Protect Your Business As You Expand Internationally

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Expanding your business overseas is an arduous process and involves careful consideration, planning, research, and execution. There are many factors to consider when looking at entering a new market because with the great opportunity for growth comes significant risks as well.

If you have been looking at other potential markets or are even considering taking the plunge into the international market here are some key tips to consider before and throughout the transition into a new market.

Today in Global Small Business: Laurel Delaney Will Cover Exporting Successfully in the Digital Age in NY on 7/18/19

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

• Please join me [Laurel Delaney] when I keynote for Nexco in NY on Thursday, July 18 at 3:00 p.m. ET on "Grow Your Business Globally:  Exporting Successfully in the Digital Age."  I am super-excited about sharing practical advice for small- to mid-size businesses on how to start and scale up export sales with today’s digital tools: where to start, what you must do, what sets apart the most successful strategies, and the 6 mistakes to avoid.  For more information and to register, please see: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/grow-your-business-globally-exporting-successfully-in-the-digital-age-tickets-61759860405.  See you there!
• Quote of the week: “Nothing could be worse than the fear that one had given up too soon, and left one unexpended effort that might have saved the world." —Jane Addams, founder of Hull House
• Google launches new portal for small business, which gives everyone a place to start with Google products.
• Avoid these mistakes when you expand your business.
• A look at entrepreneurship -- The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2017.
• Honoring exceptional managers and providers of "humanitarian logistics."

The Untamed Beauty of Wildflowers

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Almost every person, from childhood, has been touched by the untamed beauty of wildflowers." – Lady Bird Johnson

USA Democratic Debates 2019

阿里巴巴正在通過英語門戶實現其全球抱負

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Alibaba is fulfilling its global ambitions with an English-language portal (阿里巴巴正在通過英語門戶實現其全球抱負) on Tmall, one of the single largest online retailers in China’s $1 trillion e-commerce arena.

The e-commerce giant began offering an English-language portal on Tmall for the first tim to entice more merchants from around the world to sell to Chinese consumers. 

Alibaba is seeking new growth engines to offset a cooling economy at home as the trade war rages on, while fending off increasingly aggressive competitors locally and globally.

Read more about how Alibaba aims to double global brands with its new English site.

Common Projects, Cool

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The perfect handbag.  The sharp black leather jacket.  The exquisite tie.  And then there is the sneaker.  Not just any sneaker but simply the best sneaker that can be worn with a dress, with jeans, with sweats or on the way to a global adventure.

Common Projects does some cool things.

Is Your Business Ready for the World Stage?

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Rhett Power says "success in the U.S. does not ensure success in other countries, and a translated website alone does not a global business make. To succeed abroad, American companies must account for differences in local cultures."

Research from CultureWizard found that 24% of respondents spend at least 76% of their time on global work. High-performing global businesses consistently ranked higher for indicators of cultural awareness and intercultural competencies, suggesting that companies with a global mindset do better than their geographically narrowed peers.

Power goes on to caution:  "Before you set up shop in new territory, make a few preparations."

Here they are -- a four-step process to prepare your company for global expansion.

Today in Global Small Business: A Quarter of Indigenous Businesses Export

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

• Xero makes powerful partnership for the future.
• Quote of the week: “Risk is essential. There is not growth of inspiration in staying within what is safe and comfortable. Once you find out what you do best, why not try something else?" —Alex Noble
• Startups are going global earlier in their growth than ever before.  Here's why.
• The Global Green Economy – how businesses are marketing green innovation. 
• A new report says that a quarter of Indigenous businesses export.
• Enabling expansion through e-commerce.

Chicago: City of Big Shoulders

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

“Hog butcher for the world, tool maker, stacker of wheat, player with railroads and the nation’s freight handler; stormy, husky, brawling, city of big shoulders.” – Carl Sandburg

What To Do When Your Business Grows Beyond One Market or Country

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Shopify announced that it is enhancing its Shopify Plus platform to include global capabilities aimed at enterprises.

