Top 9 Global Small Business Trends To Watch in 2026

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According to Upwork, the top 9 global small business trends in 2026 involve AI adoption and automation, e-commerce and omnichannel growth, hyperpersonalization, cybersecurity, social media marketing, sustainability, remote and hybrid work, subscription-based revenue models, and building flexible teams with freelancers.

Discover the highlights (details) of global small business trends in 2026.

Instacart to Acquire Retail Tech Platform to Fuel International Expansion

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The deal for Instacart to acquire Instaleap will give Instacart a grocery-specific fulfillment solutions services platform.  It will also expand access to established retailer relationships outside of the United States, including with major grocers such as Cencosud in Latin America and Continente in Portugal.

Instacart said the acquisition is part of its efforts to advance its presence internationally and that it is seeing demand outside the U.S. for its enterprise offerings, which include its e-commerce, in-store, advertising and data technologies. 

Today in Global Small Business: In China, One of Many Nicknames for Trump Is Chuan Jianguo

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

• Dr. Moira Weigel, an assistant professor at Harvard University is researching a book on e-commerce platforms and writes an Opinion for the NY Times, "When the Chinese Call Him 'Comrade Trump,' It's Not a Joke."  She says, "In China, one of many nicknames for President Trump is Chuan Jianguo. It literally translates as “Trump the Nation Builder.” My best translation is “Comrade Trump.” The joke is that Mr. Trump is a patriotic son of China who is diligently advancing Chinese interests by causing chaos in the United States." 
• The Trump administration received bipartisan criticism on Sunday (4/20/25) for its deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia — a Salvadorian citizen who lived in Maryland and was deported to a prison in El Salvador due to an "administrative error."
• Easter truce or hogwash?
• Quote of the week:  “The best way to look stylish on a budget is to try second-hand, bargain hunting, and vintage." – Orlando Bloom
• U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared detailed plans about a military operation against the Houthis in Yemen on a second Signal group chat, this one on his personal phone and including his wife, lawyer and brother, three people familiar with the chat told CNN.  
• Prolonged tariffs could cause a “huge uptick” in short-term sales of used and refurbished devices, especially smartphones, says Dan Ives, Wedbush Securities global head of technology research.

Unlocking Opportunities for Small Businesses in Cambodia

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Despite their importance, small businesses often struggle to access international markets due to the high costs of infrastructure, marketing, distribution, compounded by complex compliance and regulatory barriers.

However, technological advances, especially in online shopping, are alleviating some of these barriers by providing affordable digital storefronts and access to global customers without needing a physical presence.

Over the past decade, the Cambodian government has made significant strides to enhance the export potential of its small enterprises.  

Learn what those strides are here and a lot of it is digital support.

How to Build a Successful Global Business Around Sustainable Fashion Principles (wegginar® 9/18/24)

©2024 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All rights reserved.

Here's what you can expect to learn from the upcoming wegginar®, 9/18/24, with presenter Alina Lundin, CEO and Founder of Miharo, on "How to Build a Successful Global Business Around Sustainable Fashion Principles:"

• Understanding Sustainable Fashion Principles
• Building a Sustainable Supply Chain
• Navigating Challenges in Ethical Manufacturing
• Marketing and Selling Sustainable Products Globally
• Impact of Sustainable Practices on Brand Reputation and Growth

About Alina

Alina Lundin serves as the CEO and founder of Miharo, a sustainable premium swimwear brand established in 2022. Holding a Commercial Business Diploma, she brings a wealth of strategic business acumen to the company. Her expertise in business organization and project management, coupled with her start-up experience, has been vital to her ventures.

Nui Swim, Alina’s first adventure as an entrepreneur, was created from her ambition to encourage individuals to celebrate their unique identities, offering products that quickly found a market niche.

Now, Alina’s proven insights, passion for fashion, and dedicated leadership are instrumental to the growth and success of Miharo.

Date:           Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Time:          11 AM CT

Location:   Virtual – you must register to attend:  

                       https://bit.ly/3AdsyRB  

Cost:           Free of charge (thanks to wegg's sponsors as noted on the graphic).

