What Is a Scale Up Business?

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The scaling up of SMEs is key to boost productivity and achieve inclusive growth.  The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)-Eurostat Manual on Business Demography Statistics (2007) defines high-growth enterprises as “enterprises with an average annualized growth greater than 20% a year, over a 3-year period, and with 10 or more employees at the beginning of the observation period."

But what is a scale up business?

Learn more by reading a paper on Enabling SMEs to Scale Up.  This paper was prepared as a background document to the OECD Ministerial Conference on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, taking place on 22-23 February 2018 in Mexico.

Key finding:  Start-ups that scale up provide a key contribution to job creation and key drivers of competitiveness.

The Dynamics of Global Value Chains

©iStock/Tryaging

As McKinsey's Global Institute indicates, globalization is in the midst of a transformation.  In its recent 132-page report, "Globalization in Transition:  The future of trade and value chains," the authors say:

Yet the public debate about trade is often about recapturing the past rather than looking toward the future. The mix of countries, companies, and workers that stand to gain in the next era is changing. Understanding how the landscape is shifting will help policy makers and business leaders prepare for globalization’s next chapter and the opportunities and challenges it will present.

Read on to learn more.

Note a key finding in the report:  Larger companies may need to help their small and medium-size suppliers upgrade and add digital capabilities to realize the full value.

Create an Open Space

©iStock/Selim Dönmez

Ingenuity founder and CEO Amy Wilkinson explains that there are many ways that opportunities can be recognized and she feels Elon Musk represents a great example.  Wilkinson is also a lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business, and author of The Creator’s Code: The Six Essential Skills of Extraordinary Entrepreneurs. 

“Just like an architect who wants to build a building from the ground up, you're looking for an open space, a green field. An open space is often a problem, meaning problems are really great opportunities because people aren't tackling them. There's not a lot of competition, often, around solving problems.”

The idea, she goes on to say, is to look for a problem and reason by first principles.

Learn more about open space thinking and entrepreneurship (includes video).

Global Superstars Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper Perform "Shallow" at the 2019 Oscars

When you have one chance to create a great song, you better get it right.  In this video, two stars are born.

Today in Global Small Business: Access the World

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

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

Really Good Deep Dish Pizza

Oh the fun places we go ... Giordano's in Rosemont, Illinois. Known for really good deep dish pizza – since 1974.

Photos courtesy:  @2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Align Your Goals With a Potential Partner Before Going Global

phototechno

Rhonda Klosler, National chief operating officer at RSM Canada; office managing partner, Toronto, talks about what it takes to incorporate a good new partner that can take you global while still maintaining your identity.

Becoming part of a global firm offers many benefits: access to different talent pools, more opportunities for new business, extra resources and capabilities and, of course, international breadth to clients.

In her case, the Toronto office where she was a managing partner became a part of RSM, a global network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms.

To set up for success, they had to capitalize on their new-found advantages without losing the key differentiators that made their businesses so successful.  Here are three:

1. Educate employees about "why"
2. Maintain what makes you special
3. Seek out relationships across the business

Read the entire article about taking your business global and making sure to tell your employees why.

Million-Dollar Growth Tips from Millennial Entrepreneurs Who Hit it Big Fast

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Business and marketing coach Lena Elkins talks about how she coaches millennial entrepreneurs who feel defeated, burnt out and frustrated with their work largely because it’s harder than ever to stand out and scale an online business with confidence.

She asks four seven-figure millennial entrepreneurs to share their best insights on how they continue to grow and reach new milestones in their businesses against all odds.  Here's what came out of her discussions.

1. Invest in the right team members.
2. Stop overcomplicating your success.
3. Always evaluate the quality of your product.
4. Leverage the power of your local community.

As she suggests, use this advice to gain clarity, inspire action and think outside of the box to manifest massive change.

Read the entire article:  4 Million-Dollar Growth Secrets From Millennial Entrepreneurs Who Hit 7 Figures Fast

FedEx Seventh Annual Small Business Grant Contest

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The FedEx Seventh Annual Small Business Grant Contest offers grants and services to ten U.S.- based small businesses, distributing a collective prize pool of $220,500—the largest sum since the contest was established in 2012.