The enhanced SP suite will include new global capabilities surrounding currency support and a low-cost e-commerce fulfillment network -- all available later this year.

Here's the coolest part:  Shopify Plus is designed to meet the needs of larger businesses when they grow beyond just one market or country.

Discover more on how SP will enable all merchants to sell in multiple currencies and get paid in their local currency, too.

Eighty Percent of Women-Owned Businesses with Credit Needs Worldwide are Either Unserved or Underserved

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When a woman wants to start or grow her own business, the odds of securing a business loan are heavily stacked against her.

As we [World Economic Forum] search for a solution to the inequality between men and women in accessing finance around the world, the answer could be simple: stop asking for collateral.

Let me repeat:  stop asking for collateral.

Calling on all banks to rise to this challenge, rethink their approach and create equal access and opportunities for women around the globe.

Read more about how to improve women's access to finance worldwide and unleash huge economic potential.

Compete More Effectively and Succeed in the Global Marketplace

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

What is your commitment to customers? Does everybody in the company understand this commitment inside and out? Do you provide exemplary service? Friendly service? Accessible service? The service goal of online retailer Zappos is “Delivering happiness.” Define yours and carry through on it every step of the way.

Ours is:

"Everything we do is to help our customers compete more effectively and win in their marketplace.”

The customer service mentality should permeate your entire organization.  Here's how to go about it.

The Strategy of Expanding Across Borders With a Nice Little Disney Ad First (Video)

Today in Global Small Business: Let's Build a Global Currency for the Internet!

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

• Now is our chance to build a global currency for the Internet.  That's according to Jack Dorsey.
• Quote of the week: “It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do.  We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do." – Steve Jobs
• How new legislation in Latin America benefits U.S. entrepreneurs.
• Barriers female business owners encounter when trying to grow their sales beyond Canada’s borders - a new study is being worked on.
• It's time for global businesses to accept local responsibility.
• Is America losing its small businesses?

Chicago Impresses

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"I'm impressed with the people from Chicago.  Hollywood is hype.  New York is talk.  Chicago is work." – Michael Douglas

The $50 Billion International Company That Know One Knows About

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Ingram Micro, an international company with roughly $50 billion in annual revenue, works primarily in the hardware distribution business. It buys devices from OEMs and provides them to its “value-added reseller” clients, who sell them to the end users.

Technology distributor Ingram Micro has established itself in asset disposition in recent years. Now, it is rolling out a program to grow by leveraging its subcontractor companies.

Learn more about how Ingram Micro's partnership model helps the firm expand ITAD (IT asset disposition) globally.

How to Balance Times Zones and Leverage Your Digital Savviness to Communicate More Effectively No Matter Your Location

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Tackling the challenges of working overseas is no cakewalk.  Digital news editor for the Wall Street Journal, Josée Rose says:

While the positives outweigh the negatives, living overseas when working for a U.S.-based company comes with obstacles, especially when working for a 24/7 organization in a nonstop news cycle.

After two years as a digital news editor at WSJ in London, Josée shares her tips for balancing time zones, advocating for yourself when you’re not in the room where it happens, and leveraging your digital savviness to communicate more effectively (no matter your location).

How to Understand the Economic World Around You (Podcast)

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Marketplace is a podcast hosted by Kai Ryssdal, which is about providing context on the economic news of the day.  Through stories, conversations and newsworthy numbers, Marketplace helps listeners understand the economic world around them.

According to Wikipedia, Marketplace is the third-most-listened-to radio program in the US by weekly listeners (14.8 M).

Tune in.

