Global Powerhouse Groupon

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Chicago-based Groupon -- which some estimate will soon exceed $400 million in annual sales -- has also discovered a slightly more painful truth: that its lucrative business model will continue to attract a formidable army of skilled copycats worldwide as long as there is money to be made.

Learn how Groupon defends itself in global markets here. 

Posted by:  The Global Small Business Blog

How to Make a Global Deal Work

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Two CEOs lived on different continents and barely knew one another. They each had their share of challenges. Find out how they struck a global merger here.

Questions for everyone:

1. Will the lack of a shared history together have negative repercussions on the merged firm in the future?
2. How will they decide to fairly allocate resources to the merged entity?
3. Was this global merger born out of desperation or to optimize the growth of a business?

As always, we welcome your comments.

How to Grow Your Business Globally and Capitalize on the Rebounding Economy

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On February 9th, I served as a panelist for the San Francisco-based SMB Summit, "How Businesses Can Capitalize on the Rebounding Economy," that was hosted by Verio and Inc. Magazine and for private-company CEOs, business owners, and Inc. 500|5000 alumni. It was a great experience to share insights with other leading experts in the SMB sphere, including:

• Donna Fenn, Moderator, International Author, Contributing Editor/Blogger at Inc. Magazine
• Mitchell Merrifield, Senior Director of Managed Computing Solutions, Verio, Inc.
• Brian Burch, Director of SMB Marketing, Americas Region, Personal Systems Group, Hewlett-Packard Company
• Laurel Delaney, President, GlobeTrade.com
• Kristin Micalizio, V.P. Strategic Initiatives, Office Depot North America
• Alex Freemon, Volunteer, Silicon Valley Chapter, SCORE

My focus was on how small to medium-size businesses (SMBs) can grow and capitalize on the rebounding economy by taking their businesses global. Here are some of the questions I addressed, my responses, stories I shared and some other issues that came up as a result of our lively conversation (attendees were magnificent!).

Snippet:

Q: Let’s start by addressing the 800-pound gorilla in the room: Is the economy rebounding? Tell us if you’ve seen some glimmers of recovery; how are you reading the tea leaves?

My response: Not really, although I find it hard to imagine it getting any worse. We are at rock bottom so the only way is up. Nothing, other than the “tech” industry, tells me there’s a rebound. What I mean by that is Cisco (Cisco Chairman and CEO John Chambers indicated, “This is one of the most robust positive turnarounds I’ve seen in my career”), Microsoft, IBM, Apple, NetSuite and Google all reported stunning profit results for the last quarter of 2009, which means SMB owners might be getting more tech savvy in preparation for a slow recovery. But let’s face it, money is not just tight. There is no money for growth unless you are running an established business with a wildly successful track record. That’s scary for people who have insanely great ideas and can’t get them funded. The good news for SMB owners who are tinkering with the notion of taking their business global is that our commerce secretary, Gary Locke, pledged $6 billion a year in export financing for USA small businesses through the Export-Import Bank of the United States.

Aside from all this, the only real sign I am seeing with SMB owners related to recovery is ...

Read the entire piece here.

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Build a Global Team

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Of all the things Dave Gray, founder and chairman of Xplane, worried about when he branched out overseas, tripe never entered the equation. Yes, you read that right. Find out what this is all about here.

And if you need more, visit, "Export Dream Team." (Requires fast, easy and free sign-up.)

Top Export Markets

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The world according to Inc.com authors Stephanie Clifford, Darren Dahl, Jason Del Rey, Ryan Mccarthy, and Nitasha Tiku.

"Trading Places"

Gone Global

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A fun, interesting read and so true!

Why expanding overseas is your ticket to new markets, new ideas, and a world of adventure.

Foreign markets are like children's shoes: They offer plenty of room to grow. According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, 95 percent of the world's consumers reside outside the United States. Some of those people have holes in their lives the exact size and shape of your product.

While you're there, look for a bunch of slideshows by Inc. on going global. Good stuff.