Today in Global Small Business: Bluedog Named Crain's #1 Best Place to Work!

©iStock/oleg7799

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

• Michelle Hayward, founder and CEO of Chicago-based Certified B-Corporation Bluedog Design, wins Best Place to Work by Crain's Chicago Business 2022.  Second year in a row!
• Why you should be on TikTok.  (wegg® is.)
• The global economy, led by the Western world, looks pretty broken, does it not?  A lot is due to the war in Ukraine (shame on Russia).
• Quote of the week: "Each employee has a voice. They have control, and we support them in their growth and we support each other. We foster a culture where there is a sense of belonging. From our research, belonging is why people choose to stay with a company. We just really believe that people are the No. 1 aspect." – Michelle Hayward, founder and CEO, Bluedog Design, #1 Best Place To Work winner 2021 and 2022
• Maybe the US is in a recession but global small businesses forge on.
• Omotola Akinbiyi, founder of Chicago-based bon femmes, discusses on the How She Went Global® podcast how she set up her ecommerce store, why she wanted to conduct business worldwide, and how she is making an impact with female creatives.

Grow BIG By Going Global: 6 Trends by 6 Experts That Will Reshape 2021

©2021 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

As we move through 2021, the picture is becoming very hopeful and global business is not going away.  Through my work as President of Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global® and Chicago Chapter Chair for the Women Presidents' Organization, I’ve discovered that women business owners, now more than ever, are ready to grow big by going global.  It’s a fast ticket to find new customers.  

I asked six experts (as shown in the photo) to weigh in on six key trends – digital, strategy, wellness, supply chain, security risks, and remote work – that business owners should understand as they navigate through uncharted global territory.  

Here’s what they said.