Inspiring School Design: Fuji Kindergarten in Japan

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If you are a designer or architect, you can take your brilliant ideas global. In this case, Fuji Kindergarten (completed in 2007) provides a learning environment that fosters the individual development and expression of all its pupils in Japan.

This ethos has been created through a building that doubles as a huge piece of play equipment. The Montessori pedagogy on which the design is based creates a building with no walls. Classroom spaces, play areas, and support facilities merge into one, offering a landscape for children to explore and adapt to suit their needs.

Project facts here.

The architects (courtesy photo above) behind the project can be found here. 

Fuji Kindergarten website here.

Well What Do You Know: Small Businesses Go Global

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According to "Small Businesses Go Global," exporting has never been easier:

Much of Gladden’s business is in the United States and Canada, but an increasing amount has popped up in places like Australia, the Caribbean and across Europe, prompting him to move forward on opening an office in the United Kingdom. As a small business diving head first into the export market, Gladden Sales represents the kind of trend economic development officials would like to see more of in Louisiana.

Read the entire article here.

World: How Not To Hear a Phone Ring

©Laurel Delaney 2012 "Tractor on a Beach, Chicago"

"That's the great thing about a tractor. You can't really hear the phone ring." ~ Jeff Foxworthy

Global Crossroads: Chicago NATO Summit 2012

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A guide to the world leaders who will be visiting Chicago May 20th - 21st.

Chicago NATO Summit 2012
The Official Host Committee Site

What is NATO?

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, is a political-military alliance made up of 28 member countries, including the United States. Formed in 1949, NATO has played a unique and essential role in maintaining security and stability throughout the past six decades. It has grown and adapted to changing political environments and security challenges and, with enlargements, partnerships, and peacekeeping missions, has proven itself to be an effective Alliance.

How to Work With an International Distributor

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What does an international distributor do?  What do you need to know before appointing one?  I've got it covered.

Read:  A Guide to Working With an International Distributor

Based on your experience, what am I missing?  Please share.  Thanks!

e-Book Use By Country

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According to Bowker Market Research’s Global eBook Monitor, Australia, India, the U.K. and the U.S. are leading the world in e-book adoption rates.

The study tracks consumer attitudes to and purchasing of e-books in major world markets.

Learn more here.

Changing Higher Global Learning Forever

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Free online Stanford courses, enabling students (and individuals) to learn worldwide.  Go here to explore.

Read the full length article in Wired Magazine here.

Visit MITx, MIT's new online learning initiative here.

Infrastructure Entrepreneurs in India

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India's infrastructure sector is going global.

In India, Andhra Pradesh-based firms span irrigation projects, roads, airports and power, having outbid established players and outpaced them in growth. In fact, India's four best airports — Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi — are all managed by AP entrepreneurs. 

Learn more:  After making it big in India, AP infra entrepreneurs go global

Related information:

Department of Industries

Skyscraper to the World: The Trump Tower in Chicago

©Laurel Delaney 2012, "The Trump Tower Chicago"

Trump International Hotel and Tower, Chicago

Pizza in Sanlitun: A Story

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I am not sure who authored the article below or perhaps by the time it is published a name will be attached to it, but it's about cab experiences in Beijing, giving a good dose of daily interactions in China.

Read:  Going Global

United States Is the Largest Services Trading Country in the World

©Laurel Delaney 2012, "United States Flag"

According to Ron Kirk's article Rethinking 'Made in America,' the U.S. service sector currently accounts for four out of five American jobs.

The U.S. is the largest services trading country in the world, with $1 trillion in two-way trade in 2011 and a services trade surplus last year of $179 billion (up 23% from 2010). In what economist Bradford Jensen defines as the fastest-growing services sectors, Bureau of Economic Analysis data show that the U.S. in 2010 had a trade surplus of $57 billion with the Asia-Pacific region, of $44 billion with the European Union, of $35 billion with the countries covered by the North American Free Trade Agreement (Canada and Mexico), and of $25 billion with the rest of Latin America. America's robust services exports reduced its overall trade deficit by 24% in 2010. 

Read the entire fabulous article by Ron Kirk:  Rethinking 'Made in America'

Thanks to the Internet, Everyone Can Be Global

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Why just look.

These days though, indie recordings are the new currency, unsigned bands are the new mainstream, and no one needs to look to major music labels to get a shot at fame. Sure, you still get your Lady Gagas and your Madonnas and your Black Eyed Peas. But the buzz about indie artists is that they get just as much fan fervour as major label artists. 

Find out how:  Starting Local, Going Global

Posted by:  The Global Small Business Blog

Establishing Salespeople Overseas

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How do you setup salespeople abroad, especially when they are located more than 12,000 miles away?

Here are some tips.