Here's what is in store for the prize winners:

• Grand prize: One (1) winner of $50,000, plus $7,500 in FedEx Office ®  print and business services
• Silver prize: One (1) winner of $30,000, plus $5,000 in FedEx Office print and business services
• Bronze prize: Eight (8) winners of $15,000, plus $1,000 in FedEx Office print and business services

The contest entry period is open from February 19 to March 25, 2019, with voting to take place from February 27 to April 1, 2019. Following a judging period, winners will be announced on April 29, 2019 at www.fedex.com/grantcontest.  Get going and apply here.

Thanks to AI, Smaller Companies Are Rapidly Going Global

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Thanks to advanced technology, smaller companies are rapidly going global, deploying a variety of technology-enabled solutions such as automated call centers, customer service bots, and digital marketing intelligence.

As small companies scale their operations, they can lose touch with their customers.

... the root of the problem: a lack of clear understanding of customer needs, what to do to satisfy them, and failure to effectively enhance the customer experience (CX for short).

With the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), companies can now improve CX by learning more about the customer and anticipating their needs.

Read more how, thanks to AI, smaller companies are rapidly going global.

Today in Global Small Business Business: "When" Shows the Importance of Timing in Life

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

• Why learning and growth must always be at the forefront for students, executives and entrepreneurs.
• Is there a risk for a recession?  Indicators to watch.
• Quote of the week:  “The view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life.” ― Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft
• How to compete in a winner-takes-all digital global economy.
• Have some fun:  Why I always eat McDonald's when I travel abroad.
• Listen to Dan Pink's NPR interview "when" shows the importance of timing in various aspects of life.  

Breathtakingly Beautiful Views of the Chicago Skyline

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

360 CHICAGO observation deck, located 1000 feet above the famed Magnificent Mile in the iconic John Hancock Building, offers breathtaking 360 degrees views of the city skyline and Lake Michigan.  Plan your visit.

Questions to Ask Before You Global

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Oh it is so nice to see our friend and colleague Dr. Jana Matthews, ANZ Chair in Business Growth, Professor, and Director of the Australian Centre for Business Growth at the University of South Australia’s Business School talking about questions you need to ask before you go global.

She says:

While there are many benefits to taking a company global, there are also many pitfalls. Answering these questions should help identify whether you have the people, processes and systems in place to successfully “go global."

Read the entire article to learn whether your product will be relevant in a different market, what pitfalls you are likely to experience, how much cash you will need to ensure success.

And for more on going global, visit the best of the best here.

Embrace a Digital Strategy to Thrive Locally

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As much as this blog is about thriving globally, Chris Porteous has a different take on marketing for a small business. He says, "The first key to success when it comes to local business marketing is finding or creating your local niche and then exploiting it for all it's worth. Countless corporate empires have been spawned by clever CEOs who had an idea which succeeded locally, then regionally, then nationally, before spreading all over the globe."

Read more about how to transform your business with local marketing.

College of DuPage: Become a Digital Rock Star on 2/19/19

©2019 College of DuPage.  All rights reserved.
Used with permission.

If you are in the neighborhood, please join us at the College of DuPage for an engaging, educational and fun time learning from Laurel Delaney on how to become a digital rock star on Tuesday, February 19 at 1:00 p.m. Central time.  For more information, contact Bev Carlson.

Where to Turn for Global Trade Help

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I [Laurel Delaney] have prepared a list of 15 places to look for help in taking a business global.  Check it out here.

Today in Global Small Business: Embrace Free Trade

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

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

• To beat Trump, former chairman and president of Exim Bank USA Fred Hoch says "embrace free trade."
• Are the United States and China heading for a new Cold War?
• Quote of the week:  “Differentiate yourself! Why are you different? What's important about you? Why does the customer need you?” – Sara Blakely, founder and CEO of Spanx
• Brits are already feeling the impact of Brexit -- and it hasn't even happened yet.
• Global horse racing calendar for 2019.
• Uruguay's attempts to enter the global cannabis market fall flat as marijuana shortages abound.

