Will China Give In?

iStock/Thinkstock

One of my favorite thought leaders (Nobel Prize winner), Paul Krugman, explains how he thinks about the current China syndrome, and why he believes that most of the responses that he hears from fans are missing the point.

He focuses on three questions:

The macroeconomics of Chinese currency intervention, the fallacies of elasticity pessimism, and the political economy issue of how to deal with Chinese intransigence.

Capital Export, Elasticity Pessimism, and the Renminbi (Wonkish)

Agree or disagree?

Today is a Day When Everyone in the World is Irish or Wishes They Were!

iStock/Thinkstock

Happy St. Patrick's Day -- my favorite day of the year! We'll start with a little bit of history and add an Irish Blessing:

May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day.
May songbirds serenade you every step along the way.
May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that's always blue.
And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through.

And let's end on a light note: When Irish Eyes Are Shining (turn volume down first -- lyrics here). More songs here.

Past posts on this day ... one more here. Enjoy the day.
Posted by: Laurel Delaney (heritage here), The Global Small Business Blog

Become a Certified Global Business Professional

iStock/Thinkstock

The NASBITE Certified Global Business Professional provides a benchmark for competency in global commerce. The CGBP designation demonstrates an individual's ability to conduct global business including Global Business Management, Global Marketing, Supply Chain Management, and Trade Finance.

At the NASBITE CGBP (logo pictured) site you will find information regarding how to become a NASBITE Certified Global Business Professional, the background to the project, training resources, test overview, and a practice exam. There is also a forum in which you may ask questions and share your thoughts regarding the NASBITE CGBP credential.

Regular registration closes March 31.

Take action here.

Who Says Plumbing Can't be Sexy and Exportable?

iStock/Thinkstock

Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin-based Bradley Corp., an international manufacturer of commercial plumbing fixtures and washroom accessories, received a 2010 Exporter of the Year award from ThinkGlobal Inc., publisher of Commercial News USA, the official export promotion magazine of the U.S. Commerce Department.

Bradley serves a diverse customer base ranging from small local facilities to international corporations such as WalMart, General Motors, U.S. Postal Service, W.W. Grainger, and AMC Theaters Corp.

Here's what we can learn from Bradley on taking a business global:

"Our company's commitment to product innovation and strong customer service - as well as aggressive sales promotions in Germany and the Czech Republic -- have all positively influenced our continued success in product exportation," said Steve Zingsheim, Vice President, International Sales, Bradley Corp. "We also work closely with the Department of Commerce and take advantage of services such as the Gold Key in Japan and Mexico. Because of our many years of service in the international community through organizations like Milwaukee World Trade Association (MWTA), we mentor international students enrolled at local area colleges."

Find out more here. Bradley backgrounder here.

Congratulations to Bradley! It is clear they are benefiting from their export efforts through new market expansion opportunities that lead to powerful growth.

Global Economies Surge Forward

iStock/Thinkstock

With or without the United States, the global economy is surging forward.

MEXICO CITY (AP) – Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim is the first man from a developing nation to become the world’s richest person – a shift that underlines the loosening of America and Europe’s stranglehold on the top spots in the billionaires’ club.

Find out how there was a time when Americans held top spots in the world and how that is changing here.

Related articles here:

Carlos Slim Arrives in Lebanon, Will Meet President
Carlos Slim richest person in the world
#1 Carlos Slim Helu & Family

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Motion-Sensing Devices Go Global

iStock/Thinkstock

This week at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, Sony (worth a look!) unveiled a motion controller for the PlayStation 3 (pictured), offering gamers its answer to the Nintendo Wii. It's called the Move and is a rectangular device curved on the sides to fit comfortably in the hand. It also has a glowing ball at the end that contains technology used in tracking a player's motions.

Interesting what all the major players are doing in this industry:

Nintendo's success with the Wii, released in November 2006 as the first console to offer motion-sensing technology, has brought the gaming technology to the mainstream.
Microsoft is expected to join the trend in offering a motion-sensing device for the Xbox 360 in time for this year's holiday shopping season.Unveiled in June 2009 as "Project Natal," the Xbox system relies on sensors that track players' body movements to allow them to interactively play sports and other games without having to hold any hardware.

Read more at here.

TechTip2U Powered by: Verio

What Can Nontraditional Direct Foreign Investment Do For a Country?

