Promoting Job Creation and Economic Growth in Rwanda

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IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, made a $10 million investment to I&M Bank (Rwanda), which will focus on supporting smaller businesses operating in Rwanda’s tourism, agriculture, and trade and commerce sectors, the backbone of economic growth in the country.  By lending to small businesses, IFC+I&M Bank are promoting job creation and economic growth in Rwanda.

SMEs account for 98 percent of all businesses in Rwanda, and contribute more than half of its total gross domestic product.

Read more here.

A Spoonful of Sugar

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The London house formerly owned by actress Julie Andrews (“Mary Poppins” and "Sound of Music") and her late husband, filmmaker Blake Edward (“The Pink Panther”) is for sale. They lived in the house in the 1970s.  Margaret Thatcher once lived next door.

Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park are within walking distance. A wide array of restaurants and cafes ranging from Dominique Ansel Bakery to Starbucks are within walking distance. Boutiques, restaurants, a cigar shop, a florist, and other [global] small business that lend a village vibe to the area can be found nearby on Elizabeth Street.

Learn more.  Oh, and the price is $32.4 million.

Today in Global Small Business: Remembering Those Who Have Served Our Nation (USA)

©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

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

• Happy Memorial Day -- remembering those who have served our nation with uncommon valor.
• A roadmap for governance.
• What small businesses should know about General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and why.
• Next educational WEGGinar™ is Wednesday, June 6 at 11:00 a.m. Central Time, "Grow Globally by Offering Competitive Financing Solutions" and presented by Tamara Maxwell, Director, Minority and Women Owned Business & Multiplier Outreach Division, Office of Small Business, Export-Import Bank of the United States.  WEGGinar™ is free of charge, thanks to the generous support of global sponsors: UPS, IBM and Bank of America – go here to register: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7394069852172520451.
• How to get your products ready for e-commerce.
• Develop the future of fintech with Plaid.

How About 61 Donuts?

©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"It's nice to have my mother as someone I can talk to about acting. My dad's a director, so when he comes to watch me on set, he think it's his set. He's always telling a production assistant, 'Can you get me five donuts?'" -- Zoey Deutch

Is Your Company's Core Competency Transferable Overseas?

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Jim Altman, Middle Market Pennsylvania Regional Executive, Huntington Bank says, “To be successful in a foreign market, a company needs to gauge the viability of its product in that market, both in terms of its value proposition and price point, as well as understand the local competitive and regulatory landscapes."

He goes on to say, "“That requires assessing whether or not the competencies that made the company good domestically are transferable overseas.”

In an interview, Altman addresses 4 questions:

1. How can companies determine whether they’re ready for the global stage?
2. What commonly gets companies in trouble when they venture beyond the U.S. borders?
3. How can a banking partner facilitate a company’s growth in the global market?
4. What signals that a banking partner can support a company’s international efforts?

Read more about how to successfully set yourself up to go global.

Global One-Stop Solution for SMEs

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Known through inner circles as the "Square of Europe," iZettle (Sweden), a small-business tools and payments provider, has been acquired by PayPal for $2.2 billion.

PayPal CEO Dan Schulman said: "iZettle and PayPal are a strategic fit, with a shared mission, values and culture -- and complementary product offerings and geographies. With nearly half a million merchants on their platform, Jacob de Geer and his team [at iZettle] add best-in-class capabilities and talent that will expand PayPal's market opportunity to be a global one-stop solution for omni-channel commerce."

I've always been a big fan of PayPal yet I also love Square.  Don't underestimate Square (USA) -- they've rolled out a ton of new offerings that are super cool for SMEs.  Pay them a visit to find out more.

Why You Should Bet on Women-Led Companies Locally or Globally

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There are a ton of super-smart women entrepreneurs round the globe.  Jonathan Sposato, author of "Better Together" and chairman of GeekWire and PicMonkey, discusses (in a video interview) why he is investing in companies run by women.

Why You Should Bet on Women-Led Companies Locally or Globally

Consumers Who Shop Internationally Spend More Than Those Who Shop Locally

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Quiz of the day.  Name the top markets for e-commerce?  Who are the next big players?  Think you know?  I thought I did too until I interviewed Melissa O'Malley, PayPal’s Director, Global Initiatives and Communications.

Read the entire interview here.

Meanwhile, Melissa O'Malley says:

Our research finds that consumers who shop internationally spend nearly twice as much as those who shop only domestically–clearly, cross-border sales can be a vital source of incremental revenue for merchants. 