Eight Elements of an Effective Export Compliance Program (Video)

Today in Global Small Business: Discover the Design of Japanese Toilets

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

• Global regulators say tougher bank rules do not curb small business lending.
• Quote of the week: “Let us find out what is desperately needed, although people may not know it, let us find out what will beautify the world, although people may not know it, then let's learn and learn and teach ourselves and support each other in doing that until we lose ourselves in those tasks." – 20th century inventor Edwin Land
• On Instagram @toilets_a_go_go, Hidefumi Nakamura documents the astounding breadth of public-toilet design in Japan.  International travel exposes you to different cultures yet even doing your routine daily activities can broaden your horizons :-).
• Global finance leaders meeting in Japan recently said they were increasingly worried that the trade dispute between the United States and China, which shows no signs of abating, could propel the world economy into a crisis.
• The retailer Ulta Beauty will be going international in order to "establish Ulta Beauty as a successful global brand," CEO Mary Dillon said in a statement. The first step of that process is launching operations in Canada, according to Dillon.
• President Donald Trump dangled the prospect of renewing his tariff threat against Mexico if the U.S. ally doesn't cooperate on border issues, while some of his Democratic challengers for the White House said the last-minute deal to avert trade penalties was overblown.

Radio Gives Birth to Chicago

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"TV gives everyone an image, but [WBBM Chicago] radio gives birth to a million images in a million brains."

Market Power Drives Harder Bargains. Can SMEs Compete Globally?

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Is there a widening difference between the profitability of small businesses and large?  Some say there is and blame globalization. Milton Ezrati, contributor for Forbes thinks otherwise:  "The winner-take-all character of global trade seems to get the blame for just about anything unfair or inequitable these days. But it would be a mistake to reach for this easy answer."  He goes on to say ...

Rather than drag out the perennial whipping boy of globalization, a better explanation might well lie with questions of market power. All may have access to the same suppliers, but larger firms, such as Walmart and Amazon, can drive harder bargains on price and delivery terms than smaller or mid-sized firms.

Is America losing its small businesses?  Read more.

Evolve Your Business to What Is Relevant in the Global Marketplace

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Small business aren’t easy to launch or maintain, and they take commitment and positive thinking to stay successful. Here are some surprising warning signs your small business could be headed for disaster, along with solutions for how you can ward off trouble.

And as Shanna Goodman for Thrive Global says, "A successful small business always need to evolve with what’s relevant in the [global] marketplace."

Discover the 9 signs your business is headed for disaster and what you can do to turn things around.

Here’s What 11 Successful Entrepreneurs Do Every Day

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Success is a habit—and like all good habits, you have to work hard to achieve and maintain it.  We [Rieva Lesonsky for Bank of America] talked to 11 small business owners, including Laurel Delaney, about the daily habits they believe contribute most to their success. From exercise to quiet time to diligently tracking sales in QuickBooks, here’s what some successful entrepreneurs do every day.

Reading about other business owners’ daily success rituals is inspiring—but as Delaney says, “We cannot replicate business success by copying another business owner’s daily rituals—we need to cultivate our own.” 

Dive deep into what accomplished entrepreneurs do daily to foster entrepreneurial success.

World's Largest MBA Tour is Coming to Chicago 6/25

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Good day Global Small Business Blog fans!  Join the world’s largest MBA tour in Chicago!

An MBA is a distinction in the workplace and a designation in the world of business. However, more importantly it’s a confidence booster, a way of thinking analytically and critically, and a training ground for making better personal and professional decisions.

This event will answer all of your MBA-related questions through presentations, networking opportunities, and valuable interactions with recruiters from 25+ top business schools.

In addition, you’ll also receive the following for free:  a professional LinkedIn Headshot, your resume reviewed, access to a pool of scholarships worth $7M and much more.

All of this is FREE of charge for those attending, so register today or well before 6/25! Space is limited.  Sign up here.

