Coming of Spring

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"With the coming of spring, I am calm again."  Gustav Mahler

Happy Belated International Happiness Day

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I [Laurel Delaney] had no idea there was such a thing as International Happiness Day.  Well we can use all the happiness we can get in our world right now.

Yesterday — March 20 — was in fact International Day of Happiness. Declared by the United Nations in 2013, this special day recognizes the importance of happiness as "a fundamental goal" in people's lives around the world.

It's never too late to be happy so celebrate your happiness today and every day thereafter.  I'm happy because we've reached more than 125,000 readers to this blog!  Hooray!  Happy!

The Gail Adinamis wegg® Award for Exemplary Global Leadership® Ceremony 3/24/25

©Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All rights reserved.

Please JOIN Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global on Monday, March 24th at 10 AM CT as they honor the next recipient of the prestigious Gail Adinamis wegg® Award for Exemplary Global Leadership® 2025.

To learn more and to register (complimentary), visit: https://womenentrepreneursgrowglobal.org/about/the-gail-adinamis-wegg-award/

See you there!

Tariffs, Counter-Tariffs, and the Small Business Impact

©iStock/Bojan89

According to John Rizzo for the Rochester Business Journal, the end goal of implementing tariffs is to incentivize companies to relocate their manufacturing operations back to the United States, which would lead to job creation. Additionally, tariff revenue can offset tax cuts and be used as leverage to address issues such as illegal migration or drug trafficking.

While relocating operations to the U.S. could benefit small business owners and the overall U.S. economy, it takes time and a significant financial investment to make this transition.  [Laurel here ... most small business owners cannot afford this investment.]

As details continue to change rapidly, all you can do is monitor the situation, do the best you can do under the circumstances, and take action in a way that serves you and your customers best.

Build a Global Growth Strategy

©iStock/Liuzishan

Global growth holds immense promise for small businesses seeking a competitive advantage in today’s increasingly interconnected economy.  While understanding the intricacies of global expansion is an important first step, navigating this journey alone can be daunting. However, by working with industry leaders, companies (like GlobeTrade, wegg® and other resources) – regardless of scale – can expedite your global journey and access new markets swiftly and compliantly.

Here's a beginner's guide to global business expansion.

Today in Global Small Business: Top of the Morning To You on St. Patrick's Day 2025!

©2025 Laurel J, Delaney.  All rights reserved.

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

• Happy St. Patrick's Day 2025! 🍀💚
• Could the global shift cause car insurance prices to rise?
• Quote of the week:  “You make your own luck🍀.” – Ernest Hemingway
• Students on Embassy Day learn about global opportunities.
• Global trade set for growth despite U.S. policy shifts, reveals DHL Trade Atlas 2025.
• Readying your company’s supply chain in a time of tariff wars.

Ready for St. Patrick's Day in Chicago

Chicago is known for its vibrant St. Patrick's Day celebrations, including the iconic green river dyeing, which began in 1962, and the popular parade.  Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!  

Photos:  Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Keeping the U.S. Government Open

©iStock/Vadym Gannenko

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., says he will vote to keep the government open, signaling a path for Democrats to vote with Republicans to overcome a filibuster in the Senate and pass a six-month spending bill ahead of a Friday deadline.

"As bad as passing the CR is, allowing Donald Trump to take even more power via a government shutdown is a far worse option," Schumer said.

"You have to make these decisions based on what is best for not only your party but your country," Schumer told reporters.

Chill: Soft Rock Love Song Playlist From the 70s, 80s, and 90s

Chaos Hits the Economy

©iStock/shronosov

With each day, evidence is mounting across the corporate world that the eratic implementation of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs is translating into chaos hitting the economy.

The uncertainty brought by Trump's threats of tariffs and his shape-shifting trade policies is starting to have a chilling effect across many industries, businesses warn, as consumers pull back on everything from basic goods to travel.

The president's back-and-forth tariff moves against major trading partners have kept markets on edge, and prompted companies to warn they may have to raise prices, which could boost inflation and dent economic growth. 

Foodex Japan 2025: Businesses Beyond Borders

©2025 Secret Aardvark Trading Co.  All rights reserved.

As one of the world’s premier food and beverage trade shows, FoodEx Japan brings together global buyers, suppliers, and innovators shaping the future of food. For these local companies, the event presents a unique opportunity to showcase high-quality products, expand into international markets, and build partnerships that drive growth in the evolving food industry.

Check out some of the amazing businesses as they represent some of the best in the food industry on the global stage.  

In addition to Canadian companies, we are aware of another great USA company, Secret Aardvark Trading Company, who is exhibiting at Foodex 2025.