Register:     https://bit.ly/3AdsyRB

Today in Global Small Business: Grants, Loans and Programs to Benefit Your Global Small Business

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

• Check out 60 grants, loans and programs to benefit your global small business.
• Trying to determine best website builder for your business?
• Quote of the week:  "Success isn’t about how much money you make, it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.” – Michelle Obama, First African-American First Lady of the United States
• A new survey of 1,000 small to medium-sized business owners from DHL shows two-thirds of small enterprises are optimistic about growing ecommerce.
• In the month of June, small business owners continued to identify inflation as the single most important problem for them in operating their business, as upward price pressures continue to increase expenses and lower profitability.  Learn more from the House Committee on Small Business.
• 25 business grants for women who have started and are growing a business.

Ecommerce Market Expected to Gross $930 Billion This Year

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The U.S. e-commerce market is projected to gross $930 billion this year, up 15% from 2023, and constitute 25% of the world's total online retail sales. 

However, Statista data analysis indicates the Asian e-commerce industry, spurred by online retail giants such as Alibaba, AliExpress, JD.com and Rakuten, will gross $1.93 trillion in 2024, 16% more than in 2023 and accounting for more than half of global e-commerce revenue.

Statista expects around 300 million more people to utilize e-commerce sites and shopping apps this year, pushing the total user count to more than 3.4 billion, or 42% of the world's population.

Read more here.

Online Buying Grows But 67% of Consumers Face Delivery Problems

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In Descartes's third annual consumer sentiment study of ecommerce, it shows that home delivery online buying grows, but too many consumers still experience delivery woes.

The study shows that 39% of respondents made more online purchases in the period surveyed this year compared to last year, and that 57% made purchases in at least one new product category this year. While the study revealed that consumers in every demographic are increasing the volume and frequency of their online purchases, 67% of those surveyed encountered delivery problems.

Read the study here.

Today in Global Small Business: Recap of Warren Buffett’s Comments at the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting 2024

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

• Full report on the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting 2024.
• US campus protests:  Final memories for some students.
• A quick view of what Lumiere is capable of (Google AI generating video service).
• Quote of the week:  "If you are lucky in life, make sure a bunch of other people are lucky too." – Warren Buffett (2024) 
• Look out Shopify and say hello to Swap, for DTC players in e-commerce.
• Economic outlook from OECD: Steady global growth expected for 2024 and 2025.

Case Study: Pink Lily

©iStock/Kriangsak Koopattanakij 

From hiring to testing out physical retail, to ecommerce platform and social media strategy, Pink Lily provides a case study on what has worked for stages of growth and what the future holds for the company.

Good case study.  Worth a read.  Many lessons to learn.

Who Are the Top eCommerce Companies in USA?

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The US is considered the world's most developed market for online shopping and is a global standard for eCommerce. The eCommerce segment accounts for over $1 trillion in annual retail sales in the US, or 13% of the total retail industry and $5 trillion globally.

Here's a list of the top eCommerce companies in the US in terms of web sales. 

Big Global Ambitions: TikTok, Temu and Shein

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China has been “the world’s factory” for decades, with made-in-China goods reaching global consumers through foreign brands, shops, or sites like Amazon. And the country has had a vibrant domestic e-commerce sector, with companies like Alibaba and JD.com growing into juggernauts.

Now see how Chinese e-commerce platforms like Shein, Temu, and TikTok Shop are causing a stir and going global with big ambitions. 

wegginar®, Korean-American Beauty: Building a Direct-To-Consumer Enterprise (10/4/23)

©2023 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All right reserved.

Alice Kim (shown above and below) is a female entrepreneur and the founder of two beauty companies, Elizabeth Mott, and Hanalei. She started Elizabeth Mott in 2010 with the goal of creating Korean-inspired beauty products for U.S consumers. A few of Elizabeth Mott’s best-selling products include: a mascara with built-in fiber technology to help elongate even the shortest eyelashes, and an eye primer that lasts for over 12 hours. Elizabeth Mott’s eye primer, and matte face primer often rank in the #1 category on Amazon.

After years of successfully building out Elizabeth Mott, in 2016 she launched a second beauty brand called Hanalei. Her goal with Hanalei is to infuse the power of the Hawaiian and island botanicals with high performing skincare products. Hanalei creates products inspired by the islands’ lush landscape, and natural botanicals. Some of the Hawaiian grown ingredients formulated into the skincare products include: Kukui nut oil, coffee berry, and spirulina. Hanalei partners with local and global retailers that love and value Hawaiian lifestyle. The company has over 100,000 glowing reviews on Amazon.

Alice is presenting a wegginar® for Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global, "Korean-American Beauty: Building a Direct-To-Consumer Enterprise," on Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at 11 AM CT.  The event is free of charge thanks to sponsors:  Fed Ex, Associated Bank, Bluedog Design, 1706 Advisors and Union Pacific – all companies that back women business owners and entrepreneurs who aspire to grow bigger via globalization.

