Are You Playing in the $2.2 Trillion Export Market?

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My friend and respected colleague, Anita Campbell, who runs the wildly popular Small Business Trends, writes a great article for the OPEN Forum at American Express on the benefits to exporting.

More small businesses are exporting their goods and services. Don't miss out on this revenue-boosting opportunity.

Read the entire article:  The $2.2 Trillion Market You Could Be Missing Out On

Not sure on how to get started and play in the export market?  We've got you covered.  Go here.

What's Your Excuse For NOT Going Global?

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Too busy, too complicated, too expensive or too risky?  It's all of these excuses plus more on why companies don't expand their businesses internationally. 

My latest contribution ...

Top 10 Excuses For Not Going Global
American Express OPEN Forum via Small Business Trends

What's yours?

Are You a Loosey-Goosey Leader?

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Find out at my latest installment for Small Business Trends and the American Express OPEN Forum:

5 Signs of 'Loosey-Goosey' Management
by Laurel Delaney

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Invent the Future Through Innovation

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Disruptive innovators are everywhere. Are you one of them?

It takes technology to spread good ideas and make innovating easy. For ideas on how to get started, take a look at my latest contribution over at the American Express OPEN Forum, "Make a Date to Innovate."

If you want to be a fast innovator, don’t wait for it to happen, make it happen by making a date with innovation. That way, you can drive growth within your organization and continue inventing the future.

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Explore Opportunities Outside Your Local Market

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Lots of good tips here on how to grow your business in a flat economy but we particularly like Tip No. 2:

Explore outside the local and domestic market. When it comes to horse racing, for years the leading buyers destination was Dubai thanks to the wealthy investments by the Royal Family. With Dubai in flux, many investors have backed off. Finley has been exploring Ireland now instead. “We were one of the first to buy and bring back horses from Ireland,” says Finley. “Now we have Irish investors interested in us.”

Read more here.

How Global SMBs Can Achieve Double-Digit Business Growth

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I wrote this article for Idea Hub: American Express OPEN Forum. See if it's helpful in offering you fresh ideas on how to take your SMB to the next level.

5 Actions
for Double-Digit
Business Growth

One action:

Move into new markets. Can you build or acquire additional capabilities on an as-needed basis? These new markets can be adjacent, emerging or overseas, but only “if you have practical and immediate advantages there,” adds Treacy. Have you thought about going global? What’s stopping you? Somebody in another country is probably yearning for your product or service because they need it.