Make It Happen For Yourself

©2022 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"You can't just sit there and wait for people to give you that golden dream. You've got to get out there and make it happen for yourself." – Diana Ross 

Women-Focused Investment Is Essential to Economic Development

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Despite the relative sophistication of its economy and business environment, South Africa’s record in regards to its promotion of women in the business environment is poor.

If women are to take their place as equal citizens in South Africa, this must include their ability to run and to grow businesses.  Funders should be taking note.  After all, funding women-led start-ups is the key to economic development.

Alibaba Goes From a 1 Million Goal to 2,000 Small U.S. Businesses Per Year

©iStock/Robert Way

Alibaba is going through a major transformation – transformation these days means cutting budgets, firing people and running a much leaner ship.  Also with the transformation comes a more realistic goal on their future performance.

History:  Alibaba launched its B2B eCommerce site, Alibaba.com, in the U.S. three years ago and set a goal of adding 1 million local businesses and global reach, but the company has fallen short of those targets in the ensuing years, the report said, citing three people familiar with the operations.

The majority of U.S. sellers cancel their subscriptions after a year, past and current employees said in the report. One person said Alibaba.com is now looking to sign up 2,000 small U.S. businesses per year rather than the 1 million goal.

Read on to see how the efforts of Alibaba to rival Amazon are falling a bit short.

How to Bet On People Who Are Originals (video)

Luxury Brand Dior Faces Heat from China's Internet

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Luxury brand Dior faces heat from China's internet—this time for basing the design of a pleated skirt that closely resembles a traditional garment – a Chinese horse face skirt (e.g., off of Etsy) dating to the Song and the Ming dynasty.

The skirt in question made its debut on the runways of Seoul in April this year. In the post-show notes, artistic director of Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri, said the collection was inspired by school uniforms and aimed to pay tribute to Catherine, Christian Dior’s sister. “Maria Grazia Chiuri became interested in school outfits and, above all, in the way students dust off, revamp and update the tropes of these garments, personalizing them with distinctive details, verging on punk overtones, before venturing through urban landscapes in search of spaces of freedom,” an excerpt from the show notes read.

It is what it is.  Is anything ever really new anymore except for Apple's innovations :-).

Today in Global Small Business: Indiana, the New Startup Capital

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

• Indiana, the land of startups.  Yes, you read that right.
• Tech workers want to stay home, especially in San Francisco.
• Governments of the United States of America and the 17 partner economies on the occasion of the Supply Chain Ministerial Forum says, "The shocks to global supply chains from pandemics, wars and conflicts, extreme climate impacts, and natural disasters have put in stark relief the urgent need to further strengthen supply chains, to work to reduce and end near-term disruptions, and to build long-term resilience.  This is a global challenge we intend to approach resolutely and cooperatively."
• Quote of the week:  "My father… removed from Kentucky to… Indiana, in my eighth year… It was a wild region, with many bears and other wild animals still in the woods. There I grew up… Of course when I came of age, I did not know much. Still somehow, I could read, write, and cipher… but that was all." – Abraham Lincoln
• A world that needs trade and aid.
• How SMEs can implement sustainability measures.

True Elegance

©2022 Laurel J, Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"True elegance for me is the manifestation of an independent mind." – Isabella Rossellini

Oh a Timeout For Some Good Old 70's Soul Music: Turn It On and Up!

Global Small Businesses Should Become Future Ready

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Olivier M. Schwab, Managing Director, World Economic Forum says:

SMEs - small- and medium-sized enterprises- represent about 90% of all firms globally and about 70% of employment and of GDP, according to some estimates. So at an aggregate level, these businesses play a significant role in enabling and shaping the nature of growth, innovation and sustainability of our global, regional and local economies. It's therefore essential that small businesses and medium-sized businesses are future-ready. In other words, they simultaneously are able to achieve high levels of growth, but also positive social impact.