Creatas/Thinkstock

Why are some governments more effective than others at attracting nontraditional foreign direct investment? Thunderbird’s Roy C. Nelson, Ph.D., a global studies professor with expertise in Latin America, argues that ...

... nontraditional foreign direct investment, which requires more advanced skills and training from a country’s workers, can help improve a country’s development prospects and diversify its economy. Examples of this include investment in software development centers, biotechnology or global services.

Learn more about what Dr. Nelson has to say on this subject here.

Follow Nelson on Twitter here.

Becoming a Globally Advantaged Company

Hemera/Thinkstock

Step aside BEMs (big emerging markets), and instead, let's take a look at RDEs (rapidly developing economies) -- an important growth engine for many multinationals.

Is there a difference between BEMS and RDEs? In my due diligence for this post, I discovered BusinessWeek's article, "In Recession, Focus on Emerging Markets," and I'm still unclear as to which countries are identified as RDEs. Could RDEs really be BRIC countries under a new guise?

BCG (Boston Consulting Group), through its globalization arm, claims to know a thing or two about these RDEs (perhaps they will make the distinction for us):

BCG’s Global Advantage practice helps clients achieve global competitive advantage by capturing opportunities arising in and from the RDEs. We support both industry leaders from developed countries and fast-growing companies from the RDEs on a wide range of issues.

Check out their ...

Impact Stories

And this may be of interest to you too -- a report from the BCG web site:
The 2009 BCG 100 New Global Challengers

Posted from The Global Small Business Blog

When to Expand Internationally?

iStock/Thinkstock

Three-year old Zinch.com, a platform that allows students to be seen for what they are -- not just numbers, but people -- explains when to expand a business internationally:

When to expand internationally?

"We're three years old, and we were cash-flow positive before our current venture financing came. Although it is risky and expanding internationally adds a lot of complexity to the business, we think this is such a good idea that we want to expand before someone else does.

The scarcest asset is our relationships with institutions. They are very skeptical, but right now we have more than 800 clients, of which some are the most selective in the world," Anne adds. This, together with simplifying its technology, gives Zinch the edge to expand internationally and manage its complexity.

Read more here.

What Do You Care About in Our World?

iStock/Thinkstock

Pepsi wants to help you out.

This year, the Pepsi Refresh Project is giving millions of dollars to fund ideas across six different categories (e.g., The Planet), that will refresh the world.

Submit your idea and vote for what you care about most:

RefreshEverything.com

GlobeTrade.com's Borderbuster e-Newsletter

iStock/Thinkstock

If you missed yesterday's 98th edition of GlobeTrade.com's monthly e-newsletter, Borderbuster, you missed a really good Q&A about how to access international trade stats. Here it is for your benefit:

Q: To Ask The Expert,

Where's a good place to search for U.S. import or export statistics?

A: Our recommendations are:

The U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade

WTO
International trade and tariff data

International Trade Centre, International Trade Statistics

There are a couple of good places online that provide specific import-export trade data and other global intelligence for a fee. Conduct a Google or Bing search on key words "import-export trade data" or "international trade data," for they are sure to pop up.

And it can't hurt to take a look at some things going on here.

Posted by: Laurel Delaney, The Global Small Business Blog

How to Filter Twitter to Boost Your Global Marketing Power

iStock/Thinkstock

Here are seven (7) amazing ways to filter (leverage) Twitter (a technology platform) to the hilt.

7 Insanely Useful Ways
to Search Twitter for Marketing

TechTip2U Powered by: Verio

How to Create a Culture of Innovation Within Your Global Small Business

iStock/Thinkstock

My latest innovation installment for the American Express OPEN Forum:

Creating a Culture of Innovation:
Learning From the Best

And speaking of innovation, you might appreciate this as it relates to both innovation and exports!

Innovation and the 2010 Trade Policy Agenda

American Rodeos Go Global

iStock/Thinkstock

The boys from Brazil know that big money can be made in the rodeo.

Learn how and why here:

The Boys from Brazil
Why American rodeos are taking on a Latin flair

The Fair and Global Fashion Designer

iStock/Thinkstock

Meet the People Tree, the fair trade fashion pioneer based in the U.K. They are designers and manufacturers of fashion and garments that are primarily cotton certified organic and Fairtrade. All their clothes are dyed using safe and natural dyes. And they source as many products as they can locally, choosing natural and recycled products over toxic, synthetic and non-biodegradable materials.