Today in Global Small Business: wegg® Program On How to Build a Great Global Company Culture

©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:

• wegg® on-the-ground workshop held in Chicago is right around the corner -- June 5th -- and it's on how to build a great global company culture.  If you want to move from good to great on exporting, this is the program to attend.  Please join us and hear from our famous host Radio Flyer, who has won numerous awards for best places to work.  To learn more and to register, visit: https://womenentrepreneursgrowglobal.org/2019/05/06/how-to-build-a-great-global-company-culture/.  I [Laurel Delaney] will be attending.
• Quote of the week: “As history has repeatedly proven, one trade tariff begets another, then another - until you've got a full-blown trade war. No one ever wins, and consumers always get screwed." – John C. Calhoun
• Tariffs on all imports from Mexico begin June 10, 2019.
• How an Oregon brand went from a small business to a global powerhouse in wellness
• 42 countries agree to international principles for Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• Making globalization work for Africa.

Be Like a Train

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Be like a train; go in the rain, go in the sun, go in the storm, go in the dark tunnels! Be like a train; concentrate on your road and go with no hesitation!" – Mehmet Murat ildan

Going Beyond Borders with a Global Mindset

Canadian Support to Exporters from Peru to Vancouver

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Emiliano Introcaso, Export Help Advisor at Export Development Canada (EDC), looks back to 2001, the first time he handled an international shipment, and then fast forwards to his current position at Export Development Canada helping exporters with their trade-related questions.  He shares many things to celebrate.

Read more about Emiliano's experiences growing from student to teacher and how global business training has shaped his rewarding career.  See all his posts for EDC here.

German Global Lending Platform

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The first German regulated global lending platform for small business loans and the first German company to receive a regulatory license for doing a Security Token Offering (STO), Bitbond, is launching an STO to fund small businesses in Asia with loans.

“Small businesses are an incredibly important part of the economy, and hire the majority of all employed people worldwide,” says Radoslav Albrecht, Founder and CEO of Bitbond. “We see this STO as a way to help small businesses create more jobs, and supercharge their own growth.”

Discover more about Bitbond's global lending platform.

A Step by Step Guide to Expanding Internationally

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Being aware of local marketing conditions can be the difference between successful growth and painful failure.  There are a number of risks associated with foreign expansion.  For starters, companies have to be careful when considering moving into volatile or emerging markets.  You want to make sure you get paid and on time.  The political environment in certain markets might affect your compliance obligations, too.  It’s also prudent to consider the relationship each country has with the U.S.

Now that you know some risks, follow these steps before expanding into world markets.

Today in Global Small Business: Remembering Americans Who Have Served

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

• Think of Memorial Day not as happy but reflective ... remembering and honoring Americans who have served and thinking about all the families who have sacrificed while their loved ones are deployed. 
• Quote of the week: “Memorial Day isn't just about honoring veterans, its honoring those who lost their lives. Veterans had the fortune of coming home. For us, that's a reminder of when we come home we still have a responsibility to serve. It's a continuation of service that honors our country and those who fell defending it. – Pete Hegseth
• Who knew?  Global helium shortage impacts local small business.
• For a second year in a row, Visa and the U.S. Small Business Administration teamed up to host a hackathon to kick off #SmallBusinessWeek, that took place May 5-11.  They awarded $60K in cash prizes.
• Will artificial intelligence enhance or hack humanity?
• Will 5G technology revolutionize SMEs in India?

Love Doesn't Just Sit There

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone; it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new." – Ursula K. LeGuin

Zero Footprint

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Green funeral startup Coeio is the maker of the Infinity Burial Suit for humans and pets.  Based off co-founder Jae Rhim Lee's TED talk, their products allow for a completely green funeral by leaving zero footprint.  You don't need an expensive casket, toxic embalming, or pollute the atmosphere with cremation.

The Infinity Burial Suit is a breakthrough in eco-friendly, green funeral options. It returns your body to the earth without harming the environment – decomposing the body using mushrooms and other microorganisms.

Coeio made headlines this year when it was revealed that the late Luke Perry, the former Beverly Hills 90210 actor, was buried in a Coeio Infinity Suit.