Read more to learn what others have to say about China's household services industry, remote work, the Metaverse, digital world, nature financing, protecting biodiversity, nature, interconnected challenges, rebuilding resiliency, global supply chains, globalization, innovation for impact, learning from the past, equitable access to healthcare, technology in healthcare, global food crisis, China's dairy industry, sustainable development of energy, reducing emissions, renewal energy, China's economic outlook and investment opportunities.

Fortune Will Favor the Brave Tech Companies

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Building a presence abroad offers numerous benefits, even during times of economic difficulty. 

Opening new offices abroad can be hugely beneficial in helping companies get closer to their international customers. Having staff on the ground in the US or Latin America, for example, means US customers can deal with someone operating in the same or similar time zone to them, with the relatively short geographic distance also allowing for face-to-face meetings whenever they are needed.

When choosing where to open an international base, businesses need to be prepared to put in the work to find a location that offers a consistent supply of technical talent.

Read on to learn how fortune will favor the brave tech companies.

Create for Yourself

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"I never got a job I didn't create for myself." – Anonymous

Today in Global Small Business: Own the Next Era of Global Growth

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

• Own the next era of global growth by becoming a great leader.
• America's railroads are incredibly chaotic right now.
• A new World Business Angel Investor Forum (WBAF) ID card.  Check it out.
• Quote of the week:  "Globalization presumes sustained economic growth. Otherwise, the process loses its economic benefits and political support." – Paul Samuelson
• Exceptionally uncertain global outlook.
• G-20 finance chiefs urged focus on global recovery goals.

Study the Clouds

©2022 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Summer is the annual permission slip to be lazy. To do nothing and have it count for something. To lie in the grass and count the stars. To sit on a branch and study the clouds." – Regina Brett

Strengthening Global Small Businesses

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A total of $1 million in grant funds was awarded by the Strive Community to enterprises developing innovative, scalable solutions to strengthen small businesses' digital capabilities. 

The eight awardees are from across the globe.  Learn who they are here. 

THE Most Successful Women Entrepreneurs In the World: The Winners Are ...

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The write-up below shares the 10 Most Successful Women Entrepreneurs in the World. These businesswomen have broken multiple barriers to achieve the height they are at.

Nothing is more empowering than global women entrepreneurs. They rule the world!

Freight Rates Decline, But Not By Much

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Yes, you read that right.  Freight rates decline as demand wavers.  Shippers are trying to reset contract agreements to cut expenses, but costs remain several times higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic.

The reduction in transportation costs is good news for manufacturers and retailers after two years of rapidly rising expenses. It also suggests the contribution of the freight sector to inflation is at least leveling off. But shippers note they are still paying several times more than they did before the Covid-19 pandemic snarled supply chains world-wide.

As one person said:  "We need to be looking at probably less than $10,000 per container to get anywhere close to the levels we were before and be competitive."

Connecting Culture Through Fashion wegginar® with LaShawn Kenley on July 13th

©2022 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®  All rights reserved.

How does she do it – go global?  Find out at our upcoming wegginar® Wednesday, July 13, 2022 at 11AM CT (free of charge thanks to our sponsors as noted in the beautiful graphic).  Listen to the great and mighty LaShawn Kenley, CEO and founder of Sun Gods LLC when she talks about "Connecting Culture Through Fashion."

Below are her expected takeaways. Have you been thinking about any or all of these things and been feeling stuck? Well get unstuck when you listen to LaShawn Kenley's journey, which includes a ton of experience in globalization.  She'll cover:

1. Learn what Bohemian Afro-Chic is.
2. How to start an e-commerce fashion business.
3. How to source fabric (domestic and international).
4. How to build an authentic brand/create a niche.
5. How to use social/digital media to create a global appearance.

To learn more and to register (free of charge), visit: https://bit.ly/3NLMXyy

See you there!

Today in Global Small Business: Is Globalization Fading?

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

• Is globalization fading and causing inflation to rage?
• Globalization could lead to protectionism, worsening inflation, and a global economic slowdown.
• A new globalization calculus.
• Quote of the week:  "Globalization is going to bring us closer and closer together across nations and technology you can't stop." – John P. Kotter
• The plateauing of globalization.
• And there's more on globalization!