Get Back to the Polish Style

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Chicago-based White Eagle offers Eastern European and American comfort foods in an old-school carpeted space with booths, tables and a nice little bar.  The delicious Polish food, especially the desserts, is worth a visit.

Are Global Trade Deals Really About Trade?

Smaller Can Be Better When it Comes to Business and Personal Happiness

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The allure of building a BIG business can seduce even the most grounded person.

In spite of this, Paul Jarvis [a designer and writer who deliberately kept his business small over the span of two decades because of the personal freedom it gives him] wants to change the narrative with his new book, Company of One. He challenges the belief that bigger is better and offers a smarter, smaller solution that replaces the hustle with happiness — while still being highly profitable as a business.

Jarvis goes on to provide five pointers:

1. Embrace the “company of one” mindset.
2. Value what’s important to you.
3. Choose how you prefer to engage with your audience.
4. Teach everything you know.
5. Know the difference between more and enough.

Read more about how one entrepreneur built a big career by staying small .

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

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

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

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

There is Money in Global Podcasting

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Podcasting may be a relatively small industry in the U.S, but if anyone had to guess, Spotify has bigger ambitions than that.

Spotify is in advanced talks to acquire Gimlet Media, the Brooklyn-based narrative podcast company, for more than $200 million in cash, according to Recode.

The U.S. podcasting industry brought in $314 million in ad revenue in 2017. Yet the global picture is much different.

Read more: no, podcasting is not a small business.

Oh, and check out the ultimate guide to the best business podcasts here.  They forgot one:  The Worldly Marketer.

Today in Global Small Business: Taking a Personal Care Company Global (weggchat™)

©2019 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global™.  All rights reserved.

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

• Join Jacqueline Smith, CEO, Kiesque on her weggchat™where she will discuss how to take a personal care product global.  It's free and all you need is a Twitter account.  Go here to find out why you should join the chat and how to do it.
• Quote of the week:  “One of the only ways to get out of a tight box is to invent your way out.” – Jeff Bezos, founder, chairman, CEO and president of Amazon
• Lessons from McDonald's global trademark battles.
• Learn about Populous, a P2P (peer-to-peer) invoice discounting platform. It is a global invoice trading platform built on Blockchain’s distributed ledger technology.
• Colorado cannabis companies eye the global marketplace.
• Familiarize yourself with Bitcoin Magazine.

Tell the World About Your Product

©2019 Laurel J, Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"We have spent more than $20,000,000 to tell the world about our product. I believe in advertising all the time. There is no such thing as getting a business so established that it does not need to advertise. Babies who never heard about you are being born every day, and people who once knew you forget you if you don’t keep them reminded constantly. Dull times are the very times when you need advertising most." – William Wrigley Jr.

5 Simple Tips for Startups on Entering New International Markets

SMBs Are Punching Above Their Weight Amid Global Competition

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Despite the challenges competing against global rivals, more than 80 percent of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) reported maintaining or growing revenue in 2018.  This is according to the inaugural State of Small Business Global Report by TradeGecko, a cloud-based commerce platform for growing companies, in collaboration with Golfdale Consulting.

SMBs are the lifeblood of the global economy, making up over 95 percent of all firms and 60-70 percent of total employment. The report polled 573 product-centered commerce businesses from 24 countries around the world, including 383 from the United States, to lift the lid on the challenges and opportunities for small and medium-sized commerce businesses.

The survey shows that "small and medium businesses are punching above their weight when it comes to competing in the global market against large firms with big teams and big budgets."

To access the report and its findings, visit here.  For more information about the article, visit here.

Baby It's Cold Outside, At Least in Chicago

©2019 Laurel Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Chicago is colder than parts of the Antarctica today. Temperatures are expected to stay below -13°F all through Wednesday, January 30, making the Windy City colder than the South Pole in Antarctica, which will see highs of -4°F the same day.

Wind chill will make the historic temperatures even more extreme.  Gusts could potentially make it feel as cold -50°F outside.

