The Opportunities and Challenges of Hiring Internationally for SMBs

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With the rise of entrepreneurship, the need for SMBs to manage their costs, and a talent shortage in the U.S., international hiring will continue growing at an accelerated pace. Access to international talent will become increasingly important for U.S. SMBs’ success – and so will their need for tools and processes that make it easier for their global teams to collaborate.

Discover the top reasons SMBs hire internationally.

E-Commerce SMBs Go Global

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Just by clicking buttons, thousands of small businesses are daring to go global with their wares through e-commerce and this has all been brought on by the pandemic.

According to the ‘Amazon Seller Report 2022’ by Payoneer a FinTech company and SellerApp, the year 2022, approximately 63% of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are present on global marketplaces, contributing to nearly 60% of their overall retail sales. 

Learn why e-commerce SMBs are going global, while the US, UK and Middle East are getting even hotter. 

A Hackathon to Develop Solutions That Can Help SMBs

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The Good Ideas Exchange, which will take place in October, will bring owners of SMBs together with leaders from companies including American Express, Facebook, Indeed, UPS and Vimeo to take part in a hackathon to develop solutions that can help SMBs respond to the challenges they are facing, and those that are green-lit will be revealed early next year. 

Read more.

Today in Global Small Business: The Impacts of COVID-19 on SMBs

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

• Facebook released the latest iteration of its State of Small Business Report, which looks at how COVID-19, and the related lockdown measures, are impacting SMBs around the world.  Full report.
• Not everything is rosy – small-business optimism declines to an eight-month low.
• Quote of the week:  "No one ever made a difference by being like everyone else." – P.T. Barnum
• Take a look at the large U.S. metropolitan areas most dependent on small businesses.
• These businesses thrived during the global pandemic as others struggled to survive.
• Help your company emerge from the pandemic stronger and more agile than ever with these tips.

Today in Global Small Business: Jack Welch's Approach to Leadership

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

• How 17 upstarts are tailoring solutions to tap the $850 billion annual opportunity in addressing the unmet needs of SMBs.
• Coronavirus threatens small businesses.
• Quote of the week: “One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest." – Maya Angelou
• Seven key actions business can take to mitigate the effects of COVID-19.
• The late Jack Welch's approach to leadership.
• Going global: Exports hit record high in Granite State.

SMBs Are Punching Above Their Weight Amid Global Competition

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Despite the challenges competing against global rivals, more than 80 percent of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) reported maintaining or growing revenue in 2018.  This is according to the inaugural State of Small Business Global Report by TradeGecko, a cloud-based commerce platform for growing companies, in collaboration with Golfdale Consulting.

SMBs are the lifeblood of the global economy, making up over 95 percent of all firms and 60-70 percent of total employment. The report polled 573 product-centered commerce businesses from 24 countries around the world, including 383 from the United States, to lift the lid on the challenges and opportunities for small and medium-sized commerce businesses.

The survey shows that "small and medium businesses are punching above their weight when it comes to competing in the global market against large firms with big teams and big budgets."

To access the report and its findings, visit here.  For more information about the article, visit here.

Export Readiness Centers for SMBs in Washington

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With a $1.28-million grant from the state Community Economic Revitalization Board, WSU Spokane will host two export readiness centers; one will be in the Seattle area, the second will likely be in the Sirti building, at the Riverpoint Campus. The grant runs for two years.

More details can be found here.