Sell Globally Without Ever Leaving Home

Photo credit:  ©Laurel Delaney 2013.  All rights reserved.

How do you transition from local to global without ever leaving home? It starts online via a smart phone, tablet, laptop (as shown) or PC. You must have a connection to the Internet and then you are well on your way.

In a more traditional way and provided you have created a website:

On your homepage, state that your company welcomes inquiries from any country in the world and that you’re willing and able to ship outside of the United States. That will help foreign consumers, buyers and distributors find you and your products. If nothing else, it can start a discussion about potential sales.

To learn more read (February 2012): How to Go Global Without Going Abroad

Related article (July 2011): 9 Ways to Sell Your Products Internationally Without Ever Leaving Home

The Tale of Cheescakes Exported Nearly On Open Account

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Our latest contribution for the American Express OPEN Forum via Small Business Trends.

Making Tough Decisions in the Global Marketplace
by Laurel Delaney

Posted by:  The Global Small Business Blog

5 Keys to Walton's Worldwide Success

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My latest contribution over at the American Express OPEN Forum via Small Biz Trends.  Hope you get some ideas from it.  Sam was quite the leader.

5 Lessons From Sam Walton

Five Must-Haves To Get Started In International Sales

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Here's my latest contribution for the American Express OPEN Forum via Small Business Trends:

5 Must-Haves That Make An International Sale Happen

No. 5 is my favorite.

Posted by:  The Global Small Business Blog

How to Attract International Visitors to Your Local Business

©Laurel Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Once upon a time there was a woman business owner who claimed her little cupcake shop in Chicago was drying up.

She bakes cupcakes from scratch in every imaginable flavor and size from her small bakery ...

Find out how she can increase sales and profitability so her business doesn’t shrivel up and even take her business to a whole new level (global).

Read my latest contribution:  From Cupcakes to Moneycakes:  3 Ways To Increase Sales and Profitability published at the American Express OPEN Forum via Small Business Trends

Posted by:  The Global Small Business Blog

Got a Customer Overseas Who Wants 25,000 Widgets?

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The perfect scenario for how to source, produce and finance an overseas export. My latest contribution for American Express OPEN Forum through Small Business Trends.

Got a customer overseas who has asked you to export 25,000 umbrellas?  Fantastic—here's how.

Questions? Email me.

How to Cut Costs on Export Sales

My recent contribution for the American Express OPEN Forum through my relationship with Small Business Trends:

8 Ways to Cut Costs on Export Sales
by Laurel Delaney

Snippet:

1. Shift your production to a nation with lower labor costs. For example, if you currently manufacture in North America, try outsourcing to Vietnam, Indonesia or Malaysia, where the labor cost is cheaper and the quality acceptable. At the same time, examine potential transportation costs (refer to No. 7) to ensure you maintain, or even lower, that part of your overseas expenses.

What are some other ways in which you have tightened your belt -- reduced expenses -- on export sales to ensure you maintain decent profits?

What's Ahead in 2011

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My latest contribution for the American American OPEN Forum via Small Business Trends:

2011:  The Year of ...

What else do you think 2011 will bring us?  I welcome your comments!

Posted by:  Laurel Delaney, The Global Small Business Blog

Be Inspired: Open Your Heart and Your Global Paypal Account

Photo credit:  Laurel Delaney, lakefront in Rogers Park, Illinois, U.S.A.

My latest contribution over at American Express OPEN Forum via Small Business Trends.

Be Inspired:  6 Places to Donate

Like it?  Then Tweet like crazy!

Posted by:  Laurel Delaney, The Global Small Business Blog

Global Gaga

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My latest contribution for Small Business Trends at the American Express OPEN Forum:

How to Market Your Business Lady Gaga Style

Posted by:  Laurel Delaney, for The Global Small Business Blog

Leverage Failure to Boost Your Global Small Business

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My latest contribution for Small Business Trends via the American Express OPEN Forum. If you find it useful (which I hope you do), please Tweet about it.

"Making the Most of Failure"

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Tips for International Business Success

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My latest contribution for American Express OPEN Forum:

6 Tips for International Business Success
Hope you find it useful.

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Free eBook: Entrepreneurial Obsession by Laurel Delaney

Here's to a great 4th of July holiday weekend where you kick back yet make time for some good old-fashioned summer reading. We hope it starts here.

Download our new e-book:

"Entrepreneurial Obsession: 13 ways to create a brighter future for your business" by Laurel Delaney

This is a compilation of articles I authored as a global business expert for Small Business Trends that were originally published over at the American Express OPEN Forum.

It's our gift to you. Enjoy. Pass it along to anyone you know who might benefit from reading it.

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Learn Who's Doing What in One of the World's Most Populated Countries

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My latest installment for Small Business Trends/American Express OPEN Forum: Global Sophistication: Selling in China is All the Rage

Snippet:

2. Starbucks. Big plan at the moment: Step up expansion into huge markets in China. Why? When you over-expand locally and entrench the marketplace, there’s nowhere else to grow but outside your own borders. China is it for Starbucks. Their plan is to open thousands of cafes in China and achieve great success in one of the largest markets in the world.

Tip for small businesses: When local sales begin to weaken, retrench and take steps to rejuvenate sales with a global strategy.

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Truth or Dare to Be Innovatively Global?

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My latest contribution (via Small Business Trends) over at the American Express OPEN Forum.

6 Ways to Be iNNOVATIVELY Global

Foreign market entry does not always require a major investment. If you follow these six tips, overseas business will be at your doorstep in no time at all.

Read the entire article here. If you like it, chirp a bit or (re)Tweet it.

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

How to Create a Culture of Innovation Within Your Global Small Business

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My latest innovation installment for the American Express OPEN Forum:

Creating a Culture of Innovation:
Learning From the Best

And speaking of innovation, you might appreciate this as it relates to both innovation and exports!

Innovation and the 2010 Trade Policy Agenda

Practice a Little Spontaneous Innovation

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Maybe some of these ideas will help spur you on to more spontaneous innovation day-to-day within your global small business.

My latest post for American Express OPEN Forum:

2010: The Year of Spontaneous InNoVaTiOn

You like it? Hit the Tweet button at the top. You really, really like, hit the thumbs up button at the bottom of page.

Posted by: Laurel J. Delaney, The Global Small Business Blog

In Search of Business Resilience

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Here's my latest contribution over at the new American Express OPEN Forum under their Innovation: Idea Hub.

Business Resilience Weathering Economic Storms

Winning at Business, Local or Global

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I recently interviewed Alan M. Webber, author of "Rules of Thumb," over at the new American Express OPEN Forum.

Alan's an amazing guy. He called on Friday to thank me for saying such nice things about him and "Rules of Thumb." I'm not sure why he did that other than being super-generous. On my part, it's easy to speak the truth.

I wonder: If every Global Small Business Blog reader bought this book, would we be able to move it on to the best-seller list where it belongs?

Go buy it now.