And related to cross-border sales, every so often I send out an Exporting Guide newsletter.  My goal is for you to love learning about how to export.  Are you on the list?  Sign up on the right sidebar where it says Subscribe.

Today in Global Small Business: Four Women Are Solving Real-World Problems

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

• Everything you need to know about podcasting to start and grow your global business.
• How to build an international, socially conscious business on a budget.
• Just land a new customer overseas?  Losing sleep over how to get paid?  Attend the next educational WEGGinar™, Wednesday, June 6 at 11:00 a.m. Central Time, "Grow Globally by Offering Competitive Financing Solutions" and presented by Tamara Maxwell, Director, Minority and Women Owned Business & Multiplier Outreach Division, Office of Small Business, Export-Import Bank of the United States.  Tamara will make sure you don't lose a customer as a result of not knowing how to finance the deal. The WEGGinar™ is free of charge, thanks to the generous support of global sponsors: UPS, IBM and Bank of America – go here to register: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7394069852172520451.
• The road to sustainable world-class universities.
• Meet 4 women who are changing the world and solving real-world problems.
• How e-commerce is accelerating global growth for small businesses.

Best Wishes to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

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May the years ahead be filled with lasting joy, love and happiness as you begin your new life together.

PayPal Extends Its Global Reach by Buying iZettle

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Holy cow!  PayPal has reached a deal to buy iZettle, Europe’s answer to the mobile payments company Square, for about $2.2 billion.

PayPal’s chief executive, Dan Schulman, says, "Small businesses are the engine of the global economy and we are continuing to expand our platform to help them compete and win online, in-store and via mobile."

The deal is considered the company’s biggest takeover — and would underscore the arms race in the world of payments, especially as digital and mobile transactions are increasingly being adopted across the world.

Read more about PayPal agreeing to the $2.2 billion deal for European payments start-up iZettle.

Produce Pioneers: Importing and Distributing Avocados

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Galen Newhouse and Randy Shoup started West Pak Avocado at a time when avocados where almost unheard of.

From selling fruit to local distributors from their small pack-house in California, the pair have grown the company into what it is today - a multinational distributor with five distribution centers delivering fruit from California, Mexico and South America to customers in North America, Asia and the Middle East. 

Newhouse added that they were successful in the end and credits integrity, honesty and reliability with that success. "We won them over because we always delivered and did what we promised. We always did what we said we were going to do so, and overall we overcame the issue."

Learn more about the West Zak Avocado success journey -- from small avocado company to global business.

A New Era of Global Trade

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Christine Lagarde, IMF Managing Director, talks about the future of trade, especially in Portland, Oregon—which she thinks is a fitting venue for her speech on global trade.

Why? Because global trade has a lot in common with the famous bridges across the Willamette River. Some are old, and some are new. Some are in good shape, while others are creaking. Some are non-descript, while others are exceedingly beautiful.

As Christine goes on to say, "Despite their differences, all these bridges are getting the job done—connecting communities and businesses, and encouraging the flow of products, capital, and ideas. This is, in many ways, the story of global trade."

Read more about Christine Lagarde's speech on creating a better global trade system.

The Nordic Museum: A Celebration of Arts, Culture and Innovation

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The new Nordic Museum, costing about $50 million to build, is based in Seattle and celebrates the city’s many immigrants from Scandinavia and nearby countries.  It includes a soaring Fjord Hall with 20-foot-high glass-walled walkways. The walkways are intended to suggest the immigrant experience.

The museum location, the neighborhood of Ballard, is considered the home to a large Nordic population.

Learn more about the Nordic Museum here.

Today in Global Small Business: From a Small Business to a Global Brand

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

• Following one simple plan  -- find out what it is -- grew a tiny Hong Kong shop from a small business into a global brand.
• Three winners of the Google video competition -- in partnership with the International Chamber of Commerce and World Trade Organization.
• Consumers can now buy high-end products from airport duty-free shops, department store counters and e-commerce channels; learn which category is ruling the roost.
• Believe it or not, everyone can compete on the global playing field.
• The day after Mother's Day:  lessons from Mom from entrepreneurial leaders.
• Just land a new customer overseas?  Losing sleep over how to get paid?  Attend the next educational WEGGinar™, Wednesday, June 6 at 11:00 a.m. Central Time, "Grow Globally by Offering Competitive Financing Solutions" and presented by Tamara Maxwell, Director, Minority and Women Owned Business & Multiplier Outreach Division, Office of Small Business, Export-Import Bank of the United States.  Tamara will make sure you don't lose a customer as a result of not knowing how to finance the deal. The WEGGinar™ is free of charge, thanks to the generous support of global sponsors: UPS, IBM and Bank of America – go here to register: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7394069852172520451.