As of 2013, the funeral market alone was estimated to be a $20.7 billion and that's just USA.  Read more about Coeio, how the funeral market is poised to be disruptive and where the next big growth opportunity lies.

How to Avoid Making a Speech and Body-language Faux Pas That May Harm a Global Business Relationship

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The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), comprised of successful entrepreneurs 40 and younger, says that thanks to today’s global connectivity and communication technology, the business world is increasingly international. They go on to say that many business leaders, even small business owners, can now easily and seamlessly conduct business across the globe.

In the article below, a panel of YEC members explain with 10 points how to avoid making speech and body-language faux pas that might harm global business relationships.

1. Do Your Homework On Diversity And World Cultures
2. Be A Genuine, Decent Person
3. Be Observant And Open To New Cultural Experiences
4. Ask Your Business Contacts To Correct You
5. Keep Your Reactions, Word Choices And Tone Of Voice In Check
6. Avoid Humor
7. Conduct Cultural Awareness Meetings With Your Team
8. Mirror The Person You’re Speaking With
9. Make Time To Study Global Cultural Etiquette
10. Just Be Yourself And Be Real

To help you feel more comfortable and confident in your global interactions, read on.

The Future of Tech Entrepreneurship Across Borders

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Invigorated by the promise of innovation, global entrepreneurs take it upon themselves to embrace the potential of the largely nascent and uncertain.

Whether it’s a mindset or a process to be mastered, the changing face and the future of tech entrepreneurship is poised to carry critical ramifications for the wider global economy.

In its 2018 World Economic Outlook report, the International Monetary Fund asserted that globalization was responsible for the acceleration of cross-border innovation. The growing emphasis on international collaboration, as well as trade and the use of patents, has significantly impacted production and innovation, especially in emerging economies.

Read more about what to believe in:  the future of tech entrepreneurship across borders that is open and accessible to all.

Create Something New Everyday and Watch it Go Global

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Here's the sweet, creative story.

36 Days of Type, a global design challenge that now partners with Adobe, started as a personal project that went global after Nina Sans and Rafa Goicoechea, both graphic designers from Barcelona, first decided to challenge themselves to create something new everyday, as a way to experiment with new stuff outside their comfort zone by setting personal daily design challenges.

This year [2019], the project asked designers everywhere to come up with visual interpretations of the letters A through Z, and the numbers 0 through 9, and share them on social media between April 2 and May 8.

McKinsey Design got involved.  Almost 50 designers and graphic artists from across the firm, including client and non-client facing colleagues alike, volunteered to submit artwork. You can see all of their pieces right now, along with captions explaining their process or inspiration, at McKinsey Design’s Instagram account.

Look closer at where a creative journey can lead you and it's probably where you least expect it.

Today in Global Small Business: If You Want to Lift Up Humanity, Empower Women

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

• Anytime is a good time to expand a business internationally.  Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
• Quote of the week:  “If you want to lift up humanity, empower women.  It is the most comprehensive, pervasive, high-leverage investment you can make in human beings.” – Melinda Gates
• With global sales among franchisees doubling to $2 billion over the last five years, Waco-based Neighborly has become a household name.
• Entrepreneurs burn out and often walk away from their businesses before they reach the success levels they so longed to reach. They give up just before things “take off” in their business.  Find out why and what to do about it.
• Global trade and exportation of such good is an intricate, complex, and often difficult task that hinges on financing; trade financing.  Trade financing, much like many forms of credit providing, is a key component of the success of small to medium enterprises (SMEs), but that key is not always easy to obtain.  Learn how blockchain-based trade financing is playing into the equation.
• India is looking to fight a lonely battle on global rules for e-commerce trade at the World Trade Organization (WTO) with close to 70 countries siding with the US to have a multilateral mechanism.    

An Undiscovered Gem in Rogers Park, Illinois

Super easy to find -- right off the red line Jarvis stop in Rogers Park, Illinois.  It's Anto Pizza Chicago, a little storefront restaurant with limited seating that offers, among other things, freshly made pasta in a cone cup (yes you read that right) and Roman-style pizza.

