon because the Year of the Wood Snake is upon us, officially beginning when the new moon enters Aquarius at 4:36 a.m. PT on Jan. 29, 2025.  While every Lunar New Year prompts joyous gatherings and festivities, this year marks an especially exciting year to celebrate since the last time it was a Wood Snake year was in 1965. The year of the Snake, meanwhile, comes every 12 years.

Learn what's in store.

Tuesday, February 04, 2025

Lisa Bamford Discusses Going Rogue: When Creativity Drives International Business (wegginar® 2/5)

©2025 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All rights reserved.
Join Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global® for their next informative and engaging wegginar®, "Going Rogue:  When Creativity Drives International Business," with Lisa Bamford, Director of Global Marketing and Business Development at Sciencix, a manufacturer for analytical laboratory instruments used in medical research.

About Lisa Bamford:

The first season of Lisa Bamford's career unfolded in Nashville, TN in the music and entertainment business, including concert tours, recording sessions, and performances at the Grand Ole Opry. After losing her father to cancer, Lisa pivoted to the field of medical research laboratories, which would eventually lead her to Sciencix.

In 2023, Sciencix was honored at the White House as the U.S. SBA’s National Exporter of the Year winner for excellent support to laboratories in over 100 countries. In 2024, Sciencix received the Governor’s Excellence Award from the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina for notable international business growth that expanded the state’s global presence and ecosystem. Lisa then went back to Washington, D.C. to receive the President’s “E” Award by the U.S. Department of Commerce for her strategies to generate international business growth.

Lisa holds a Bachelor of Music from Meredith College, post graduate studies in Education and Pedagogy from Belmont University, and a Master of Science from Grand Canyon University. She is President of the NC World Trade Association Triangle Chapter, is a statewide board member of the NCWTA, and serves on the Statewide Advisory Board for the Small Business & Technology Development Center.

Here's what she will discuss during her wegginar:
  • How to Turn “Oh, No!” Into “What If?”
  • Combine Creative and Analytical Thinking to Fill in Unexpected Gaps
  • Don’t Overlook the Humanity in International Business
  • And more!

To learn more and to register, visit here.  The program is free of charge thanks to generous sponsors as noted on the graphic.

Monday, February 03, 2025

Today in Global Small Business: And the Tariffs Begin

 

©iStock/Fredex8
What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

Saturday, February 01, 2025

Run Into People in the Hardware Store

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.
"I have a very difficult time describing my music. Because I run into people in the hardware store and they go, 'Oh, you're a musician. So what kind of music do you play?' And I go, 'Uh, I've been doin' this for many years - I don't know what to call it.'" – Les Claypool