So what do you do when it's this cold outside?  Make an ice-light – a Finnish tradition.

I Wasn't Trying to Build a Global Company

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In a recent opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, "I wasn't trying to build a global company."

Instead, he just realized you could find almost anything on the internet—music, books, information—except the thing that matters most: people.

And that was the beginning of Facebook (2004), which currently has more than 2.7 billion monthly users worldwide (Q3 2018, most recent report available).

Learn more about Mark Zuckerberg's business model and read the opinion piece here.

Today in Global Small Business: Exporting Is One of the Best Ways to Grow a Small Business

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

• Exporting is one of the best ways to grow a small business.  With the current state of United States trade though, it makes it mighty difficult.  Here's what to keep your eye on.  
• Join Jacqueline Smith, CEO, Kiesque on her weggchat™where she will discuss how to startup and take a personal care product global.  It's free and all you need is a Twitter account.  Go here to find out why you should join the chat and how to do it.
• Quote of the week:  "A founder is not a job, it's a role, an attitude.” — Jack Dorsey, Twitter co-founder and CEO of Twitter and founder and CEO of Square.
• Mizuno golf balls are going global with the USA its first new market entry.
• New year, new rules for governing e-commerce.
• Global shipping rates slump in the latest sign of an economic slowdown.

Freedom, Pride and History: The American Flag

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"The American flag is the symbol of our freedom, national pride and history." – Mike Fitzpatrick

Understanding Cultural Differences in Global Business and Appreciating Why Relationships Matter

Is News Objective Anymore?

©iStock/marchmeena29 

The majority of people in a global survey say there's no 'objective' news anymore.

The survey draws on answers from 20,301 people around the world. Individuals from 36 countries in four regions — the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East and Africa — were surveyed: 11,238 were “informed elites” (college-educated people who consider themselves middle class) and 5,963 were “business decision-makers” (senior leaders in an organization or small business owners). The rest were defined as adults over 18 years of age.

Read more about the survey and how a patent attorney released a chart on the most trusted news sources showing just how biased they were.

President and CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council Says USMCA is a Win for SMEs

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Karen Kerrigan, president and CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, says "The USMCA would greatly benefit American small businesses and encourage new business creation in America. Congress should waste no time in approving the deal."

She goes on further to say:

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) was signed by President Trump and his fellow leaders at the G20 in Argentina. The accord modernizes the decades-old NAFTA and is chock full of meaningful provisions that will help American small businesses boost exports and safeguard their intellectual property (IP).

To learn the good, the good and the good on USMCA according to Kerrigan, visit, "why America's small businesses and entrepreneurs win under USMCA."

On a side note:  If you missed Laurel Delaney's "Global Trade Trends Report 2019," (wegginar®) you can catch it here for free and she touches on the good, the bad and the ugly on the USMCA.

A Single Genius Cannot Power An Entire Company

©iStock/carmengabriela 

The myth of the omniscient leader has been debunked and for success in this competitive world, entrepreneurial talent needs to hum through the organization.

Once thought to be the sole domain of start-ups or small companies, entrepreneurial talent is a vital engine for larger organisations. One definition is “the ability to discover, select, process, interpret and use the data necessary to take decisions in an uncertain world and, then, to exploit market opportunities."

There are a top 10 countries that have all invested in creating and encouraging entrepreneurial talent. These nations are open economies with a strong emphasis on education. Innovation and talent impact are the areas where they perform particularly well.

Read more to find out which countries are the world's most entrepreneurial, innovative, competitive and talented in 2019.

Today in Global Small Business: My Dream Is

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

• Think you are too small to be hacked?  Think again, at least if you are a Hong Kong SME.
• Listen to Laurel Delaney's Global Trade Trends Report 2019 and find out what will be booming and what will not.  It's free -- 2-second sign-in.
• How a diverse workforce can help company performance.
• Quote of the week:  "Success is fine, but success is fleeting.  Significance is lasting.” — Beth Brooke, Global Vice Chair of Public Policy, EY
• Global e-commerce sales grow 18% in 2018 -- should be near $6 trillion by 2022.
• Join Jacqueline Smith, CEO, Kiesque on her weggchat™where she will discuss how to startup and take a personal care product global.  It's free and all you need is a Twitter account.  Go here to find out why you should join the chat and how to do it.
• Honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. on this day. My dream is ...