In the wegginar, you will learn:  

• How to start a direct-to-consumer business
• How to outsource employees globally
• The ins and outs to e-commerce

To learn more and to register free of charge, visit the direct link at Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.

Scrollable Short-Video Formats Are on the Rise

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It was only a matter of time before e-commerce companies got on board with the scrollable short-video format like TikTok's.

Now, Amazon launched its own version of this feature, unveiling the new Inspire feed on its mobile Amazon Shopping App. While the company shies away from comparing the new feature to TikTok, the format is familiar.

Oh no one wants to claim that they are riding off someone else's idea and basically trying to improve on it.  No one.

Read on – From Amazon to tech startups, e-commerce takes on the TikTok-style feed.

Post Christmas: The Sales Will Follow

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With the current economic climate and biting inflation, shoppers worldwide desperately seek the slashed prices and mass discounts offered in the infamous after-holiday and January sales.

Given the exponential growth of internet traffic within the e-commerce space, retailers should expect sales to skyrocket during the busy sales season.

Sounds like a good time to prioritize customer experience capabilities.

Today in Global Small Business: Carbon Neutral Shipping For Ecommerce Merchants

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

• Carbon-neutral shipping for ecommerce merchants during the holiday season.
• Ecommerce report holds warning signals for holiday retail.
• Quote of the week:  "I look forward to the holiday season every year." – Cate Blanchett
• U.S. ecommerce sales will grow just 2.5%.
• What lies ahead for the 2022 holiday season.
• What are people shopping for during the 2022 holiday season?

Today in Global Small Business: TikTok Shop Launched Invite Only In-App Ecommerce Feature

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

• In addition to its most recent shopping features, TikTok has just launched TikTok Shop, where users can now make purchases directly through the app.
• Volkswagen hires Google exec to head global marketing.
• Quote of the week:  "E-commerce is a powerful means to connect the unconnected to global trade." – Arancha Gonzalez
• Globalize your online sales.
• Using AI to translate speech for a primarily oral language.
• Shipping industry is facing a new problem – too many containers!

Calling All Canadian E-Commerce Sellers! Walmart Will Help You Scale and Grow in the U.S. and Canada

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Walmart is recruiting Canada-based sellers to join its flagship U.S. Marketplace and serve a growing base of more than 120 million loyal online shoppers each month.

Entrepreneurs and e-commerce sellers interested in being among the first to explore the opportunity can sign up for the Virtual Walmart Global Seller Summit - Canada on Sept. 8. It will feature practical sessions hosted by Walmart executives and cross-border payments provider Payoneer. Attendees will learn how they can take advantage of simplified onboarding, streamlined fulfilment, targeted promotions, integrated financial services and other support to help them rapidly scale and grow in the U.S. and Canada.

Read more about how Walmart is inviting Canadian e-commerce companies to expand on its U.S. online marketplace.  To apply to join the Marketplace seller community, click here.

India Is Shaping the Future of E-commerce

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This month, retail giants and government regulators around the world will be watching closely as India rolls out the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) in 100 major cities. 

ONDC is a government-backed initiative that was conceived by non-profit think tanks. The project, championed by Indian billionaire and Infosys founder Nandan Nilekani, aims to create a level playing field in online commerce by putting tens of millions of kiranas (Indian family businesses) on an even footing with online giants such as Amazon, Google, and India’s Flipkart(a Walmart subsidiary).

Read on to see how India is shaping the future of e-commerce, at least for the summer of 2022.

Alibaba Goes From a 1 Million Goal to 2,000 Small U.S. Businesses Per Year

©iStock/Robert Way

Alibaba is going through a major transformation – transformation these days means cutting budgets, firing people and running a much leaner ship.  Also with the transformation comes a more realistic goal on their future performance.

History:  Alibaba launched its B2B eCommerce site, Alibaba.com, in the U.S. three years ago and set a goal of adding 1 million local businesses and global reach, but the company has fallen short of those targets in the ensuing years, the report said, citing three people familiar with the operations.

The majority of U.S. sellers cancel their subscriptions after a year, past and current employees said in the report. One person said Alibaba.com is now looking to sign up 2,000 small U.S. businesses per year rather than the 1 million goal.

Read on to see how the efforts of Alibaba to rival Amazon are falling a bit short.