Today in Global Small Business: $4 Almond Butter In the U.S. Matters

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

• How Aldi is taking on U.S. supermarkets with its $4 almond butter (requires subscription).
• Foreign policy hawk South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, dies at 71.
• Trump's verbal flubs are piling up.
• Quote of the week:  “Almond butter is an affordable and easy nutritional powerhouse,” explains Lee Cotton, R.D., author of A Nourishing Perspective.
• Driving global growth through the power of small business.
• AI presents a major opportunity for small businesses but support is needed.

Note:  The Global Small Business Blog has been in operation since 2004 and is ranked number one in the world for entrepreneurs and small businesses interested in going global.  As of May, 2026, we average between 700,000-900,000 readers a month.  Thank you for your engagement! 

Small Business Productivity Issues Differ From Country to Country

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The McKinsey Global Institute aggregated a richly granular data set of micro-, small-, and medium-size enterprises (MSMEs) and large companies across 12 broad sectors, 68 level-two sub-sectors, and more than 200 level-three sub-sectors for 16 countries that account for more than half of global GDP.

In these countries, MSMEs on average have only half the productivity of large companies, and less than that in emerging economies. Raising MSMEs to top-quartile levels relative to large companies represents value equivalent to 5 percent of GDP in advanced economies and 10 percent in emerging economies.

The visual presentations here summarize the findings for the 16 countries in McKinsey's research representing different income levels. 

Owning a Small Business in South Africa

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A report from the World Bank shows that South Africa's labour market is small and stagnant, because job creation in the private sector is weak, especially among small and medium firms.

This sector [SME] would typically be a country’s main engine of job creation, but in South Africa, most job generation came from larger companies, the World Bank noted.

Where are small businesses making a contribution in South Africa?  Find out here.

Today in Global Small Business: Globalization is a Fact

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

• The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) launched the Indiana State Trade and Export Promotion (IN-STEP) program to develop and expand export opportunities throughout the state, assisting Indiana small businesses with identifying, marketing and selling Hoosier-made goods in international markets. 
• According to a Small Business Trends article, small businesses are less likely to expand sales across borders (ouch ... must not be focusing on e-commerce).
• Quote of the week: “Globalization is a fact, because of technology, because of an integrated global supply chain, because of changes in transportation.  And we're not going to be able to build a wall around that." – Barack Obama
• US is No.1 country for UK small businesses to trade with over next three years.
• How to mitigate external risks when running a small business.
• E-commerce trends to watch in 2020.

Small Businesses Are the Backbone of our Global Economy

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Whether you want to listen to the podcast or read the transcript, the interview conducted by Brian Kenny, host of the official podcast Cold Call produced by Harvard Business School and brought to you by the HBR Presents network, with Harvard Business School professor Len Schlesinger is worth exploring further.  Why?  Here's a snippet from the interview:

The reality is there’s this standard political logic that says that small business is the backbone of our economy and it’s the one thing in this world where all politicians don’t agree about what day it is. They all agree about this. We know that 68% of the American public actually dreams about owning a small business and we know that 93% of the American population thinks it’s important to support small business, but they don’t. And so the interesting question for us is given the failure rates of small business and the difficulty in getting small businesses to scale, the question is, whose responsibility is it to support that activity and where are there pockets of excitement going on? 

Discover which company hit it out of the park as a corporate initiative representing the best performance of any of the constituencies trying to address that (the small business growth] issue.

The $500 million bet on small businesses -- who made it?

The Trade Wars and a Slower Global Economy

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The latest economic numbers point to a further slowing of business at many small companies; economists say trade wars are a significant reason for the decline.

The trade wars that began with the Trump administration's tariffs on China early in 2018 and continued with retaliatory duties on U.S. goods are taking a toll on domestic manufacturers, economists say.

Read more about how small business slows as trade wars continue, economists say.

Today in Global Small Business: Access the World

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

• From small business to global BIG business.
• Facebook is powering small business to access the world.
• Quote of the week:  “Desire is the key to motivation, but it's the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal—a commitment to excellence—that will enable you to attain the success you seek." – Mario Andretti, race car driver
• Where is global e-commerce going?  Here are 5 takeaways.
• Small business lender Kabbage is expanding to India.
• Experiential learning at its best:  wegg® on-the-ground workshop March 13 in Chicago with Kiesque CEO Jacqueline Smith.  Learn more and register (limited seating):  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wegg-workshop-roundtable-discussion-with-jacqueline-smith-ceo-kiesque-tickets-56688344364 

Once a Small Business with Only Five Employees and Now a Global Behemoth

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It's hard to imagine that Generac Power Systems was once a small business with only five employees, especially when you drive past its sprawling, newly remodeled corporate headquarters off Genesee and Hillside roads southwest of Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Today the company employs 5,600 — 3,800 at plants in Jefferson, Eagle, Whitewater, Berlin and Oshkosh, and its headquarters in Waukesha.  The rest of its employees can be found in plants in Mexico, Brazil, Poland, Italy, Germany, India and China.

Read more about how Generac Power Systems went from small business to global player.

What Is Dodd-Frank and How Does it Impact Small Businesses?

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President Trump has made a ton of executive orders and one of them has been to direct the Treasury to review Barack Obama’s 2010 Dodd-Frank financial regulatory law.  According to Small Business Trends, opinions appear to be split over the impact some of these policies will have on small business. But what exactly is Dodd-Frank all about and what are its implications?

Small Business Trends covers it all here.

How to Boost E-Commerce for Small Business

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The Internet and digital technologies have a key role to play in boosting global commerce in support of inclusive growth.  It's also breaking down traditional barriers to international trade, making it easier for small businesses to go global for the first time.

