Today in Global Small Business: Lean on E-Commerce to Collect VAT?

©iStock/Halfpoint

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

• The Chinese government moves to support SMEs during tumultuous trade wars.
• Quote of the week:  When it comes to "people moments," Beth Ford turns to others for counsel.  Early in her career she says, she learned to watch and learn form the behavior of "folks who are excellent at what they do.” – WSJ on Beth Ford, Chief executive, Land O'Lakes Inc.
• As Brexit looms large for SMEs, banks step in to offer help and support.
• Female business owners face a unique set of challenges in their entrepreneurial endeavors.
• FedEx sees international shipping that adopts blockchain standards as a single, standardized ledger. 
• Tax authorities worldwide lean on e-commerce sites to collect VAT.

Women Entrepreneurs Are Lifting the Developing Economies

©iStock/StockRocket

The Asian Correspondent reports that although barriers facing women-owned SMEs are not dissimilar to those that male entrepreneurs face, there are significant gender differences in the reasons that women give for not scaling up — such as loans, innovation, expansion or exporting. These differences have policy implications for government and business stakeholders in understanding the enabling factors and barriers that women entrepreneurs face.

Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global™, a leading USA nonprofit which educates women entrepreneurs and business owners on how to go global believes that to succeed in today’s economic climate — and beyond — it’s more essential than ever for women business owners to be informed and inspired to grow global. 

Asian Correspondent goes on to say that having an entrepreneurial mindset plays a critical role when women SME owners decide not to apply for a loan, not export or not expand their business. The number one reason given for not exporting was that the owner was content with the current state of business. For not applying for a loan, it was an aversion to taking on any debt.

Read more about how female business owners face a unique set of challenges.