Safety and Security

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"At the end of the day, the goals are simple: safety and security." – Jodi Rell

Towering Global Statesman Shinzo Abe Dies

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Former Prime Minister of Japan Abe Shinzo was shot while giving a campaign speech in the city of Nara Friday morning (Japan time).  He was rushed to the hospital, but pronounced dead later Friday.  He was 67.

World leaders expressed shock and sadness over the killing of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — a man they described as a "towering global statesman" whose legacy is one of "global impact."

Read more of this very sad and tragic moment from what leaders said around the world.  Our condolences to Abe's wife and other family members.  Abe was always working on behalf of the Japanese people for peace and stability.

Nearly 50 Years of International Dispute

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For 49 years, both Denmark and Canada have claimed ownership over a 1.3 square kilometre lump – a barren and uninhabited rock off the north-western coast of Greenland, Hans Island, which is not much to look at.

Recently, the two countries agreed to divide the tiny island between them. It’s unclear who gets to keep the half-dozen bottles of Danish schnapps and Canadian brandy that visitors left behind.

Read on to learn more about this uninhabited island and why it has caused nearly 50 years of international dispute. 

Bain Offers a Sampling of Their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Efforts

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Sustained progress on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) means taking a fresh look at every aspect of how Bain runs their organization. They have devoted significant resources to a wide range of local, regional, and global efforts and are testing and learning from multiple ideas, interventions, and new ways of working designed to ensure that all Bainies thrive.

The sections below offer a sample of their efforts.

• Leadership Responsibility
• Talent Pathways
• Support to Thrive
• Inclusive Leadership
• Building Community
• Agents of Change

How are you progressing in this area?   Read Bain's full report here.

USA Grieves the Tragic Event at a Parade in Highland Park, Illinois on 7/4/22

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In my [Laurel Delaney's] home state, Illinois, seven people were killed and more than two-dozen injured in the mass shooting by one individual at the Highland Park, Illinois Independence Day Parade (7/4/22).  Highland Park is known as a quaint, affluent suburb, roughly 30 miles North of Chicago.

The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Robert "Bobby" Crimo III, was taken into custody Monday night, several hours after the shooting. Investigators believe the suspect fired more than 70 rounds from the roof of a building overlooking the parade route.

There are no words to express the pain.

Global Tech Takes On the World

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Attractive startup ecosystems for top tech talent are blossoming across the globe. In the last year alone, AngelList Talent has had nearly 500K international candidates look for jobs on their platform.

If an up-and-coming ecosystem sounds like the place you want to be, check out their recommendations for hot places to work in tech in 2022.

Today in Global Small Business: Happy 4th of July to All Americans

©2022 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

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

• Happy 4th of July to all Americans.
• What does the growing opposition portend for the future of globalization?  Listen to the Harvard University podcast.
• Economic globalization after Ukraine.
• Globalization is alive, well, and changing.
• Quote of the week:  "Freedom lies in being bold." – Robert Frost
• Globalization and its cons.

Rays of Lights

©2022 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"This is my vision – what I imagine I'll pass through on my way to the light. The blue sky, the clouds, the rays of lights" – Julie Anne Peters

Use Feedback to Drive You Further

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Co-founder, Screwball Whiskey, Brittany Merrill Peng says, “Each person faces unique challenges as an entrepreneur. I have heard comments that could have gotten me down, but instead I try to use them to drive me further,” said Merrill Yeng. “I may not be able to change the world but hopefully I can change the minds of some of the people I interact with."

Female alumni, such as Merrill Yeng, have used their time at UC San Diego to inform their careers, start their own businesses and chart their own paths to success. 

To Recession-Proof Your Global Business, Focus On Customer Loyalty and Go Deeper With Them

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As John DiJulius says in this article, customer loyalty is every company’s greatest asset in any economy.