For every beautiful garment People Tree makes, there's an equally beautiful change happening somewhere in the world.
We like to think of it in terms of our little shoots-and-roots motif. We provide you with exclusive fashion - the shoots - while at the same time we work deep down through the roots, improving the lives and environment of the artisans and farmers in developing countries who work to produce it. It's Fair Trade throughout. Simple.

How it works

In order to ensure People Tree fashion meets the Fair Trade principles set out by WFTO (World Fair Trade Organisation), we work closely with 50 Fair Trade groups in 15 countries. That way, we can bring benefits to people and the planet at as many steps of the production process as possible – growing cotton, weaving, dyeing, embroidery, stitching etc. – helping alleviate poverty in the world's most marginalised communities.
We also work hard to ensure that we pioneer ecologically sound methods of production and minimise environmental impact. Not only is most of our cotton certified organic and Fairtrade, all our clothes are dyed using safe and natural dyes. And we source as many products as we can locally, choosing natural and recycled products over toxic, synthetic and non-biodegradable materials.
All our designers – both in the UK and Japan – know how to work within this set-up, which means we can produce garments that are beautiful, as well as caring. So, our collections are all the more special because they make imaginative use of local skills (handwoven fabrics, hand screen printing and hand embroidery are used a great deal), which creates as much employment as possible in areas that really need it.

Learn more here.
Request a catalog here.

Sending Our Thoughts, Prayers and Energy To Chile

iStock/Thinkstock

The earthquake that hit Chile February 27, 2010 (8.8 magnitude) -- 5th largest in history -- has resulted in more than 800 casualties thus far and apparent infrastructure damage throughout the country, to the tune of more than U.S. $2 billion and growing. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the people of Chile over the loss of lives and property.

Our thoughts, prayers and energy also go out to all the strong survivors in Chile who are impacted by this terrible tragedy, including our Director of The World Entrepreneurship Forum (full disclosure: I am a member of The World Entrepreneurship Forum and appointed Board member), who is still in Chile on business. Thank goodness he is safe but we hope he will be able to return to France soon.

May all the Chilean residents get back to some form of order, safety and normalcy soon.

Chile earthquake: CNN

What's Your Cultural Intelligence?

iStock/Thinkstock

As more of us take our business global, we need the best understanding possible of how to interact with people from difficult cultures. It's not just a case of learning a different language and showing a little respect. It's about digging deep to grapple with the nuances and complexities of cross-cultural experiences.

The book, "Leading With Cultural Intelligence" by David Livermore, Ph.D., is a terrific primer that will help you to stop feeling anxious and awkward when you travel overseas and enable you to get your global cultural groove in gear -- all while ensuring you don't wind up saying or doing something wrong.

Get your CQ (Cultural Intelligence) here. By the way, these skills and sensitivities can be learned and developed to liberate you to achieve global small business success.

We wrote about this topic October 27, 2009: Do You Have Cultural Intelligence? And here's David's comment on that post:

And I so appreciate the way you highlighted that cultural competence means so much more than just treating people with respect -- thought that's a great place for all of us to begin. Like you, I'm increasingly observing how communication, negotiation, marketing, and lots more are impacted by culture. This challenge/opportunity is only going to increase in the months ahead.

J. Crew Spreads Its Global Wings

iStock/Thinkstock

The classic American outfitter, J. Crew, currently available only in North America and Japan, has plans to spread its global wings through a new agreement with Net-A-Porter that will take them first into Canada and next into the U.K.

Hard to believe:

"We're not capable of shipping outside of the United States," Lyons explains. "We have received an overwhelming request from our customers to be available overseas."

Jenna Lyons serves as J. Crew creative director.

Read more here.

Global Granola

iStock/Thinkstock

Sometimes you have to take time out to ... well ... mix your own granola!

Design your custom made organic, all natural cereal mix from over 75 healthy ingredients and enhancers. You can even add a custom picture to the mix!

Technology takes you where you want to go -- and that can be across the globe.

Learn more at MixMyGranola.