Hello World! Hello Spring!

Spring brings new life into the world around us.

Photos courtesy:  ©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Establish Sales in Other Countries

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Outside the high-tech realm, pundits say automotive suppliers need to broaden their geographic reach by establishing sales and satellite operations in other countries.  You have to think big.

“This is the way of the future. You have to have a global footprint or representation of some type in other countries,” said Azzopardi [Jonathon Azzopardi, president and CEO of Laval Intl., a mould manufacturer in Tecumseh, Ont.].

Read more about the automotive outlook -- local and global.

E-Commerce Supremacy Goes Global

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The world's largest retailer, Walmart, will acquire a 77% holding in Flipkart Group for $16 billion.

The deal — Walmart's biggest ever — gives it greater access to India's e-commerce market, which Morgan Stanley has estimated will grow to $200 billion in about a decade.

For Walmart, this move enables it to tap into India's retail market without building stores.

Learn more about how Walmart just bought its way into India's e-commerce treasure trove.

Smaller Countries Need to Think Internationally From an Early Stage

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A founder in Sweden or Ireland knows from day one that their business needs to be international, if it is ever going to get really big.  Whereas a founder operating in the United States, India or China, for example, can focus 100 percent on their home market and still build a billion dollar business.

Smaller countries need to think international from an early stage.

According to an article published at Venture Beat:

Startups from countries with a population of less than 50 million go international twice as fast as startups from countries with a population of more than 50 million: 1.4 years as opposed to 2.8 years.

Read more about when your startup should expand internationally.

April 26, 1956: Containerization is Born and Globalization Sets Sail

Today in Global Small Business: How Smaller Enterprises Can Take Advantage of International Markets

Photo courtesy:  Apress

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

• Attend the next educational WEGGinar™, Wednesday, May 9 at 11:00 a.m. Central Time: Building Your Global Brand Through Podcasting and presented by Kathrin Bussman, Ph.D., founder and principal, Verbaccino.  Get an earful from Kathrin on how to approach podcasting as a content-marketing effort and how to put one on.  It’s FREE of charge, thanks to the generous support of our sponsors: UPS, IBM and Bank of America – go here to register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3759262530790572546.
• Taking the issue of sexual abuse on campus seriously, Yale has rescinded its Honorary Degree to Bill Cosby.
• Zero to global.
• Easyship:  Start shipping globally in minutes.
• Social impact is gaining currency and adding to the bottom line.
• 10 steps to becoming a global small business (and thanks Small Business Trends for the mention and link to Laurel Delaney's book when you talked about "how smaller enterprises can take advantage of international markets).

Architecture Should Excite you

©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"I don't think that architecture is only about shelter, is only about a very simple enclosure.  It should be able to excite you, to calm you, to make you think." -- Zaha Hadid

Showing the Way Ahead: Cloud Based B2B Startups

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According to Samir Kumar, Managing Director of Inventus Capital Partners, when it comes to building a truly global business, it is perhaps cloud based business-to-business startups that are showing the way ahead.

Companies such as Unbxed, Tricog and Insta Health building robust businesses almost entirely targeting global markets. From a time when fledgeling companies had to spend precious resources on feet-on-the-street salespeople, today the internet has drastically decreased most such expenses. 

"Entrepreneurs need to remember that for a strange company from India to unseat incumbent rivals, they need to show up with something more than just lower pricing," says Kumar.

Read more about what is most challenging for global-minded startups.

U.S. E-commerce Logistics Costs Are Expected to Rise through 2020

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According to a report entitled “E-Commerce Logistics in the United States,” e-commerce logistics costs in the U.S. now accounts for 6.9% of total U.S. logistics costs, which is ahead of 2016’s 5.2% tally.  Making these figures even more significant is that based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, when it first tracked e-commerce sales in 1999, e-commerce represented a mere 0.6% of total retail sales.

The report also indicates that over the last five years, e-commerce logistics costs have a compound annual growth rate of around 15%, with the expectation that it will remain at the level or head further up.