Grab your seat at this little gem of a restaurant and enjoy the Italian fare.

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

Grow Global with Google

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Google has always offered tips and tools on how to build an online presence.  But in this case, listen in on Google's President of Global Customer Solutions, Mary Ellen Coe, who shares specific tips to help your small business grow.

Grow your global small business with Google.

With a Digital Presence, Small Businesses Can Grow Global

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Jersey Business is expanding its presence from local – mechanics, hairdressers and electricians – to an off-island customer base that enables them to thrive, globally.

A number of our [says Alexia McClure, head of operations, Jersey Business] successful stores have a digital presence, particularly on social media, which allows them to sell to the UK and further afield. These sales enable our favourite outlets to be financially sustainable and, as a result, we, their local customers, benefit from their ability to maintain a vibrant offering.

It is a fact:  Many of these businesses think internationally right from the start.

McClure goes on to say:

"I think the breadth of Jersey’s existing exporting success has only just come to my attention because it is only in the past 12 months that we have really started to develop our support for businesses selling internationally."

Why limit your ambition when the world is there at your feet?

For Jersey and NY business owners, feel free to register for an export seminar on 7/18 that helps you develop a digital presence.

Ambitious Women Are Unleashing Their Potential by Starting Businesses

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Foreign correspondent Tanzeel Akhtar talks to successful female entrepreneurs from Nigeria and South Africa to find out about their achievements and discover what motivates them.

Female entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa is rising rapidly, with a number of ambitious women defying the odds, going solo and unleashing their potential.

There are also a number of global initiatives supporting and propelling female-run businesses on the continent but the fact remains that there are still challenges women need to overcome.

For example:

In sub-Saharan Africa, at least 40% of the labour force is female, according to the Pew Research Centre.  However, 74% of women’s non-agricultural employment is informal, in contrast with 61% for men.

Read more about the wonderful stories of women who dare to dream.  Be inspired.

Free-of-Charge Cybersecurity Toolkit for Global Small Businesses

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When it comes to cybercrime the risks are great, especially for small businesses that are the lifeblood of the global economy.

The statistics, according to the World Economic Foum (WEF) show that 58% of cybercrime targets small businesses, with the global cost of cybercrime standing at $600 billion in 2018.

What many people don’t know, however, is that small businesses are often the easy way into larger enterprises. Attackers will, for example, gain access to the credentials of a small business in the supply chain of a large enterprise as a pathway into the larger company, and the breach will often go unnoticed until after the attack has been carried out.

Read more about how helping small businesses fight cybercrime benefits the global ecosystem.

Tip of the day:  The GCA Cybersecurity Toolkit for Small Business enables smaller firms to navigate the confusing array of advice free of charge, to help them shore up their cyber defenses and reduce their cyber risk.

Let's all work together to fight cybercrime on a global scale!

Today in Global Small Business: The Future of the Norwegian Startup Ecosystem

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

• McDonald's menu to feature worldwide favorites.
• Quote of the week:  “I find the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.” – Thomas Jefferson
• Chinese brands quicken pace to go global.
• Japanese drugmaker Takeda is strengthening its roots in the United States and enriching its global research heft, by unveiling a 165,000-square-foot facility in San Diego, California, in addition to its existing R&D center in Cambridge, Massachusetts and plant in Shonan, Japan.
• The future of the Norwegian startup ecosystem.
• When international expansion can go wrong.

Women Who Have Very Little Fear

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"A lot of people would say 'sexy' is about the body. But to me, 'sexy' is a woman with confidence. I admire women who have very little fear." – Allegra Versace

Global Startup Ecosystem Report

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Europe leads in the “number of top growing ecosystems across phases," says a recently released report Startup Genome’s 2019 Global Startup Ecosystem Report.