Redirect your marketing budget to focus on the loyal customers who are trying to give you more of their business. Go deeper with them, build stronger relationships, anticipate their needs, follow up, say thank you spontaneously, and fix what needs fixing. Fight for everyone in your customer base and watch your cash reserve grow.

That's your start to recession-proof your business.  Wait, there's more.

Powering Commerce. Driving Growth.

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A holding group that serves global brands and is known for its work in the retail space, AdvantageSolutions, a has launched a new ecommerce agency called Advantage Unified Commerce (AUC).

The new agency offers in-store and digital media, multichannel activation, attribution and analytics, and access to AUC’s creative teams and proprietary technology platform. Data underpins the offering, which AUC gleans from mobile app integrations, store-level data gathered by in-store merchandisers, and SKU-level data from third parties.

Learn more about powering commerce.  Driving growth.

Reversal of Roe v. Wade: Impact on Women Entrepreneurs

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SBA Isabella Casillas Guzman said that last week’s Supreme Court ruling overturning the 1973 Roe v Wade decision would “jeopardize the civil liberties of millions of women.”

One of the greatest impacts will be on women entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurs and other self-employed individuals attain health insurance through Healthcare.gov and other insurance companies. Some insurance companies cover “reproductive services” but may not cover the costs of an abortion. According to statistics from April 2022, the average cost nationally for an abortion in the first trimester is $600 and in the second trimester, $900. 

Emotions and opinions are strong, with little common ground, as evidenced in Michigan.

Today in Global Small Business: Colossal Mistake to Overturn Roe v. Wade

©2022 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

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

• Colossal mistake:  Roe v. Wade overturned.  #womendecide #womenchoose
• Abortion decision means more anger and strife.
• Thousands protest end of constitutional right to abortion.
• Officials plan their next moves after the fall of Roe v. Wade.
• Quote of the week:  [Time] Editor’s Note: This story, originally published in 2018, explores Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s views on abortion rights and Struck v. Secretary of Defense—the case that the late Supreme Court Justice argued that she wished legalized abortion, instead of Roe v. Wade. On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to overturn Roe v. Wade.
• Huge setback on Roe v. Wade.

Best Therapy

©2022 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Kittens are the best therapy." – Beth Ostrosky Stern

Entertaining Diversions

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Although evolution has hard-wired us to be negative, we have the ability to change by adopting new thought patterns and "entertaining diversions" that can help us to accentuate the positive.

How do we define happiness and can we actively make ourselves happy?

The happiest people benefit from close social connections and resilience against life's complications, according to scientists and researchers on the subject, and there are clear steps we can take to improve our chances of happiness.

Read on to feel happier according to science.

Where Forecasts Went Wrong On Trade Globalization

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According to the International Monetary Fund, the prediction that expanding production networks and trade globalization would make the world economy less resilient turned out to be wrong. Why?

The question has two components: (1) Why did demand for traded goods boom? (2) How could supply increase to satisfy this unprecedented expansion of demand?

Read on about globalization and resilience.

Factors to Consider When Scaling to a Global Workforce

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As Davis Nordell, technology senior analyst with RSM US LLP, writes, "The globalized economy and the possibilities of remote work mean companies are considering building international workforces. But you need to plan carefully for any international expansion.

Despite the current problems plaguing supply chains, tech companies — especially those outside of the hardware sector — have limited exposure to or concern for supply chain risk. This insulation can make a rapid global expansion all the more attractive to early and mid-stage technology companies that may not yet have a significant international presence. 

Without a thorough understanding of the risks, logistical and compliance needs, and cultural considerations required to maintain a cohesive business structure in a variety of international markets, however, organizations will set themselves up for failure.  Again, plan early and carefully, to avoid hiccups.

Elevate Equity Inside and Out

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Consumers want to support brands that represent them and their values. And organizations that have made DEI efforts a core priority also recognize that it’s just as important to feature representation in front of the camera as it is behind the scenes.

How can global marketers do this? There are multiple ways across an organization’s ecosystem, of which Deloitte has highlighted three within their Authentically inclusive marketing article.  While you are at it, check out their Global Marketing Trends 2022.