Read Something Sensational on a Train

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train." --Oscar Wilde

New Lifeline to Women Entrepreneurs

©iStock/Deagreez

A global initiative to support women entrepreneurs with financial management resources and mentorship opportunities, called She's Next, has been launched by Visa.  This initiative is in addition to an already existing and independent nonprofit called wegg®, which helps women entrepreneurs and business owners go global.

The purpose of the She’s Next, Empowered by Visa is to encourage women small-business owners as they build, sustain and advance their businesses, the company said. 

She's Next will be supported by the Female Founder Collective, a network of women-led businesses founded in 2018 by fashion designer and entrepreneur Rebecca Minkoff, co-founder and creative director of the Rebecca Minkoff company.

Learn more about how Visa and Rebecca Minkoff have partnered to support women entrepreneurs.

Global Superstar Lady Gaga Answers 73 Questions

The Current State of Entrepreneurship

©iStock/kirisa99

In early 2018, Global Strategy Group and Public Opinion Strategies conducted a national online survey of 2,165 business owners.  This sample included:

• 764 first year startups
• 1133 startups that were fewer than five years old
• 1032 businesses that were more than five years old

Discover the key findings in the report, Breaking Barriers:  The Voice of Entrepreneurs with the ©2018 Ewing Kauffman Foundation.

A Lifestyle Shoe Company Expands Its Footprint

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Today's Global Small Business Blog test for readers comprises 3 questions:

1. Which USA company began in a small condo in Manhattan Beach on 26th Street and The Strand in 1992?
2. How many square feet was their first office?
3. Where are they today in the grand scheme of things?

Answers:

1. Skechers -- cornering the world as they design design, develop and market a diverse range of lifestyle footwear for men, women and children, as well as performance footwear for men and women.
2. 1,800 square feet of space in Manhattan Beach.
3. Skechers has expanded into a global brand with annual sales of more than $4 billion.

Read more about how Sketchers is celebrating its groundbreaking of company expansion.

Today in Global Small Business: Who Will Lead The World Bank Next?

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

• India's leading export:  CEOs ... how they are leading the global tech revolution.
• World Bank's Kim to take new job.  Who will lead the World Bank next?
• Quote of the week:  "All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” — Walt Disney
• Going global:  what clients need to know (podcast).
• Mobile transactions, particularly with smartphones, continue to grow globally.
• Join a weggchat® 2/6 hosted by @weggtoday with Jacqueline Smith, CEO, Kiesque where she will discuss how to startup and take a personal care product global.  It's free and all you need is a Twitter account.  Go here to find out why you should join the chat and how to do it.

Make Life a Daring Adventure

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." -- Helen Keller

Jeff Bezos on Global Business Strategy: Big Things Start Small

Dubai Exports Promotes Trade

©iStock/Britus 

The export promotion agency, Dubai Exports, of the Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai, recently participated in a series of events in Egypt, Ivory Coast and Nigeria as part of its efforts to promote UAE products and services across promising international markets and connect local trade to the best gateways in the African continent.

Ahmed Al Omari, Director Exports Market Development at Dubai Exports, says:

“Dubai Exports is actively pursuing opportunities in Africa and enabling more exporters to reach out to markets within the continent."

He goes on to say:

"Year after year, we see the export capabilities and international presence of our UAE companies steadily increasing and the missions and events we organize contribute to their business development."

Read more about how Dubai Exports promotes trade with Africa through a mission to Egypt, Ivory Coast and Nigeria.

USA Small Business Outlook According to NFIB

©iStock/SasinParaksa

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) released, "NFIB Small Business Economic Trends" by William C. Dunkelberg and Holly Wade.