TechTip2U Powered by: Verio

Rev Up Your Export Engines: Global Expansion Is Where It's At for Small Businesses

iStock/Thinkstock

The light at the end of the tunnel is ... exports that take your business global.

By the way, you'll catch this in the article but ... vital day-to-day business survival techniques can include exporting.

Read more here with this thoughtful primer on how it's time to go global.

News You Can Use From Our Foreign Trade Division

iStock/Thinkstock

Working on strategic global marketing plan for your business? Trying to figure out how many of your particular widgets are sold in a specific overseas market? Finishing up a term paper for school that requires the latest foreign trade balance? Just curious as to where the numbers are at and what it means? Look no further.

1.) Press Release: December 2010 Trade Data
--------------------------------------

"The Nation's international trade deficit in goods and services
decreased to $380.7 billion in 2009 from $695.9 billion in 2008."


a.) GET THE BASICS from the "U.S. International Trade in Goods
and Services - Highlights"
----------------------------------------------------------

- http://www.census.gov/indicator/www/ustrade.html

b.) GET MORE DETAILED DATA from the full "U.S. International
Trade in Goods and Services Press Release"
----------------------------------------------------------

- http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/press.html

c.) GET TRADE BALANCES with specific countries
(as far back as 1985 for most countries!)
----------------------------------------------------------

- http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/index.html

d.) GET PRODUCT TRADE INFORMATION. What do we trade with
specific countries?
----------------------------------------------------------

- General (1-digit SITC)
- http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/sitc1/index.html

- More detailed (3-digit SITC)
- http://tier2.census.gov/sitc/sitcpage.htm

e.) WHEN IS THE NEXT RELEASE?
----------------------------------------------------------

- Release dates are set through statistical month December 2010
- http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/faq/gen/gen0007.html

Where and How to Compete Globally

iStock/Thinkstock

An old research document (11 pages) by Michael Porter that is still relevant to our times. Porter is generally recognized as the father of the modern strategy field. He shares where and how to compete globally.

New Global Strategies for Competitive Advantage

Tip:

Alliances are a tempting solution to the dilemma of a firm seeking the home-base advantages of another nation without giving up its own.

Should Any Manufacturing Operations Return to the United States?

iStock/Thinkstock

If so, which ones?

Read more at: "The Case for Backshoring"

Wanted: UPS to Help Double SMB Exports

iStock/Thinkstock

What a great job to have! The U.S. has asked UPS to help double exports for small and medium-sized U.S. businesses. UPS will use shipping data to identify those SMBs.

President Barack Obama set a goal of doubling exports to more than $3 trillion over the next five years to help create or support 2 million American jobs.
Less than 1 percent of America's 30 million companies export, which is significantly less than in other developed countries, the Commerce Department said in a statement.
Of those that do export, 58 percent export to only one country, providing what U.S. officials see as a big opportunity to expand exports.

A lot of the above stats can be found at UPS Business Monitor.

Read more here.

Another interesting piece: Export volumes: Is it possible to double exports in five years? ~ The Economist

Global Mobile "R" Us

iStock/Thinkstock

How mobile are you? What kind of global tech user are you?

Is Facebook your window to your social world? Is your mobile device the last thing you put aside before shutting the light out at night? Or does the deluge of digital information leave you flat and the ring of your cell phone leave you cranky?

Find out what kind of user you are at Pew Internet by taking a quick quiz here. The range is:

• "Digital Collaborators"
• "Media Movers"
• "Tech Indifferents"
• "Off the Network"

When you press the 'Calculate My Results' button, a new page will tell you in which group you fit, along with a description of the general characteristics of that group.

TechTip2U Powered by: Verio

How To Craft a Successful Russia Strategy

iStock/Thinkstock

The Joseph C. Wilson Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, Rawi Abdelal (rabdelal(at)hbs.edu), is the author of Capital Rules: The Construction of Global Finance (Harvard University Press, 2007). He pens this piece as well:

The Globe: The Promise and Peril of Russia’s Resurgent State

Short snippet here:

After Putin became Russia’s president in 2000, Goldman Sachs predicted that Brazil, Russia, India, and China would soon be among the world’s most important economies and coined the term BRIC. However, Russia’s economic growth, which averaged a healthy 7% from 1998 to 2007, has been undermined by the global economic crisis. Russia’s economy was projected to contract by 6.8% in 2009, according to the OECD, and Brazil’s by 0.8%, while India’s and China’s were projected to grow by 5.9% and 7.7%, respectively, despite the global recession.
Is Russia in danger of falling out of the BRIC grouping? Would companies be better off entering other emerging markets, particularly given the complexities of doing business in Russia? How do companies craft successful Russia strategies?