Revisit:  Finding Top Salespeople Abroad

Building Peace: Unesco

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See all the cool global knowledge shared at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) where the mission is to build peace in the minds of men and women.

Explore UNESCO.

For the World to Enjoy: Tulips

©Laurel Delaney 2012, "Tulips Downtown Chicago"

"If you truly love Nature, you will find beauty everywhere." ~Vincent Van Gogh

Cozy Global Relationships: The Benefits

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Cozy relationships with government can influence many things.

Talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement, which the U.S. is negotiating with Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, are continuing this week (April 9-13) in Santiago, Chile in the form of an “intersessional meeting” on intellectual property (IP).

See what's brewing here.

Borderless Business

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"In the future, there will be two kinds of enterprises:  those that go global and those that die." ~ Laurel Delaney (May 2006)

Thanks to the Internet, small businesses have the ability to conduct business with just about anyone in the world.

So find out how no boundaries for small businesses can be a boost to growth here.

Posted by:  The Global Small Business Blog

Retail Transformed By Globalization

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According to Sandeep Mathrani, CEO of General Growth Properties, retail real estate is being profoundly transformed by the process of globalization.

Retailers are increasingly crossing borders and competing on the international stage. Developers too are diversifying portfolios and increasingly becoming international operators, forging relationships with tenants that cross the globe.

To learn more about this, visit here.

Also, pay a visit to 2012 Retail Real Estate World Summit

Are You Ready to Import and Export?

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Is your business in the right state to import or export?  There's only one way to find out.

Go here to explore.

New TV Series Goes Global

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The new TV show Touch, starring Kiefer Sutherland, is going global.

But the universal language of numbers and a rainbow coalition of characters aren’t the only things that give “Touch’’ its global scope. The cosmic unity of “Touch’’ is also demonstrated in how it’s being launched: all at once around the world.

Learn more here.

A World As Free As a Bird

©Laurel Delaney 2012, "Free As a Bird"

“Did you ever see an unhappy horse? Did you ever see a bird that had the blues? One reason why birds and horses are not unhappy is because they are not trying to impress other birds and horses.” ~ Dale Carnegie

Laurel Delaney on Scribd: 300,000+ Global Readers

We want to remind you to visit from time to time Scribd (Laurel Delaney) where more than 300,000 people have read Laurel's work on global small business and entrepreneurship.  Are you one of them?

Here's a sampling of some of the articles you'll find:

• Tip Sheet on How to Go Global (UPS)
• Trade Routes to China (WSJ)
• Go Global Now (Success Magazine)!
• How the Mighty Succeed Globally
• And more!

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Canada Exports a Lot Worldwide

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Canada is shipping a whole lot to the rest of the world -- especially to the United States.

The value of U.S.-bound exports grew by more than 10 per cent last year to $330.1-billion, led by sharply higher crude oil sales, according to Statistics Canada’s annual review of Canadian merchandise trade released Wednesday.

Learn more about Canada's imports and exports worldwide here.

Highlights of the National Export Initiative (2 Years In)

Ding Dong, Coty Calling

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Coty offers to buy world's largest cosmetics direct seller Avon Products Inc. for U.S. $10 billion. Avon rejected the offer saying ...

it "substantially undervalues" the company and said a new CEO will create a "greater opportunity" to increase Avon's value beyond what Coty was offering.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Avon was recognized widely by its "Ding Dong, Avon Calling" advertisements.

Read the entire article here.

How Do You Make the World Your Marketplace?

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President of World Trade Center Miami and a director of the World Trade Centers Association, Charlotte Gallogly gives some advice on going global.

Q. What’s the best preparation for someone who wants to make the world their marketplace?

Determine your business (product/market interests) and then travel to trade fairs in those countries to determine the viability and the market interest in your products. Also, work in the industries to gain experience to ease your transition to becoming an entrepreneur.

Read the entire article here.

Note:  World Trade Center Miami

The World Trade Center Miami (worldtrade.org), a member of the World Trade Centers Association and Florida’s oldest international organization, fosters international business opportunities for member companies.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/11/2688205/business-leader-offers-advice.html#storylink=cpy

Posted by:  The Global Small Business Blog

Swing Away World

 ©Laurel Delaney 2012, "Swing Away" (Disneyland, Anaheim, CA)

“Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait. The grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas.” ~ Henry Ford

The Value Of a Face-To-Face International Business Meeting

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Yes -- you can start and solidify a business relationship via telephone, Skype or email, but nothing cements it better than an in-person (face-to-face) visit with your international customer.  It's essential.

Find out why here.

U.S. Export Funding Help

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Will Ex-Im Bank's loans, loan guarantees, and insurance to American exporters and foreign buyers dry up at the end of May?

Fred Hochberg, Ex-Im’s chairman, says that 87 percent of the bank’s transactions and 20 percent of its financing dollars go to small businesses. 