The Global Startup Ecosystem Report is “based on primary and secondary data from over 10,000 founders and more than one million companies across over 150 cities worldwide,” according to the authors, Startup Genome and the Global Entrepreneurship Network.

Amongst the top 10 global startup ecosystems, Paris and Berlin have the least amount of female founders.

Four key takeaways from the report:

1. Paris and Berlin to step up female entrepreneurship
2. Frankfurt’s Fintech focus
3. Blockchain in the Balkans
4. Keep your eye on Helsinki

Read more about the takeaways from the Global Startup Ecosystem Report.

Facebook's Push to Make Money Off WhatsApp: A Mobile Payment

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Facebook has been seeking ways to make money from the messaging service WhatsApp and has been testing payments via the app since last year in India, WhatsApp’s largest market with more than 200 million users.

Where will the rollout start?  Facebook intends to drive a global expansion of mobile payments on WhatsApp from London, accelerating its efforts to make money off the popular messaging service.  They are dispatching engineers from Britain to support its initiative.

Read more about how Facebook is plotting a global expansion of mobile payments on WhatsApp.

From Stage-Paralysis to Expressive Self

The Coca Cola Company Is Proof That Small Businesses Can Go Global

©iStock/ClaudineVM 

For a business that was started as a concoction experiment and has survived different strategic transitions, one can say that The Coca Cola Company is a testament that small businesses can go global.

In 2018, The Coca Cola Company raked about 31.9b dollars in revenue. Recognized as a top ten private employer, providing a means of livelihood to more than 700,000 people. 

In your quest to expand, founders should not neglect virtues like persistence and patience because the journey is an adventure. Even The Coca Cola Company realized this.

Read more about how small businesses still go global.

Today in Global Small Business: Create a Winning Global Marketing Strategy

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

• An international lesson from Airbnb.
• Quote of the week:  “Female talent in shipping is promoting diversity. I think it can also promote innovation and give this industry a more competitive advantage.” – Katerina Stathopoulou, WISTA EXCO Board Member.
• Embracing different approaches for global B2B payments will go a long way towards strengthening the supplier relationship and minimizing payment pain.
• Creating a functional world-class team.
• LUX Blox wins FedEx grant!
• Create a winning global marketing strategy.

Women and Weed

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

“Instead of taking five or six of the prescriptions, I decided to go a natural route and smoke marijuana.” – Melissa Etheridge, musician and cannabis business owner

Take Strategic Steps to Compete

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Aaron Kibbey, Managing Director, Huron Consulting says:

Organizations today face a significant, but not impossible challenge: to cut through a noisy landscape with a value proposition that addresses consumers’ ever-changing expectations. Brands that rely on legacy alone will get lost in the shuffle unless they’re backed by a differentiated experience and long-term vision. By transforming a company’s substance, not simply style, leaders can hone an enduring competitive edge.

He goes on to say:

"Organizations saddled with excess amounts of debt have less flexibility to fund new platforms or service initiatives, but they can still take strategic steps to compete:

• Seek out the right partner [and this can be beyond borders]. 
• Restructure debt to enable reinvestment."

Read the entire article on creating revenue streams when brand matters less.

This Dude's Intense: Comment by a Viewer on Jim Collins's Keynote Address Looking Ahead and Applying Peter Drucker's Timeless Principles

2019 Status of Foreign Trade and Investment Barriers to American Exports Around the World

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From the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR):

The National Trade Estimate (NTE) is the U.S. government’s major annual report on the barriers to trade, investment, and services that American exporters and other businesses and their workers encounter around the world. The report is required to be published each year by March 31 and is submitted to the President and Congress.  The USTR works closely with other government agencies and U.S. embassies to prepare the NTE.

The USTR is responsible for the preparation of this report.

Access:  2019 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers

Fact sheets:

• Digital trade
• Key developments on technical barriers to trade
• Removing barriers to U.S. exports worldwide
• The President's trade agenda and annual report