Today in Global Small Business: Find Out What's On the Agenda for SXSW 2025

©iStock/John Davis

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

• What's on the agenda for SXSW 2025?
• How to get ready for St. Patrick's Day. 
• Quote of the week:  "The complexity of the world in which we live exceeds our capacity to comprehend it." – George Soros
• Some regrets.
• Thank you SNL!
• Back and forth tariffs.

Women Belong Where Decisions Are Being Made

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Happy International Women's Day from Laurel J. Delaney.

5 Trailblazing Women Building Global Enterprises (wegginar® 3/10/25)

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

Celebrating Women's History Month at Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global with a special wegginar® Monday, March 10, 2025 at 11 AM CT – "5 Trailblazing Women Building Global Enterprises."

Join us as we spark a conversation around what it takes to start, run and grow a global enterprise. I will be moderating an esteemed panel of 5 titan trailblazers:

1. Debra Dudley, Founder and President, Oscarware, Inc.
2. Coni Lefferts, Founder and President, Creative Packaging Solutions
3. Wendy Shen, President and CEO, FLOMO/Nygala Corp.
4. Susanne Evens, Founder and CEO, AAA Translation
5. Candice Tal, Founder and CEO, Infortal Worldwide.

The fearless five will discuss:

• 🌎  Factors to consider BEFORE you start an international business.
• 🌎  Challenges faced (including risks) when entering into new overseas markets.
• 🌎 The importance of pivoting when economic conditions lend itself to.
• 🌎 Advice for aspiring globalists.
• 🌎 How to ensure cultural sensitivity in translations.
• 🌎 How to trust international business partners.
• 🌎 Success, what it is and what it means for each.
• 🌎 +More!

We welcome you to join in the dialogue and come with your questions. We will have open mic time.

Can't wait to see you.  Be ready to learn golden nuggets from these (amazing) trailblazing women  business owners.

To learn more and to register free of charge, visit: https://bit.ly/4huOfwV

Hosted by Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  Sponsored by: Associated Bank, FedEx, APCO, LuxLined, SciAps Inc., FLOMO/Nygala Corp. and VISA.

Giving Students Real-World International Business Experience

©iStock/Tippapatt

The Knauss School of Business course International Management Consulting was designed with one specific goal in mind: give students real-world international business experience — right from home.

How? By working with San Diego-based businesses that are expanding into global markets. The course was uniquely created in response to the challenges of global mobility during the pandemic, and offers an immersive, hands-on experience with actual clients, company data and global industry statistics.

The Black Cloud: Tariffs

©iStock/howtogoto

After President Donald Trump made good on his threat to levy tariffs on Canada and Mexico, US stock whipsawed, paving the way for a global trade war as leaders of both trading partners threatened retaliation.

So I guess one would say it's time to buy the dips.  

According to CNN's Fear and Greed Index, “Extreme fear” was the sentiment driving markets on Tuesday (3/4/25) for the sixth day in a row. 

Tariffs Disrupt Trade

©iStock/wildpixel

Tariffs disrupt trade between countries by raising taxes on imported goods, and those new costs are often passed on to consumers through higher prices. Tariffs are considered by many economists a political cudgel — sometimes used in a trade war — and not an efficient framework for international trade.

Trump is set to go ahead with tariffs on America’s biggest trading partners on Tuesday, 3/4/25 imposing 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico. Trump on Monday also raised tariffs implemented on China from 10% to 20%.

As Warren Buffett would ask, "And then what?" 

Today in Global Small Business: Rebranding DEI

©iStock/wildpixel

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

• In the US, DEI is under attack. But under a different name, it might live on.  Let's hope so.  Further, the speed at which some large corporations have shed their DEI policies raises the question of how genuine their commitment to diversifying their workforces was in the first place [Laurel Delaney agrees].
• Trump's The State of Chaos address on Tuesday, March 5, 2025.  What will he say?  
• Quote of the week:  Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, has said that he would cut "stupid" DEI costs even without Donald Trump. However, he has also reaffirmed the bank's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). 
• The White House is making clear it views President Donald Trump’s Friday Oval Office showdown with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as an overwhelming failure that underscores Trump’s “America last” leadership, dispatching top officials and allies to muzzle Trump’s handling of the situation even as European leaders are expressing zero support for Ukraine and its leader.  That my fellow readers is fake news.  Here's the real messaging the White House crafted here.
• Goodbye Skype.
• How facilitating cross-border payments is helping build businesses and communities worldwide, while fostering a new generation of global small business owners.

Sunshine Is Delicious

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather." – John Ruskin