Read more:  3 Steps to Enable E-commerce For Small Business

Politically, Is Anyone Against U.S. Small Businesses?

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As a small business owner, it's hard to figure out which candidate running for president of the United States would serve small business owners best.  I'm nonpartisan yet always look for a candidate who is pro-trade (tricky, very tricky).

But there are other issues to be worried about like taxes, health care and regulations.

David Primo, a professor of political science and business administration at the University of Rochester, says:

"No one's against small business."

Here's a look at what the candidates and some delegates are saying:  Expect focus on small business to grow in presidential race.

According to Edelman EVP Marisa Puthoff, Small Biz is Big Business

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How do you reach and get a positive response from busy global small business owners?  I can speak from experience on what might be needed but Marisa Puthoff, EVP at Edelman, does a great job discussing what you should or shouldn't be doing when vying for the attention of the small business audience.

Here's a glimpse at one of her tips:

Leverage Influencers. SMB owners don’t think of themselves as small. They think of themselves as business owners. And they want what any business owner wants: Access to resources and tools to help them grow their business. Before you begin a campaign, first consider reaching SMB owners when and where they are already seeking information. 

Read more:  #SmallBiz is Big Business

4 Key Things Small Businesses Need to Recover

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As the leader of Barack Obama’s small business programs during the height of the crisis, Karen Mill's job was to help America’s smallest firms not only weather the storm but, just as importantly, to have the chance to rebuild.

Below she offers advice on what small businesses need in order to recover from the recent financial crisis.

Read:  The Conservatives are on the side of small business

Cross-Border Trade Poised to Grow for Small Businesses

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HSBC has set aside U.S. $1 billion in loans for small and medium-sized businesses that are expanding internationally (China, Brazil and Hong Kong, for example).  To pre-qualify, you must run an established business that has annual revenue between $3 million and $500 million, but may or may not have dipped their toes into the international markets.

Head of HSBC's U.S. Business Banking Mark Luppi says the following:

"Based on the research we've done, 27% of small businesses are doing some sort of cross-border [transaction].  We expect that to grow to 40% over the next 12 to 24 months."

Read entire article here.

Look Who's Entering Global Markets!

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According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, more than 70 percent of the world's purchasing power is outside of the United States.

So, what are you waiting for?  Small Business:  Getting Into Global Markets says, "if your business isn't taking advantage of global markets, you could be missing out on some big opportunities."

Read the entire article here (and we are delighted to be quoted).  Hat tip to author Jamie Herzlich.

One Way to Expand a Small Business Is To Export

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More and more small businesses are positioning themselves to go global.

"According to small businesses, the only way a business can expand is to export," said trade consultant Al Elgendy at a recent San Bernardino Economic Development Agency workshop for entrepreneurs looking to expand globally, as quoted by the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. "It reduces the dependency on the domestic economy. When there's a downturn in the economy, the only way to expand is to go global."

Read more here.

Thrive Baby, Thrive

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Tough times call for smart solutions and Intuit is offering a boatload of them over at its new Small Business United Blog. We reported about this in our Borderbuster e-newsletter on July 6th but just in case you are not a subscriber and missed it, we decided to re-feature the information here -- it's that important.

What's in it for you? Plenty. How will you find out? By a visit. Pull up a chair here.

Small Business Can Be Borderless

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Remember when E.F. Schumacher wrote the classic Small is Beautiful? I think about that all the time now with small businesses going global. One of Schumacher's philosophies was: "Why use the computer if you can make the calculation on the back of an envelope."

If he were to revise his book today, he might offer this: "Why remain local with a business if you can easily go global?"

Apparently Dan Brutto thinks along the same line with his commentary over at Forbes entitled, Small Business, Big World. which is about how international clients can keep a company buoyant in tough times.

Here's one of his comments:

Clearly, entrepreneurs are recognizing the benefits of trade, and we should do what we can to help them harness the power of trade to grow their businesses.

Do Small Business, Globally

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Ever wonder how can today’s harried entrepreneurs put up the kind of front that says, “We’re organized, we’re professional and we compete on a global level?” Me too.

Apparently virtual home office phone service provider toktumi has the answer and they are poised to change the way we do small business, globally.

Next-Gen Artisans Fuel New Entrepreneurial Economy

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Another one of my favorite reports has just been released: The third installment of the Intuit Future of Small Business Report™, which looks ahead 10 years and examines the prospects, influences and profiles of small business. The report is sponsored by Intuit Inc. and authored by the Institute for the Future.

Check this out:

The Next Wave of Globalization Will be Driven by Small Business

The number of U.S. small businesses trading globally will substantially increase, fueled by cross-border business opportunities, technological advances leading to broader social networks, and reductions in export costs. More specifically:

• Almost half of U.S. small businesses will be involved in global trade by 2018. As the costs associated with doing business globally continue to decrease, small businesses will make no distinction between domestic and international commerce.

• Social networks will fuel borderless commerce. Online and offline social networks will help remove soft trade barriers, such as language and cultural differences. These networks will introduce small businesses to new markets and facilitate cross-border trade.

• Globalization will increase small business diversity and amplify its economic value. Small business diversity will help increase market growth in the U.S. and abroad and will unlock new opportunities for all small business owners.

Clearly, borderless business is going to become BIG.

Special kudos to the main authors of the report: Steve King, Anthony Townsend, and Carolyn Ockels who also, in addition to writing the Intuit report, publish a nifty blog at Small Business Labs.

For a shortcut to the report, visit here and look for Phase Three: The New Entrepreneurial Economy.

Note: We contributed a tad to the report.