It estimates that U.S. e-commerce logistics costs are expected to increase at an 18.8% rate per year through 2020.

Learn more about U.S. e-commerce logistics costs and what is expected in the future.

Super-Sized Cargo Ship Hauling Luxury Vehicles from Around the World

Mastering the New World of Work

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According to Gianpiero Petriglieri, associate professor of organizational behavior at INSEAD, few of us these days expect our organizations to guarantee a job for life. In that sense, we are all independent workers.

In fact, mobility often defines talent in this world: The people who feel safest are those who know they can leave, and the people organizations are often most desperate to keep are those with ample options elsewhere.

What does this mean?  We must master the new world of work. And to do as such, Petriglieri says you must "fashion a masterful self, able to endure adversity, experience freedom and be of service to others."

Learn more about how to take charge of your career here.

Today in Global Small Business: Subway Focuses on Global

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

• Check out the publishing company that is dedicated to growing the U.S. economy, TradePost USA.
• Subway is closing 500 US locations, expanding internationally.  Why is that?
• Who's slaying the e-commerce game?  The millennials, of course.
• Attend the next educational WEGGinar™, Wednesday, May 9 at 11:00 a.m. Central Time: Building Your Global Brand Through Podcasting and presented by Kathrin Bussman, Ph.D., founder and principal, Verbaccino.  Get an earful from Kathrin on how to approach podcasting as a content-marketing effort and how to put one on.  It’s FREE of charge, thanks to the generous support of our sponsors: UPS, IBM and Bank of America – go here to register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3759262530790572546.
• Wetzel's Pretzels is poised to expand into and across China. 
• Finding the right synergy between going global and staying local. 

Make New Rules

©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"My goal is to be myself, and to challenge stereotypes, and to follow the rules, and break them, and make new rules. It’s not about doing something that’s already been done. That would be silly.” – Sasha Grey

CliffsNotes on Small Business Week 2018

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National Small Business Week is April 29- May 5.  Why is it important to recognize small businesses?

Every year since 1963, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America's entrepreneurs and small business owners. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about 2 out of every 3 new jobs in the U.S. each year.

That's why.  But, wait, there's more ...

Make Products That Are Going To Make a Difference in the World

LED Lighting Solution Company Switch Made Opens New Global Hub Office in Dubai

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A leading manufacturer of LED lighting solutions revealed it is further expanding its operations in the UAE with the opening of a new global hub office in Dubai.  The company is Switch Made.

The unveiling of the global base of Switch Made in the UAE complements the call by French President Emmanuel Macron to enhance the role of French companies in international entrepreneurship, it said.

Switch Made has already been associated with several landmark projects in the UAE.  Learn more about them here.

The Grand Prize Winner is Umbulizer

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The annual MIT IDEAS Global Challenge showcase and awards ceremony recently took place.  The grand prize winner of $15,000 went to Umbulizer, a team developing a low-cost, portable ventilator — made by modifying and simplifying the machinery — for patients in rural areas where medical resources are scarce and unreliable.

“High-end ventilators are not affordable for hospitals in Pakistan. We’ve basically simplified the model” to make them less expensive, team member Moiz Imam, a senior in mechanical engineering, told MIT News.

The Umbulizer team — including Sanchay Gupta, a Harvard Medical School student, and Hamza Khan, a Harvard Business School student — is developing an automated ventilator that keeps only four critical functions, reducing the price to around $2,000.

Learn more about Umbulizer and read the entire article to discover all the inventions with social impact that won awards at the MIT IDEAS Global Challenge.  Congrats to Umbulizer!

Today in Global Small Business: Japan's Retailers Benefit From E-Commerce and Overseas Expansion

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

• Stripe is really improving, especially globally. Check out Stripe Atlas.
• A look back on the OECD's Policy Brief on SMEs with local strength, global reach.
• Grow your business global online with Google.
• How MBA students can get more international business experience.
• Japan's retailers get big boost by e-commerce and overseas expansion.
• Attend the next educational WEGGinar™, Wednesday, May 9 at 11:00 a.m. Central Time: Building Your Global Brand Through Podcasting and presented by Kathrin Bussman, Ph.D., founder and principal, Verbaccino.  Get an earful from Kathrin on how to approach podcasting as a content-marketing effort and how to put one on.  It’s FREE of charge, thanks to the generous support of our sponsors: UPS, IBM and Bank of America – go here to register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3759262530790572546.