Today in Global Small Business: Freightos Agrees to SPAC Merger

©iStock/Victoria Koitsova

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

• Freightos, a fast-growing ocean and air freight marketplace similar to Expedia in air travel, announced recently it is going public through a merger with Gersher Acquisition Company.  Some interesting investors to date - surprise, surprise.
• Maersk boss say global trade is not going in reverse (might require registration).
• Roku and Walmart partner in exclusive streaming ecommerce offering.
• Retail sales slump?  Not if you operate in clothing.
• Quote of the week:  “If you do build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. Word of mouth is very powerful.” – Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon.com
• Who knew we needed to read Trade Therapy.

A Bicycle Ride Around the World

©2022 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

“A bicycle ride around the world begins with a single pedal stroke." – Scott Stoll, a Community Professor who travelled around the world on his bicycle

Go Beyond: Ensure LGBTQ Employees Feel Included

©iStock/Cristina Moliner

According to two LGBTQ leaders at Bain & Company, pride means many different things in the queer community.  It means celebrating the individual ways in which we all contribute in the workplace with our distinct backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and abilities.

That means recognizing that we all do our best work when everyone can show up as, and be celebrated for, their full, authentic selves. This is what constitutes true inclusion. 

Read on to learn about their study and findings.  For example, "That what makes employees feel fully included in an organization is distinct for different groups, and that an intersectional lens that captures a multiplicity of identities enables companies to tailor their inclusion efforts most effectively."

You Tell 'em Tom

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If I [Laurel J. Delaney] could write a better opinion piece on the Middle East, golf and M.B.S., I would.  But no need to.  Tom Friedman did.  Thanks!

Saudi Arabia Should Take a Mulligan on Golf. Here’s What It Can Do Instead.

Turn Up Your Imagination

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By force of habit, most executives tune down their imagination when strategizing. This is counterproductive, the authors of the article below argue.  Instead, they offer an alternative: Design fiction. 

A design technique that immerses executives and employees deeply in various possible futures, it uses artifacts such as short movies, fictitious newspaper articles and imaginary commercials to generate transformation roadmaps. Rooted in the future but helping to act in the present, design fiction results in concrete actions taken to adjust companies’ visions, strategies, and activities to create a better future.

Read this so you don't miss out on important opportunities to envision, and design, possible futures the world over.

Being a Good Global DE&I Leader

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How do you define Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as it relates to your career?  How comfortable are you with differences and variety with the people you work with within your company?  What is something you can do to step into the role of an ally or advocate to serve and support others in your workplace?

All good questions.  Read on to get some answers and learn how to raise awareness for others on how they can get involved and take action to make a difference in the lives of those around them.

Today in Global Small Business: 7 Language and Learning Apps for Travelers

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

• The 7 best language learning and translation apps for travelers according to R.T. Watson for the WSJ.
• Here comes Pico by ByteDance.
• Find, hire and pay remote employees in 160+ countries just got easier.
• Chipotle creates a $50 million fund to invest in early-stage tech companies.
• Quote of the week:  “Translation is not a matter of words only: it is a matter of making intelligible a whole culture." — Anthony Burgess
• Christine Lagarde, President of the ECB says, "High inflation is a major challenge for all of us. The Governing Council will make sure that inflation returns to our two per cent target over the medium term."

Love Is the Flower

©2022 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Love is the flower you've got to let grow." – John Lennon

Overcommunicating Is Essential in Our World

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In March, Global Business Fellows (GBF) students presented their final consulting report to executives at Uber in Madrid, Spain, as part of their Global Business Experience course (GBE).

“My biggest takeaway from working with a foreign client was that sometimes overcommunicating is essential,” said [Lindsay (SFS’22) Bing [a member of a student team that consulted for Uber on three different business challenges in the areas of commercial partnerships and customer experience]. “We found that being prepared with a lot of questions for our weekly check-in meetings was the most effective use of our time to both clarify expectations and refine our work."

Read on to see how this was such a culturally and professionally enriching experience for all involved.