More here but you must subscribe or buy a single copy PDF to read the entire piece.
Another good resource is: Doing Business in Russia by the World Bank Group.
And this might be helpful too:

[PDF: Immediate download]

Doing Business in Russia

By George, Davos Delivered

iStock/Thinkstock

A report by George F. Colony, founder and CEO of Forrester Research, on Davos 2010 (World Economic Forum).

The World Is Helping Haiti

More information can be found here.

1,000 Posts at The Global Small Business Blog

Zoonar/Thinkstock

Since July 20, 2004, we have posted more than 1,000 times at The Global Small Business Blog (http://borderbuster.blogpost.com). We hope you will follow us for another 1,000 posts! Many thanks.

And here's an article indicating global data continues to reinforce the idea that the world business cycle has bottomed and that growth is starting to advance.

Happy Chinese New Year of the Tiger

iStock/Thinkstock

May the Year of the Tiger bring you good health, much happiness and great prosperity.

Posted by: Laurel Delaney, The Global Small Business Blog

Can We Double U.S. Exports Over the Next Five Years?

iStock/Thinkstock

Some folks don't think so.

The administration’s National Export Initiative calls for a 20 percent increase in next year’s budget for the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, bringing it to $534 million. This would enable ITA to hire up to 328 trade experts to help U.S. companies find customers in foreign countries, with a particular focus on high-growth markets like China, India and Brazil.

The ITA aims to help 23,000 businesses to start exporting or grow their international sales next year. Over the next five years, the agency is shooting for a 50 percent increase in the number of small- and medium-size businesses that export to more than one market.

The administration also wants the Export-Import Bank to increase the financing it makes available to small- and medium-size businesses from a record $4.4 billion last year to $6 billion next year.

Ex-Im Bank is an independent federal agency that provides loan guarantees, export-credit insurance and direct loans to finance sales of U.S. exports.

Read more here.

Socialgraphics: A Customer Centric Approach to Global Social Strategy

iStock/Thinkstock

According to The Altimeter, like demographics or psychographics, companies must now understand socialgraphics, which answers five key questions:

1. Where are your customers online?

2. What are your customers’ social behaviors online?

3. What social information or people do your customers rely on?

4. What is your customers’ social influence?

5. How do customers use social technologies to learn, make decisions, and support your products and services?

What is socialgraphics?

Socialgraphics is how to measure how customers use social technologies, where they are online, and how it influences them in the context of the customer life cycle.

Learn more here. This piece might be helpful as well.
TechTip2U Powered by: Verio

LIVESTRONG Goes Global to Spread the Message of Hope and Perseverance to New Markets All Over the Globe

Hemera/Thinkstock

Lance Armstrong's philanthropic organization, LIVESTRONG, is taking its product line global. His company creates the iconic yellow bracelets (pictured) and other goods such as clothing and accessories.

The global push begins in July.

“We’re excited to embark on this new phase for LIVESTRONG and Nike,” said Lance Armstrong Foundation President and CEO Doug Ulman. “Lance’s return to cycling drew the eyes of the world to the fight against cancer and Nike’s support is allowing us to spread the message of hope and perseverance to new markets all over the globe.”

Read more here.

World Population

iStock/Thinkstock

Since 95 percent of the world's population resides outside the United States, I thought you'd like to know what you are missing out on if you run a only a local business.

World population:
6, 692,030,277 (according to Google in 2008)

That's a mighty big pie.

Look at the United States relative to the world here (very cool tool)!

Another look at population again powered by Google Docs (2008).

Ten Reasons Why Going Global Is Advantageous To Your Company

iStock/Thinkstock

Technology is shrinking our world into a smaller, easier place to do business and is fundamentally reshaping our lives. Here are ten reasons why going global is advantageous to your company.

1. Increases sales and profits (especially if fixed costs are tied to domestic operations) = bigger chunk of growth gain.

2. Earns a greater return from a set of core competencies.

3. Generates economies of scale in production.

4. Enhances local competitiveness and paves the way to larger, more lucrative customers.

5. Create jobs, productivity growth, and wealth.

6. Enlarges the pie of potential investors.

7. Insulates seasonal domestic (local) sales by finding new foreign markets and selling excess production capacity.

8. Cuts costs through global outsourcing.

9. Reduces dependence on existing markets.

10. Capitalizes on tax advantages.

The knowledge you gain from learning the ropes of international business will make you open to new ideas, new approaches, new marketing techniques, new customers and new confidence to take on the world!

Posted by: Laurel Delaney, The Global Small Business Blog

Oreo Odyssey

iStock/Thinkstock

With Kraft's recent acquisition of Cadbury (take a visit, it's fun), will all the world love the Oreo, especially in emerging and other international markets Kraft is not in?

Cadbury gives Kraft an entrance without the expense (sans, of course, the acquisition itself) of breaking into such markets on its own. They might have to do a little tweaking (called adaptation) of the Oreo ingredients to meet the taste buds of consumers in markets they select to enter.

Read more here.

Also, refer to our post May 5, 2008, "Reformulating the Oreo to Sell to the World." Looks like they anticipated what was ahead.

Get Ready Global Small Businesses: U.S. $6 Billion is Coming Your Way in Export Financing

iStock/Thinkstock

As reported by our friends and colleagues over at The New Entrepreneur, BusinessWeek, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke pledged $6 billion a year in export financing for U.S.A. small businesses through the Export-Import Bank of the United States.

Read all about it here:

Locke Pledges Aid for U.S. Small Business Exports (Update 1)

All we can say?

U.S.A., Export Away!

New Phase of Economic Recovery: Tech World Rising

iStock/Thinkstock

As the global economy mends, business spending on technology goods and services is returning -- at least that is what Ben Worthen and Don Clark claim in "Tech Spending Bounces Back as Profits Rise," published in the Wall Street Journal.

The tech world according to Cisco:

The economy has entered a new "phase of the recovery," said John Chambers, Cisco's chief executive, in a call with analysts, adding that he planned to hire up to 3,000 workers in coming quarters. "This is one of the most robust positive turnarounds I've seen in my career," he added.

The tech world according to Google:

Before he (Google CEO Eric Schmidt) got into the nitty-gritty of this year’s outlook, Google announced that revenue was up 17 percent in Q4 2009 ($6.7 billion) and up $23.65 billion for all of 2009 (for a net income of $6.5 billion).

The tech world according to NetSuite:

Having had a dreadful start to 2009, NetSuite announced record earning for the fourth quarter and year ended 31st December, 2009. From the release:
“Total revenue for the year was $166.5 million, a year-over-year increase of 9%. Total revenue for the fourth quarter was $43.0 million. Revenue from the Americas for the fourth quarter of 2009 was $35.0 million, while revenue from international regions was $8.0 million. NetSuite added approximately 295 new customers in the fourth quarter.

The tech world according to IBM:

Moreover, IBM's full-year 2009 earnings of $10.01 per share were up 13% year over year, and net income of $13.4 billion rose 9% from fiscal year 2008. Earnings for the year were a record, despite the worldwide recession. Full-year earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $9.88 per share, as well as the company's own guidance of $9.85 per share.
The company's spectacular amount of new services contract signings and a pick up in corporate IT spending figured into the improved guidance for fiscal 2010. Historically, IBM has raised its guidance for almost every quarter in the last two years. For fiscal year 2010, the company again raised its EPS guidance to $11 per share, up from a previously expected $10-$11 per share range last month.

The tech world according to Microsoft:

Microsoft posted a bigger-than-expected 60 percent increase in quarterly profit on Thursday, helped by strong sales of Windows 7, and said it expected business technology spending to recover this year.
The company said net profit came to $6.7 billion, or 74 cents a share, up from $4.2 billion, or 47 cents a share, a year earlier.

The tech world according to Apple:

For the three-month period ending Dec. 29, 2009, Apple posted earnings of $3.4 billion, on a revenue of $15.7. Compared to the year-ago figures of $11.9 billion, that amounts to $2.3 billion in net quarterly profit.
Apple shipped 8.7 million iPhones — more than double compared to the year-ago quarter — and 3.4 million Macintosh computers, up 33% from a year earlier.

Consider it a tech revival. Are you ready?

TechTip2U Powered by: Verio

Explore Opportunities Outside Your Local Market

iStock/Thinkstock

Lots of good tips here on how to grow your business in a flat economy but we particularly like Tip No. 2:

Explore outside the local and domestic market. When it comes to horse racing, for years the leading buyers destination was Dubai thanks to the wealthy investments by the Royal Family. With Dubai in flux, many investors have backed off. Finley has been exploring Ireland now instead. “We were one of the first to buy and bring back horses from Ireland,” says Finley. “Now we have Irish investors interested in us.”

Read more here.

The World Wide Web Through Language

iStock/Thinkstock

Why is it so hard to learn a foreign language?

Learning a language sometimes seems as difficult as dieting. The solution is to figure out how to stay interested after the novelty wears off.

For an option, go here.

Online Tutorial in Global Marketing

iStock/Thinkstock

Our friends and colleagues over at globalEDGE have put together a neat little online tutorial on Global Marketing.

Test it out or get smart (direct link ... sound and all) here.

Global Game Changer

iStock/Thinkstock

Apple's new iPad (pictured) is here and we most certainly will have to wait to see if it becomes another global game changer. Read more here.

Apple's motto which we can all learn from: Think DiFfeRent.

About Steve Jobs. One more here.

Our post about the much anticipated new product launch here. And another post October 9, 2009 on: "Who Has The Global Edge On Wireless Readers?"

Related topic wise ... watch for upcoming post to the American Express OPEN Forum on "bold innovation." Follow us on Twitter to capture it @LaurelDelaney.

A Dose of Davos

iStock/Thinkstock

The World Economic Forum, the annual gathering of government and corporate leaders in Davos, Switzerland, runs until Sunday.

Here are some highlights.

World Economic Forum

How It Works: Cloud Computing

iStock/Thinkstock

With cloud computing, an on demand access to virtualized IT resources that are provided as a service over the Internet, you can reduce risk and gain control. This is not new. It has been taking place in some form or fashion for years. Just a new name has been coined to define it. For example, if you have an email account with a Web-based e-mail service like Gmail, Yahoo or Earthlink, then you've had some experience with cloud computing.

Cloud computing 101: "How Cloud Computing Works"
Wikipedia definition: Cloud computing

Whatis.com definition:

Cloud computing is a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the Internet. These services are broadly divided into three categories: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). The name cloud computing was inspired by the cloud symbol that's often used to represent the Internet in flow charts and diagrams.

According to InfoWorld: What cloud computing really means

2010 Tipping Point for SMB Use of Cloud Computing:

Tip No. 5: SMBs use the cloud to avoid infrastructure problems faced by offering their services in different countries around the globe. The cloud will act as an equalizer in this manner and allow SMBs large and small to compete internationally.

In line with above, cloud computing has changed how companies market, sell, provision and deploy new services on a global basis.

As cloud computing goes global, you have to ask yourself: whose laws matter?

TechTip2U Powered by: Verio

Global Copyright Treaty?

iStock/Thinkstock

A landmark intellectual IP agreement -- known as Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) -- is in the works. Why the secrecy?

Learn more here.

Benefits of Offshoring When You Think Wide

iStock/Thinkstock

Too many organizations mistakenly limit offshore work to routine tasks.

More broadly, our research has implications for what kind of work is “offshore-able.” We believe that if Western companies focused more on fostering collaboration between workers separated by geography and culture, and less on forcing offshore workers to perform tasks in very specific ways, the range of work they could source offshore would be significantly expanded. Companies struggling to fill talent gaps in semiconductor-chip design, drug discovery, engineering and other intellectually complex areas could draw on high-quality and growing talent bases in countries like India and China.

Read the entire article here.

Doing Business With the World: It's Easy. Here's How.

iStock/Thinkstock

Who wouldn’t want to sell to more than 1.7 billion people? According to Internet World Stats, that’s the current number of Internet users worldwide, up 200,000 since December! How can you prepare to capture this astounding audience and do business with the world? Above all else, you need customers, but before we cover that, here are other factors to consider.

Read more here.

Like what you see? Sign up to keep up with what's going on in the world of global small business.

Separately, Happy Australia Day!