Candy Heaven

©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All right reserved.

The Cafe & Bar, located at Dylan's Candy Bar on Chicago's Magnificent Mile and inside the world-famous Tribune Tower. Visit the Cafe & Bar along with two floors of candy heaven.  A complete Midwest must.

The Inspiration Behind Compas Global

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Knowledge@Wharton interviews Yin L. Yin, founding member and the COO of Compas Global, a three-year-old Silicon Valley provider of enterprise software that lets companies view, analyze and plan their global growth strategy on one aggregated dashboard.

The inspiration behind Compas Global was the ability to help technology companies do global expansion in a more structured and efficient way.

Read the interview here.

The Global Development of the French Economy Report

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The report below by Business France sheds light on the twin aspects determining the international development of the French economy, highlighting the gains to be made by businesses through the interplay between foreign investment and international trade.  BF can already see that companies that invest more often in France are also among those that export the most.

This is the role of BF, which is responsible for helping foreign investors prosper in the country, assisting them at every step of the way, and laying the groundwork for future prosperity.

Go here to access the report, which includes a listing of the top 5 American exporters in France (2016).

Export 24/7

©iStock/FotoCuisinette

Despite global economic uncertainty, the spirit of creativity and innovation are still driving the growth of companies globally and that's largely due to perseverance.  Small businesses should take advantage of technological innovations to connect with new customers and look to grow on a global scale. There are so many opportunities out there, waiting to be seized.

Yes, exporting can be intimidating but to help, FedEx compiled a list of tips for successful global expansion.

10 Tips to Get You Ready for International Expansion

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Back in the day when I was selling food products overseas, I [Laurel Delaney] received an order for one million bags of snacks. At the time, I was just getting started exporting food products, and a customer in Japan wanted to import the snacks for sale at a major baseball park.

My reaction? You can probably imagine.  It went from a feeling of euphoria to panic:  how will we ever service the order? 

It was a sign we had to go global or remain local. Let’s use my experience to walk through 10 tips to get you ready — just as I had to — for international expansion.

Read more to find out whether your business is ready for international expansion.

Today in Global Small Business: Factors to Consider When Taking Your Website Global

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

• A 24-year-old online book store is taking Indian sellers to global customers.
• Attend the next educational WEGGinar™, Wednesday, May 9 at 11:00 a.m. Central Time: Building Your Global Brand Through Podcasting and presented by Kathrin Bussman, Ph.D., founder and principal, Verbaccino.  Kathrin will discuss how to approach podcasting as a content-marketing effort and how to put one one.  It’s FREE of charge, thanks to the generous support of our sponsors: UPS, IBM and Bank of America – go here to register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3759262530790572546.
• How to avoid SEO issues when taking your business website global.
• How to find overseas customers.
• Building a global payments infrastructure.

How Electricity Travels Inside Wires

©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"We believe that electricity exists, because the electric company keeps sending us bills for it, but we cannot figure out how it travels inside wires." -- Dave Barry

SMEs Are Increasingly Looking Beyond the EU for the Future Growth Plans

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Brexit is requiring small businesses to fundamentally reassess the way they do business internationally, with small business owners being forced to adjust to a vastly different trading landscape. That means looking beyond the European Union to new international markets to facilitate growth and expansion.

Many are investigating market that have a dedicated Amazon and eBay national site, a useful medium for online retailers seeking to break into new markets. "EU countries are still a major target for SMEs expansion plans, with 50% saying Germany was a priority foreign market, 44% saying France and 24% saying Italy," according to the Financial Director.

However, SMEs are increasingly looking beyond the EU for their future growth plans. 70% said that the US was a key priority for expansion, 41% said Australia and 27% said Canada, clearly indicating that large, developed and English-speaking nations lead the way outside of the EU. Beyond that, 16% said China was an opportunity for expansion, 12% said Japan and 9% said India.

Read more about how SMEs should tackle Brexit.

Artistically Made Maps Show How the World Viewed India Over the Centuries

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As the article published in Quartz says:

Standing in front of these [India] spectacular maps, it becomes all the more clear what we stand to lose as cartography dies out in an era of GPS navigation and apps that do all the work for you. But preserving and protecting these rare maps is a challenge, especially in India where heritage conservation is often an afterthought, and it falls upon private collectors to keep these historic pieces safe.

Discover how a beautiful collection of rare maps shows how the world viewed India over the centuries.