Find out more here.  And another viewpoint here.

J. Crew Scouts Global Opportunity

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J. Crew CEO Mickey Drexler will start selling online orders to 107 countries, spanning 41 currencies.  This is an about face for a CEO who at one time called overseas expansion a "distraction from domestic operations.”

There's a trick (I call it 'deep strategic thinking') to going global that fast.  Find out what it is here.

Illustration credit:  J. Crew homepage

Related article:

J. Crew Spreads Its Global Wings (2/27/10) -- looks like it has taken them two years to get this new international initiative off the ground.

FIRDAWS In Dubai Goes Global

Learn more here. 

Best Option in a Challenging World Economy: Self-Employment

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At last, a site on everything you wanted to know about self-employment and then some.

World:  Go live your dream!

The Self Employed

Your Job Just Got Easier

Spring Fever in Chicago!

©Laurel Delaney 2012, "Spring Has Sprung in Chicago."

"It's spring fever.  That is what the name of it is.  And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!" ~ Mark Twain

Grow Small Business, Grow Through Exports

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Air Tractor, with 270 employees, is the largest employer in rural Olney -- population 3,000.  They manufacture agricultural and forestry firefighting aircraft.

For more than 15 years, they have been increasing their exports with the assistance of Export-Import Bank of the United States.  

But this overseas business and these new jobs could disappear if Congress fails to reauthorize the Ex-Im Bank before it expires at the end of May, ending the financing that makes these exports possible.

Learn more here.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/03/20/3824000/ickert-growing-small-business.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/03/20/3824000/ickert-growing-small-business.html#storylink=cpy

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.

The Perfect Global Growth Plan

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To achieve success running a global small business, you must prepare!  To start, put a plan in place for the future.  Think of it as a global road map.

Try this on for size.  See if it fits or works for your business.

6 Ways to Execute a Perfect Global Growth Plan For Your Business

Done Deal: UPS Buys TNT

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UPS just boosted its logistics power.  It bought TNT for 5.2 billion euros (U.S. $6.85 billion).

Learn more here.

A marriage made on this planet.

Embracing Going Global

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According to "Expanding Internationally:  How to Go Global," even small businesses can take advantage of e-commerce platforms, including global fulfillment solutions and transaction processing capabilities that are designed to enable rapid online expansion outside of the domestic market.  

Review the guide for getting started.  And you might revisit this article as well.

Posted by:  The Global Small Business Blog

Have Yourself the Sweetest St. Patty's Day Ever

©Laurel Delaney 2012, "St. Patty's Day Cookies"

My favorite day of the year:  St. Patrick's Day.  Even if you are not Irish, pretend you are.  No one will know the difference and you will be all the more happy for the stretch!  Wish I could say I made these sweets.  Didn't.  Photographed them though.

Enjoy and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Past Irish posts here ...

SBA's International Trade Loan Program

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As a small business owner, do you plan to bring your production to the United States? Then the U.S. Small Business Administration’s International Trade Loan (ITL) program can provide you with capital to finance your fixed assets, including real estate, and working capital needs.

The program offers private lenders a 90% guarantee on loans as an incentive to encourage lending to growing small businesses.

You can use the ITL program two ways:

1. On-shore to strengthen exports.
2. On-shore to counter import competition.

Learn more here.

Customs Matters: World Customs Organization

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In case you are unfamiliar, the World Customs Organization is the only intergovernmental organization exclusively focused on Customs matters.

It is particularly noted for its work in areas covering the development of global standards, the simplification and harmonization of Customs procedures, trade supply chain security, the facilitation of international trade, the enhancement of Customs enforcement and compliance activities, anti-counterfeiting and piracy initiatives, public-private partnerships, integrity promotion, and sustainable global Customs capacity building programmes. The WCO also maintains the international Harmonized System goods nomenclature, and administers the technical aspects of the WTO Agreements on Customs Valuation and Rules of Origin.

Harmonized System Explanatory Notes and Commodity Database On-line

The new on-line version of the Harmonized System Explanatory Notes and commodity Database offers the possibility of searching by keyword or by using an HS code number to retrieve the information you are looking for. The on-line version offers high speed solutions at little expense, and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Subscriptions are for 1, 2 or 3 years from 1 to 50 users.

To learn more about the service above, click here.  To learn more about the work of the WCO, visit here.

WCO news is published three times a year. Access:

... latest edition (ebrochure)

... latest edition (PDF)

... previous editions

... subscribe

Posted by:  The Global Small Business Blog

Books to Nurture a Dream World

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Kyobo Bookstore in Korea is known to have a large number of foreign-language books and other interesting unrelated items (e.g., music and accessories).

Check it out here but for those who only speak English, use the Google translate button.