Globalization Is Alive and Well

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Even as its justifications and the global economy change, the current skepticism toward free trade and globalization remains misguided. 

Yes, free trade is under greater attack today than it has been in decades, especially in the United States. 

Despite continued public support for foreign trade and globalization generally (even during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic), a bipartisan cadre of American politicians and pundits is increasingly skeptical of, or downright hostile to, the longstanding consensus in favor of trade liberalization.

America can join with more free trade or it can miss out.  Fortunately, rumors of globalization's demise have been, yet again, greatly exaggerated.  Globalization is alive and well, just changing. 

Creating a Sense of Community

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“It’s not just about being comfortable, but about creating a sense of community,” Bruno Paneghini, CEO and president of B Corp Reti, explains in Italian, via a translator. To that end, Reti organizes events centered around books, food, and art, not just for staff but for locals; it held 14 such events in 2021. The idea of an on-site restaurant and food education facility is in the works, too.

All over the world, businesses are increasingly beginning to acknowledge how much they are, and should be, a part of the communities they inhabit. But their actions sometimes feel out of alignment with the goal.

Read more about what Italy's B Corps can teach global business about community. 

Ryan Heath Says Globalization Isn’t Over, It’s Just Outgrowing the World Economic Forum

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As Ryan Heath, Editorial Director of Global Growth for Politico says, "Once upon a time globalization was mostly about economics: intensifying trade, falling tariffs, outsourcing and the rise of multinational brands."  He goes on to say, "No longer. Today political risk is multiplying and power is decentralizing, changing globalization with it."

Tensions were on full display recently in Davos.

Columbia University’s Adam Tooze [professor of history] rejected the idea that globalization is ending. “It’s B.S. Ending globalization? Life as we know it would cease to exist,” he told POLITICO. “When people say this, they’re either naive or apocalyptic,” he said, adding “it’s a bad way of thinking about the problem.”

"Globalization isn't over, it's just outgrowing the World Economic Forum," says Heath.

Today in Global Small Business: The iOS App Economy

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

• Smaller and emerging developers find global success on the App Store – showing the iOS app economy continues to grow.
• How to build resilience in emerging economies? Support global small businesses.
• Staying global:  3 steps.
• Quote of the week: “I'm rarely invited to start-up parties, but who cares about their trinkets and apps anyway?" – Evgeny Morozov
• Conversations at Davos:  From Russia to China.
• To manage global supply chain, manage proactively.

Who Could Not Be Happy

©2022 Laurel J, Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"With freedom, books, flowers and the moon, who could not be happy." – Oscar Wilde and the photo is of a Little Free Library

Tiny Desk Concert: World Renowned Yo-Yo Ma

Oh Everything Is Messed Up Right Now: War, China Covid Curbs, Shootings, Global Supply Chain Woes, Inflation and Rising Interest Rates

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Manufacturing growth slowed last month in economies as diverse as France, Japan to Malaysia, business surveys showed recently, illustrating the challenge policymakers face in trying to combat inflation and a whole heck of a lot of other things while not stifling anaemic economic activity.

Global growth in factory activity slowed in May as China's strict coronavirus curbs and Russia's invasion of Ukraine disrupted supply chains and dampened demand, adding to woes for businesses already struggling with surging raw material prices.

Oh, it's everything right now, not just one thing.  What's a global business owner to do?  I [Laurel Delaney] will tell you:

1. Be an effective leader
2. Cut expenses
3. Conserve cash
4. Focus on quality
5. Control spending
6. Lower risk
7. Cut staff
8. Raise prices
9. Maintain existing profitable exports

Do most of the above, and you will at least make it through a very next rough 18 months.

Global K-Pop Stars BTS Go to WhiteHouse to Stop Asian Hate Crimes and Discrimination

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With their dance videos and catchy songs, Korean band BTS is one of the most popular pop bands in the world. At a White House press briefing, they talked about the importance of inclusion and representation.

Last year President Biden signed into law the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to give law enforcement resources to investigate crimes against Asian Americans and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders.