What Happens When Dimensional Weight of a Box is Greater Than the Actual Weight?

©iStock/Luba

There's a new dimensional weight factor that affects pricing on shipping boxes in the USA.  Whether you elect to ship feathers in a small or big box, just remember to multiply the box length by its height and width, and then divide that by 166 to reach its dimensional weight. Oh, and don’t forget to weigh the box, too. Make sure your measurements and weights are accurate. The new pricing method will apply to any package if the dimensional weight is greater than the actual weight.

Read:  The New Wrinkle Affecting Your Shipping Costs

SBA International Trade Finance Webinar

Learn about export loans available through the U.S. Small Business Administration and other global business solutions from our Federal Government. In addition, you will get tips from a small business exporter who has used these programs successfully to enter new markets and increase export sales.  Lastly, you will hear directly from an SBA lender on how to prepare in advance to get the financing you need to grow your export business.  Video can be found here or you can click on it above.

The Key to Accessing Global Markets

Photo courtesy:  Apress

What if all small businesses could access global markets?  What if the challenges and uncertainties to conducting business internationally could vanish before your very eyes?  What if we could break down barriers to America's growth by working together to boost exports?

Yes we can all counts!

Expanding global access for small biz.  Solution:  Exporting:  The Definitive Guide to Selling Abroad Profitably (99.9 percent of the battle to exporting lies in learning the mechanics of how to do it so this book spells it out in a way that is both empowering and useful).

Take Your Small Business Phone System Anywhere with a Mobile VoIP Solution

Photo courtesy:  Telzio

(This post is sponsored by:  Telzio)

VoIP phone service can take care of your global and mobility needs as your business expands to new locations and employees expect BYOD benefits. You can get phone numbers from all over the world and use them in any location on your computer, desk phone or mobile device. It’s easy to manage all your numbers and users in one online account, no matter how many locations you have.

Here are 3 ways a VoIP phone system can assist in your quest for global expansion:

1. International Presence

You can get a local or toll free number in almost any country, making it easier for international customers to reach you. Some countries like Denmark require that you have a physical address in the country in order to get a phone number there, but for most countries it’s as easy as a few clicks.

You can browse phone numbers from over 50 countries here.

2. Virtualization

VoIP phone systems are managed completely on the web. There’s no software to be updated, no hardware to be stored in closets and everything is managed through your web browser.

You can have multiple offices and phone numbers around the world and still manage them all under one account. As long as you can connect to the Internet, you can access your phone system.

VoIP service is location agnostic. You can move your IP phones to another country and they would work just the same, using the same phone number it was calling with before.

3. Mobility

Softphones enable you to make and receive calls from a mobile device or computer. You can travel anywhere and manage business calls on your mobile device separately from your personal line.

Telzio recently launched a mobile softphone app that integrates with a fully hosted VoIP system. Starting from $1 per month, the app and a full set of professional features come included.

What to Watch Out for When Choosing a VoIP Provider

When comparing small business VoIP providers, you should ask yourself how many users you will need and who will be in charge of implementing your new phone system.

Users -- Users are the extensions and phones you need connected to your phone system. You will find that most VoIP providers charge user fees from $15 to $70 per month per user, but you have other options.

Plans from Telzio cater to small businesses and offer free users with all phone numbers. Instead of paying per user, you pay per phone number and add as many users as you need to each number.

Usability -- Whether it is you or the IT person who will be setting up and managing the system, you want to cut down the number of hours it will take.

Telzio has an easy-to-use admin panel and intuitive interface where you can be up and running in minutes. Built on the premise that anyone without IT experience could manage everything from start to finish, Telzio is the easiest way to get started with a VoIP phone system. You can see how the visual setup works at Telzio.com/demo.

Plans -- In this world we live in, hidden language and fees are everywhere. Make sure you find the fine print and know what you’re getting yourself into, especially if the VoIP provider requires contracts. If something is described as “unlimited”, it usually has a “fair use” cap written somewhere else. Getting people to pay for more than they use is how those big phone companies make more money after all.

About the Author

Diana Chu is the Chief Executive Officer of Telzio and has over 10 years of experience working with small businesses. Diana graduated from the University of Southern California where she studied Business and Entrepreneurship. Frustrated with deceptive telecommunication companies and horrible customer service, Diana is focused on supporting small business owners through enhanced, efficient and transparent phone services. 
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“©2015 Telzio.  All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.”

Today in Global Small Business: Why SBA's Administrator Wants All Small Businesses to Partake in the Global Economy.

©iStock/Robert Thyrons

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

• Why Maria Contreras-Sweet wants all small businesses to partake in the global economy.
• How to find an ideal distributor.
• Five must-have tools for e-commerce success in 2015.
• Why setting aside thinking time improves ecommerce business.
• Is our inter-connected world shrinking back toward its national borders?  
• Is our global economy tied to energy (and the price of oil)?

Fundamental Things Like Home

Photo courtesy:  Robert Marovich, Journal of Gospel Music

"The more one does and sees and feels, the more one is able to do, and the more genuine may be one's appreciation of fundamental things like home, and love, and understanding companionship." - Emelia Earhart

Photo courtesy:  Bob Marovich, Journal of Gospel Music (Riverdale, Illinois).  All rights reserved.

A World Without Borders and Boundaries

©iStock/Takahashi_kei

Alibaba founder Jack Ma has big plans to expand his company's global reach and become a global powerhouse.  What's his vision?

As technology spreads and lifestyles change, perhaps it is time to start thinking seriously about a trade architecture that supports global payments and logistics in online shopping. Ma, a man who knows a thing or two about e-commerce, is already mulling such a global vision. Maybe others should do the same.

According to the Global Times, "While the Internet has made the world smaller in many ways, online consumers and sellers are still very much stuck in a world of borders and boundaries."

Read:  E-commerce hemmed by national boundaries

Chinese Companies to Watch: Tencent, Huawei and Xiaomi

©iStock/Awdebenham

Step aside Alibaba. There's bigger fish to fry in 2015 when it comes to Chinese companies looking to become as big or bigger than Alibaba and known worldwide.

Chinese tech companies are poised to make a huge splash this year as they push beyond their borders and invest heavily in international expansion.  

Here are three Chinese tech companies to watch in 2015.

Business Blogs to Watch in 2015

©iStock/Alex Skopje

We are honored that our Global Small Business Blog is one of the winners of the Business Blogs to Watch in 2015.  

Our goal [Broadview Networks] is to provide a comprehensive list, nominated by readers and staff, which will help our clients and partners glean the most knowledgeable and insightful analysis of business trends on the web.   We want everyone to succeed in 2015, one way that we can help is to make sure you’re on top of the latest news and trends, that’s why we’re looking for the Business Blogs to Watch in 2015!

Read:  Business Blogs to Watch in 2015

Dream It. Source It.

©iStock/Maria 17

Are you dreaming about a great product idea that you'd like to import? That's 99 percent of the most difficult part of the import process - coming up with something nobody else has thought of yet everybody wants.  The other 1 percent involves sourcing it.  How do you find a manufacturer who makes the product you have in mind?

Here are some ideas that will inspire an import product revolution!

Today in Global Small Business: The Ford Mustang Is Officially Global

©iStock/Hayes Photography

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

• Ford is exporting the pony car from the plant in Flat Rock, Michigan to markets around the world.
• Unearthing the importance of small business success in international trade.
• How to determine when it pays to outsource your production?
• Why international trade is a big deal for our economy.
• How to do business in the top two U.S. export markets - Canada and Mexico.
• Why most SMEs expect to go global in a big way.

Skate Your Troubles Away

©2015 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Style is that which indicates how the writer takes himself and what he is saying.  It is the mind skating circles around itself as it moves forward." - Robert Frost

Pictured:  The magnificent new Maggie Daley Park Skating Ribbon in Chicago.

Is Going Global a Goal For You in 2015?

©iStock/Makaule

With 23 days into a new year, have you set going global as one of your top goals for your business?

Mark Murphy, author of Hard Goals: The Secret to Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be offers a great test to assess whether your goals are too tough or lame by asking the following five questions.  Think of each of these as it relates to taking your business global:

1. Totally within my comfort zone. (“I could do it with my eyes closed.”)
2. Pretty much within my comfort zone. (“My eyes are open, but I’m not excited.”)
3. A little outside my comfort zone. (“I’m feeling a twinge of nervousness.”)
4. Outside my comfort zone. (“I’m on pins and needles.”)
5. Way outside my comfort zone. (“I’m so anxiety-ridden that I can’t even respond.” )

As Shelly Levitt says in Are Your Goals Tough Enough?  Or Too Tough?, you should aim for No. 4, a goal that takes you into uncharted territory but doesn’t leave you feeling hopelessly lost.

Doesn't that sound like going global?  Go for it!

International Trade Plays a Key Role in Small Business Success

©iStock/Lee Yiu Tung

Why does trade matter for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and for our country?

While many think trade is the domain of big business, 98 percent of the 300,000 American companies that export are small and medium-sized businesses. These firms account for one-third of U.S. merchandise exports, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. The number of small and mid-sized companies that export has nearly tripled over the past two decades.

The fact of the matter is that international trade plays a key role in small business success.

Read the entire article:  The little-noticed role of trade in small business success. 

In 2015, Having a Strong International Presence Will Be Essential For Success

©iStock/Meinzahn

According to Sissy DeMaria for The Miami Herald, to form an international network, you have to have skin in the game. You must spend time researching, traveling, interviewing companies, and getting to know people to ensure that their business culture and vision mirrors yours.

She also expects globalization will increasingly play an important role in the growth of small to midsize businesses.

Read the entire article:  The importance of globalization for local businesses in 2015

By 2016, the Richest 1% Will Own More Than 50% of the World's Wealth

©iStock/Pinarlauridsen

The the anti-poverty charity Oxfam said it would use its high-profile role at the World Economic Forum to demand urgent action to narrow the gap between rich and poor.

The charity’s research, published on Monday [1/19/15], shows that the share of the world’s wealth owned by the best-off 1% has increased from 44% in 2009 to 48% in 2014, while the least well-off 80% currently own just 5.5%

Oxfam says that on current trends "the richest 1% would own more than 50% of the world’s wealth by 2016."

Read the entire article:  New Oxfam report says half of global wealth held by the 1%

Today in Global Small Business: How to Nip Ethnocentrism in the Bud

©iStock/Ray Tango

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

• How to nip ethnocentrism in the bud.
• Find out why Facebook has become the global Yellow Pages of present day.
• Is small beautiful (remember where the concept came from)?
• How not to get lost in translation.
• Why the growing global wealth of the super-rich is an economic problem.
• Why Chinese executives and entrepreneurs more than ever are planning to take their business global in 2015.
• How Martin Luther King was ahead of his time on inequality.

Know What You Are Gonna Do Tomorrow, and The Next Day, and The Next Year ...

George Bailey: "I know what I'm gonna do tomorrow, and the next day, and the next year, and the year after that." - from It's a Wonderful Life

Photos courtesy:  ©2014 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

What Is a Micro-Multinational?

©iStock/Geribody

According to The Globe and Mail, a micro-multinational is a small to medium-sized company that uses technology to do things like export and off-shore in a way that was once limited to large corporations.

Find out what a Canadian business owner did to turn his mindset and business from local to global and into a micro-multinational.

Read:  Entrepreneur turns side project into thriving micro-multinational

How to Make Money On Your Bike When You Are Not Using It

©iStock/Nisangha

You've heard of Airbnb, Uber and NeighborGoods.  Now say hello to global bike-sharing company called Spinlister.

Here's how it works:

In 90 seconds or less, anyone can list their bike on Spinlister.com through the app or website, set a rental price and select accessories to include with the rental.

Worldwide, Spinlister already has 15,000 people who use the site to rent bikes.

2015 a Breakout Year for Small Businesses

©iStock/Asafta

The National Federation of Independent Business reported that optimism among small businesses in December reached its highest level in eight years.

Considerably more small business owners said now is a good time to expand, NFIB reported, with capital investments and hiring both on the rise. Some 60% reported capital outlays, with 42% reporting spending on new equipment, 23% acquiring new vehicles and 16% expanding or improving their facilities.

Let's hope 2015 is a breakout year for small businesses.

Read the entire article:  NFIB Reports Small Business Optimism Grows in December

Hungarians Want Successful Companies With Global Clout and the Ability to Speak English

©iStock/Kaycco

Hungary has some work ahead.  Only one in seven Hungarians speaks adequate English.  As a result, people having difficulties expressing themselves in English, which can be perceived as less capable than the self-confident communicators with a good command of English.

Here's what else the article below says:

This may all sound trivial but still, Hungary is one of the laggards in foreign language skills not just in Europe as a whole but in the Central and Eastern Europe region as well. The latest (2012) Eurobarometer survey showed that merely one in five Hungarians is able to have a conversation in English with 40% of those prepared for the most basic situations only. 

Read the entire article:  Only one in seven Hungarians speaks adequate English

Today in Global Small Business: Going Global Means Going Local

©iStock/Alexaldo

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

• How to implement effective strategies to combat growing pains when going global.
• How to take your small business global (YouTube).
• Why going global means going local.
• How going global becomes a literacy, a process and a call to action.
• How to leverage opportunities when working abroad.
• Why small businesses are concerned over declining oil prices.

Outside the Frost Will Bite

©2014 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"We shall achingcold be here
Not singing.
Outside, the frost will bite, thaw, then return;
Inside, the candle will burn." - Philip Larkin

Which Country Is Filled With Optimism About the Economy?

©iStock/Jeremy Richards

Grant Thornton’s global survey indicates business confidence across the world has fallen at the start of the New Year but businesses in India are the most optimistic.

The survey shows 98% of India Inc is optimistic about the economy, which is well above the global average of just 41%. The global average is low because there is lack of optimism in the United States where business confidence has dropped to 59% and in China it’s even lower at 22%, while in Japan it’s in the negative.

Read more at:  Global business optimism falls but not in India

10 Steps to Localizing a Website

©iStock/Michael Jay

Are you targeting international customers with your website?  Then you better learn how to localize your website, as well as translate it.

How to localize a website in 10 easy steps

Another good article by the same author, Christian Arno, is:

Localization Is the Key to Going Global

Adopt Globalization As a Key Driver For Business Growth

©iStock/Onishenko-Galina

According to findings of an in-depth study conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) on behalf of DHL Express, the majority of SMEs see growth opportunities internationally and expect to derive up to 50 percent of their revenues internationally in five years’ time.

What else was discovered?  Those SMEs that trade internationally are likely to perform better than their single market counterparts.

The study also reveals that severe obstacles remain for smaller businesses with global aspirations, these challenges include political instability, cultural factors, different market environments and inadequate infrastructures.

Learn more:  The importance of global connectedness for SMEs

Download report:  Most SMEs planning to be global by 2019

In the World of Food, Some Like It Hot!

©iStock/stshank

No matter where you travel in our world, one thing remains constant in the cuisine area:  some like it hot (spicy)!

And food cultures across the world have come up with countless ways to dry, crush, smoke, pickle, brine, and confit chilies into condiments, developing hot sauces that give dishes extra dimension and heat. In the U.S. alone, hot sauce is a $1.3 billion industry.

Below is a global history on hot sauce along with an illustrated tour region by region that spans Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East and Africa.  In some examples even recipes are provided to make your own hot sauce.

Around the World in Hot Sauce:  An Illustrated Tour of 18 Varieties

Today in Global Small Business: See Why There Will Be Exports Aplenty in 2015

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

• Find out why Laurel Delaney sees plenty of sparkle in exports in 2015.
• Discover the books that every entrepreneur must read.
• Looking for new year inspiration?  Catch How I Changed My Life By Creating a Global Virtual Company.
• What is art?  What is a global entrepreneur?  Can they both be tossed into the same league?  (Read the fascinating comments!)
• See how making low-cost smartphones with great designs can thrust you into the global marketplace. 
• Do investments in innovation pay-off for global companies?  

David Bowie Is (Chicago)

David Bowie Is

Tomorrow, January 4th, is the final day of the Museum of Contemporary Art's extraordinarily popular exhibit "David Bowie Is."  I went to see it this week but couldn't really cover every single exhibit detail in the suggested 90 minute timeframe - there was just too much, which happily exceeded my expectations a hundred times over.  The exhibit presents a completely new perspective on Bowie's creative work and collaborations.

What I saw was absolutely amazing, including a richly illustrated catalogue edited by Victoria and Albert Museum curators Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh, which includes contributions from leading experts in musicology and cultural history.  I'm a huge Bowie fan and the MCA doesn't let you down on offering Bowie's music either. You are loaned a headset upon arrival to listen to Bowie tunes and hear historical perspectives provided by a number of people who worked with Bowie.  I highly recommend the exhibit.