The History of Global Small Business (Part 3 of 3)

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Final thoughts for now on the evolution of small businesses expanding internationally. This is Part 3 of 3 installments and covers growth opportunities and expansion tips for global small businesses.

Small Business Globalization Through the Years (Part 3 of 3)
Opportunities and Expansion Tips

Small Business Globalization Through the Years (Part 2 of 3)
Key Growth Drivers and Challenges

And don't miss: Small Business Globalization Through the Years (Part 1 of 3)

Posted by:  The Global Small Business Blog

Women Worldwide Excel At Entrepreneurship

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The U.S. Department of State asked me to write the lead article "Women Entrepreneurs Energize Economies," as part of the current eJournal USA issue "Enterprising Women, Thriving Societies."

May it inspire all individuals -- men and women alike -- to pursue their dream of becoming an entrepreneur.  There's a section tips on how to start a business -- you won't want to miss it.

Immediate download: PDF version (6.5 MB). The design and photos in the PDF file are worth a look.

Posted by:  The Global Small Business Blog

We're Fun and We Cover International Business

According to Adam Wooten, under the global small business category, we are one of his favorite international business columnists and bloggers.

Galileo was right; the world does not revolve around me or anyone like me. By a long shot, mine is not the only column on international business, marketing, language and culture. In fact, I would like to share a list of seven of my favorite global business columnists and bloggers who write fun and informative articles on these topics.

Learn more about all seven here.

A big thank you to Adam for including us!

Meet Global Superstar Sophie, The Giraffe

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Sophie la Girafe is a 7-inch-tall rubber teething toy (pictured with baby) made in Rumilly, France, created in 1961 and priced at U.S. $25 in the U.S. market.

The toy has achieved success outside its home country.

Hint:

"What difference could there be between a Chinese, American or Russian baby?" he thought (referring to Mr. Jacquemier who is a minority shareholder in the company). He set out to understand why Sophie was such a hit in France—aside from the fact that most French mothers had once had their own giraffes.

The CEO hired a psychotherapist, who concluded the rubber chew toy tapped into all five senses: sight with its strongly contrasting colors; hearing with its easy squeak; taste because it is easy to chomp on; and the touch and smell of the natural rubber. The toy's petite size made it easy for babies to grip.

Find out how the producers of Sophie determined it could sell overseas and what they did to make it happen here. Fascinating story.

Sophie is made by Vulli.

Biggest Driver On The Planet: Entrepreneurship!

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I've written about my involvement with the World Entrepreneurship Forum, now I wish to turn you on to a fantastic 2011 White Paper, proceedings of the fourth World Entrepreneurship Forum held in Singapore November 2-5, 2011:

"Entrepreneurship, A Driver for Innovation and Technology"

To download the 56-page PDF-file report, first complete a five-second form ... it's worth it! 

Quote from Page 4:

If you think you are too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room. ~ Dame Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop

Watch the video here.   Learn more about the World Entrepreneurship Forum here.

Can Social Media Influence Global Socio-Economic Change?

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Can social media influence the global perceptions that bring about socio-economic change in poor rural areas with bad Internet connections?

The Organization for Youth Empowerment (OYE) is going to find out. 

Read:  Going Global on a Shoestring and a Smartphone

Review the case study in NGO social media from Honduras:

The Organization for Youth Empowerment (OYE)
the OYE social media project

The History of Global Small Business (Part 2 of 3)

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Some additional thoughts on the evolution of small businesses expanding internationally.  This is Part 2 of 3 installments and covers the challenges and growth drivers for global small businesses.

Small Business Globalization Through the Years (Part 2 of 3)
Small Business Globalization:  Key Growth Drivers and Challenges

And don't miss: Small Business Globalization Through the Years (Part 1 of 3)

Posted by:  The Global Small Business Blog

Defining the Risks Foreign Companies Take When Doing Business In China

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Over time, a series of lawsuits will take place in the Chinese courts that could define the risks foreign companies take when they try to make money in China’s booming markets.

Will Chinese courts finally protect foreign IP?

Read:  A Test Case for Intellectual Property in China

Taking a Strategic Meetings Management Program Global

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Kevin Iwamoto, vice president of enterprise strategy at StarCite provides a checklist for taking your SMM program global here.

Posted by:  The Global Small Business Blog

Embracing Complexity: China

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Wharton is helping China embrace complexity and take the next logical step in economic development.

The Year of the Dragon seems destined to be an inflection point in the dramatic history of China’s economic development. Yes, there is the familiar question: Is this the year that China’s extended period of remarkable economic growth will finally be supplanted by a slower rate? But there is another transition underway as China’s position as the world’s low-cost producer is steadily challenged by increases in wages and other costs.

Read the entire blog post here.

How to Jump Start Washington Exports