A Quiet Video: Hong Kong

Borders Are A Tumbling Down

©iStock/Thinglass

Remember Carol King's song "I Feel the Earth Move?"  Here are the lyrics:

"I feel the earth move under my feet 
I feel the sky tumbling down 
I feel my heart start to trembling 
Whenever you're around … "

Well try some new lyrics:

I feel the earth move under my feet 
I feel the borders tumbling down 
I feel my heart start to trembling 
Whenever I conduct global business … 

In all seriousness, the modern business picture is very different from the old established ways — and your business can take advantage of the potential that going global right from the start can bring to your business.

Let's have a look at why modern businesses should go global.

Today in Global Small Business: How SMEs Are Unlocking Global Growth

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

• How SMEs are unlocking global growth -- brought to you by American Express and Oxford Economics.
• Familiarize yourself with e-commerce company noon.
• The world's biggest arms importers since 1950 (infographic).
• Learn why international payments capabilities is an underrated component of expansion.
• Trade tensions threaten global trade outlook according to OECD.
• Pay a visit to Women Entrepreneurs GROW Global (WEGG), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization where women are learning how to expand their business internationally.  Attend the next WEGGinar™, Wednesday, May 9 at 11:00 a.m. Central Time: Building Your Global Brand Through Podcasting and presented by Kathrin Bussman, Ph.D., founder and principal, Verbaccino.  Kathrin will give us an earful on how to approach podcasting as a content-marketing effort and how to put one one.  It’s FREE of charge, thanks to the generous support of our sponsors: UPS, IBM and Bank of America – go here to register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3759262530790572546.

Let the Path be Beautiful

©2018 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"If the path be beautiful, let us not ask where it leads." -- Anatole France

How Can Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs Implement Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

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Matt D'Angelo, covering technology for Business.com, interviews John Sculley, former CEO of Apple and former President of Pepsi. Sculley helped build these gigantic brands and he now believes that artificial intelligence is going to change the face of small business and marketing.

One of the questions D'Angelo asks of Sculley during the interview is:

Q: How can small businesses and entrepreneurs implement artificial intelligence today?

A: Many marketing services are now embedding machine learning technology into their solutions. Many consumer companies are making the transition to personalized marketing. AI will be foundational for consumer products and services that want to target a specific consumer based on detailed personal data and match it with predictions of what might appeal to them. Oil and electricity fueled the 20th century world. Now smart data is the fuel for the 21st century world. 

Learn more from Sculley on what impact AI will have on small business marketing and discover his new enterprise, Zeta Global.

How to Experience a Master's Degree Program Different From Your Own in Another Country

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A good global education offers students exposure to complex issues facing business and society in different regions of the world.  It also offers a great travel and networking experience.

“I think [the Global Network Weeks] went really well,” de Paz [Managing Director of Global Initiatives] said. “Each school offers a module in which they have expertise, and students benefit from that knowledge that is not available at their home schools. It is always insightful [for students] to learn about master’s degree experiences different from their own in other countries and with different programs.

Learn more about how global education offers international exposure.

Ditching Cash on International Trade Transactions

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Browns of Brockley, southeast London, is among a growing number of small businesses in the U.K. that are ditching cash.

A recent report by ForexBonuses, a global trading website, found the U.K. is the third most cashless country in the world, after Canada and Sweden. Debit cards are forecast to overtake cash payments for the first time ever across the country this year, according to trade association U.K. Finance.

Read more about how a small firm started ditching cash and it's been great for business.

Just say no, that's focus

Today in Global Small Business: The International Trade Tariff Battle

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

• Join us for a WEGGinar™, How a Wicked Road Trip to Minturn, Colorado Inspired a Thriving Global Design Business, held on Wednesday, April 4 at 11:00 a.m. Central time and presented by Julia Knight, founder of Julia Knight Collection.  Julia is the winner of the President's "E" Award for Exports, which was created by the Executive Order of the President of the United States. The WEGGinar™ is free of charge thanks to the generous support from IBM, UPS and Bank of America but you must sign up to attend: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8918865979114339587.
• Chicago-area businesses are on the opposite side of the tariff battle.
• When it comes to the total number of students who are studying for full degrees at IDC Herzliya at the international school, it makes the IDC Herzliya the most international university in the country.
• Ever hear of IDC Herzliya?  I hadn't until now.
• Ever hear of Hult?  Now you have.
• And then there is Thunderbird where you can stand out in a world of possibilities.