The report itself seems to come across as pretty much optimistic from the view of the SME market lens and their outlook.  However, as the author writes:

And no matter how the NFIB spins Tuesday’s [1/8/19] report, reading from U.S. corporates like Apple (AAPL), South Korean giant Samsung, the U.S. manufacturing sector, the Chinese manufacturing sector, the German industrial sector, and the U.S. services sector all point to a global economy that is, at a minimum, in a lower gear.

Factor this in:

This marked the fourth-straight month of declines for the index and is the largest four-month slide since 2012, according to Bespoke Investment Group.

Read more about how small businesses might be starting to lose faith in the current USA administration.

Makeup Standards From Around the World With Inner Beauty Counting the Most

Today in Global Small Business: Laurel Delaney's Global Trade Trends Report 2019

©2019 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global.  All rights reserved.  Used with permission.

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

• Listen in on Laurel Delaney's annual wegginar® regarding Global Trade Trends Report 2019.  FREE. Register here.
• Quick take on Trump's trade war.
• Battling over copycat brands and trademarks in the e-commerce world.
• Quote of the week:  "I made no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me.” — Anaïs Nin
• A tariffically bad idea -- a look back on the global trade war that won't go away.
• Revisiting globalization.

Dig Deep and Empower Yourself

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

“Dig deep and empower yourself today.  Stand in your inner strength.  Be uniquely you.” ― Amy Leigh Mercree

Globotics: You Heard It Here First

©iStock/Ryzhi

According to economist Richard Baldwin, "Globalization and AI are primed to disrupt tomorrow’s workplace."  Baldwin's thesis is:

... that globalization and AI robots constitute a “globotics” tidal wave that will shake the foundation of middle-class prosperity in wealthy nations. This, he [Baldwin] argues, will lead to social upheaval, just as 19th-century steam engines and mechanical looms created workplace disruptions that brought workers to the streets in sometimes violent protest.

Learn more about Baldwin's new book, The Globotics Upheaval, published by Oxford University Press, which provides a compelling analysis how a new form of globalization will combine with software robots to disrupt service-sector and professional jobs in the same way automation and trade disrupted manufacturing jobs in the past.

Curb Your Bad Business Habits in 2019

©iStock/Khosrork

Are you a smart, ambitious, competitive and confident entrepreneur?  Throw in that you have a global mindset too.  Great, you are off to a fantastic start in the new year.  Oops, not so fast.

In fact, those beneficial characteristics can lead to an entrepreneur's downfall. Excessive confidence and unchecked ambition make up a recipe for self-destruction.

According to a ScienceDirect publication, people's deepest impulses become disinhibited when they achieve power.

Follow these three tips to keep bad habits from destroying your business.

A Little History on the Global Small Business Blog

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Since it is the beginning of a new year, we thought you'd like to learn a little history about the Global Small Business Blog.

The blog was started by Laurel Delaney July 20, 2004 as a vehicle to share global trade information and promote her company's capabilities:  helping entrepreneurs and small business owners go global.  That first year, when no one knew what a blog was, how to use one or how to get started, she posted 54 times.  Here's the first post.  The left side bar shows the number of blog posts each year from 2004-2019.

Since its founding, the Global Small Business Blog has had more than 2,252,775 page views, 3,800 posts and a readership range of between 25,000-75,000 readers on any given month.

The blog is now No. 1 in the world for entrepreneurs and small business owners who are interested in going global.

We've had individuals and companies who have offered to purchase our blog but we are not ready yet -- for there is a time, a place and a right price for everything.

Meanwhile, we continue to provide you, dear reader, with everything you need to take your business global.  At the same time, we look carefully at offers from companies who wish to create a sponsored post on our blog (e.g., here) -- all with the goal of serving you exceptionally.

That's our story or hi[story].  The best is yet to come.

We wish you a fabulous 2019 and thank you ever so much for your engagement and readership to the Global Small Business Blog. Happy New Year!

Happy 2019 from the Global Small Business Blog

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

From your friends at the Global Small Business Blog, Happy New Year!  Make 2019 joyful, global, productive and filled with good health and prosperity.