Visit:  David Bowie Is | MCA Chicago

Photos courtesy:  ©2015 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

What's in Store for World Trade in 2015?

©iStock/Wragg

Who knows what's in store for world trade in the new year.  A lot depends on economic factors, your will, your way and other wildly speculative factors.

But somebody has to come up with something that leads the way to our future.  So I curated a couple of pieces that make sense and I even threw in a couple of my own forecasts for 2015 as they relate to global trade.

The Year Ahead:  From Laurel Delaney, Import and Export Expert

Happy 2015 Global Small Business Readers!

©iStock/Cienpies

"Wishing you a year filled with joy, peace, good health, prosperity and global ambitions." - Laurel Delaney, Founder, The Global Small Business Blog

Robinhood: The New Fremium Model

©iStock/lculig 

Robinhood is a zero-commission brokerage app for the iPhone, and is unlike any existing stock-market app.  What sets it apart is - it's mobile first, has no human traders to pay, doesn't charge a commission for standard trades and does does not require a minimum deposit - kissing the middleman good-bye.

Who does Robinhood work best for?  Someone in their twenties who wants to invest a couple hundred bucks here or there to put into the market.

Their “freemium” model allows customers to buy and sell US-listed stocks and ETFs, place market orders and limit orders, track data in real time, and customise watchlists for free. The app will, however, charge customers for premium services like margin lending.

Learn more:  Snoop Dogg and Marc Andreessen Backed This No-Fee Trading App Launching Today [12/12/14]

Is Robinhood global?  If not now, it will be.

Small Business Trends in 2015

©iStock/Rasica

Here's what we are seeing for small business trends in 2015:

• Alternative capital flows will gain traction.
• 3D printing will enable small batch manufacturing.
• Big data analytics will see increased adoption.
• The Internet will continue to be important.
• The Cloud will be critical.
• Content will be king.

Source:  6 Small Business Trends To Watch Out For in 2015

• The shaping of the economy begins to mature.
• Mobile payments come of age.
• Startups on the side.

Source:  3 Trends Will Drive Innovation in 2015

• Mobile SEO
• Local SEO

Source:  2015 SEO Trends You Need to Know

• Bitcoin will not go away.
• More small businesses will go global.
• Live online events will become more important.
• Apps will take a new life form.
• Global mobile commerce is set to explode.
• Wearable/shareable devices will heat up fast and show huge increases. 

Source:  Laurel Delaney, President, GlobeTrade.com

Person to Watch in 2015: Jennie Smith

©iStock/Ivz

Hometown girl Jennie Smith went from growing beautiful heirloom tomatoes on her three-acre farm called Butcher Crick Farms, and selling them at the downtown farmers market and to local restaurants - to taking a job as a sales manager at Kemin Industries in a new division called crop technologies, which the Des Moines-based company plans to launch next year.

Her passion for food and farming, and the drive that has taken her from running a small tomato farm to joining a life science company with a global footprint, makes her a person to watch in 2015.

Read the entire article:  Jennie Smith:  From tomato farm to global science company

Today in Global Small Business: Marketing Trends to Keep Your Eye On

©iStock/Rawpixel

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

• Eight ways to supercharge your international trade activities in 2015.
• Ten marketing trends to keep your eye on.
• What to keep in mind when you expand your online store to Brazil.
• Going global in 2015 - ten startups to watch.
• What to know before you go global.
• Who were the "disruptors" in business in 2014?

In Chicago, You Honor Fallen Heroes and Horses

Horses of Honor Public Art, a celebration of Chicago's heroes:

Since 1853, over 500 Chicago Police officers have sacrificed their lives to protect our city. In honor of those who we have lost, Wintrust has partnered with the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation for a public art installation to benefit our fallen heroes. Designed to resemble Chicago’s Mounted Patrol Unit horses, the Horses of Honor will stand for providing support and assistance to the families of those men and women who have been killed or catastrophically injured in the line of duty.

Learn more:  Horses of Honor Public Art | Chicago Police Memorial Foundation

Photo credit:  ©Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Trends That Are Shaping the Traditional Holiday Shopping Season

©iStock/Bikeworldtravel

How will the country’s biggest retailers fair this holiday shopping season?  It's too early too tell but there are some identifiable trends that are shaping the traditional holiday shopping season.  For example, one is that retailers are starting their sales a lot earlier now.

Find out what the others are here.