The World Is Your Market in 2016

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Turn Up the Global Volume in 2016

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It's a world market, not a local one.  Here's the deal:

In September 2013, the UKTI-funded BPI Music Exports Growth Scheme (MEGS) was launched. According to the BPI, it is “designed to make available grants ranging from £5,000–£50,000 to UK-registered independent music companies to assist them with marketing campaigns when looking to introduce successful UK music projects overseas.”

Such support continues to open the door overseas for up-and-coming UK artists.

Major key (not musical note) here?  Says Trevor McNamee of Brighton-based Jalapeno Records, which incorporates music publishing and management, as well as selling recordings:  "You need local knowledge, but it’s entirely possible to put together a promo and distribution plan and control it from the UK. For a niche record, you can do a thorough job overseas for very low cost. It’s never been a better time to be an indie label.”

Read more:  UK music industry turns up the global volume

How to Overcome Six Obstacles to Going Global

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In an article I wrote for About.com Import and Export site, I talk about six, basic reasons for not going global and how to overcome them.  It's based on more than a hundred interviews over the years, where media reporters repeatedly ask me: What’s stopping small business owners and entrepreneurs from going global? Is it really that hard?

Find out:  Six Biggest Stumbling Blocks to Going Global and How to Overcome Them

Exporting Boosts Canadian Small Businesses

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According to a new RBC Economics report entitled Doors open for Canada’s SME exporters, the time is right for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to grow their revenues, and support the Canadian economy, by increasing their exports of goods and services abroad.

Exporting represents a golden growth opportunity for small-and medium-sized businesses in Canada.

“This is a golden opportunity for small businesses who want to accelerate their growth,” says Sarah Adams, vice-president, Small Business, RBC. “The higher revenues earned by SME exporters should inspire other SMEs to grow faster by expanding exports, and market conditions couldn’t make it easier to start now.”

Adams has three recommendations for business owners looking to expand through exporting.  Read about them here.

Today in Global Small Business: The Best Year in History for Humanity

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

• Ten places to look for import/export help.
• Six factors shaping the global economy in 2016.
• How China might overshadow global outlook for 2016.
• Haven't made your new year's resolution?  How about grow fast, go global?
• Secrets from the world's best business people.
• Was 2015 the best year in history for humanity?

Post-Christmas Joy

Hoping you had a fabulous Christmas and a Joyous 2016!

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

Wishing You a Merry Christmas 2015

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a very happy, prosperous and healthy New Year!

Photo courtesy:  ©Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved. Loyola University Chicago, December 20, 2015.

How to Leverage Online E-Commerce Marketplaces to Grow Global

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The secret to billions of customers finding you is to build a world stage comprising of a combination of social tools such as a blog (like this one), Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, as well as cultivate a brand presence on a website, mobile apps and other online databases.

Using a proven e-commerce platform such as Amazon, eBay or Etsy is beneficial too, provided its visitors are in line with your ideal target market.  Just remember that each of these platforms takes a percentage of the transaction profits and, in some cases, they even charge a monthly subscription fee. I always caution people to read the fine print when it comes to your costs.

After you test your products in new online marketplaces and enjoy significant revenue returns, it is then time to advance and create your own ecommerce platform to sell to the world and pocket all the profits. -- Source:  Business Success Strategies Q&A with Laurel Delaney: Going Global for Business Growth

For more information on using online e-commerce marketplaces as a stepping stone to taking your business global, visit:  The Top 5 Online Marketplaces for Small Businesses Looking to Expand Internationally

Top 100 Best Bloggers in the World

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The Global Small Business Blog is listed as #81 in the list of Top 100 Bloggers in the World.  We also share a tip for starting and growing a business.  Check it out here.

Thank you to BizHumm.com for including us in the list.  We are in good company and very honored to be featured in the list.

How Facebook Is Strengthening Its Ecosystem

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Two things worth noting about recent developments at Facebook. They've:

1. Created a searchable directory on local service providers in an attempt to break into the local advertising market that could potentially expand to online-to-offline services assuming an integration with FB Messenger.
2. Announced a partnership with Uber that allows messenger users to hail Uber rides directly via the messenger app.

Find out how this will strengthen Facebook's ecosystem: Facebook:  Act Local, Think Global

Today in Global Small Business: Export Webinar on 1/6/16 at WEGG

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

• A guide for doing business in Japan.
• How e-commerce helps US small businesses go global.
• Laurel Delaney is giving an export webinar at WEGG on 1/6/16!
• What industries are born to fuel entrepreneurship?
• TomTom trademark:  lessons for the little guy. 
• How 2015 was crammed with major discoveries.

Never Stop Exploring

"My theory in anything you do is to keep exploring, keep digging deeper to find new stuff." -- Blythe Danner

Photo of a photo courtesy:  ©Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Some Rambling Thoughts and Opinions About the Japanese

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I've traveled to Japan more than a dozen times and have tremendous love for its people and the country.  Below I share some pearls of wisdom on doing business in Japan.  Think of these as insights that I've developed in my years of working with Japanese people.

A Guide For Doing Business in Japan

The Steel Industry is Suffering Badly and Globally

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Thailand’s Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI) PLC is closing its Redcar works with the loss of over 2,000 jobs, while India’s Tata Steel is cutting production at its plants.

Rolls has had an awful year, issuing several profit warnings, prompting speculation that its submarine business may be nationalised to guarantee the future of Britain’s nuclear deterrent. 

What's going wrong?  Is it a global glut of steel?  Caused by what?

Read more:  The makers stumble

Did It Again: Made the Forbes 100 Best Websites for Entrepreneurs 2015!

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This is the second time we've made the Forbes 100 Best Websites for Entrepreneurs 2015 list. Thank you to Forbes for including us and thank you to all of you for your readership. Your continued interest keeps us hip and relevant in our space:  global small business. We are so proud, humbled, and happy to receive the Forbes honor.

Read more to find out who else made the happening list:  100 Best Websites For Entrepreneurs 2015

Is the World Yours?

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How do you get started expanding internationally with a solid foundation so that the world becomes yours?  First, it starts with guts and a good business plan.  After that, it's all in execution. Here are six other tips from Samuel Pavin.

Read more:  The world is yours:  Six tips for expanding internationally

Today in Global Small Business: E-Commerce Sales Go International

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

• The top five benefits to the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.
• Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP):  Trade Booster for the World
• Enough about TPP?  Oh, how about more?
• How to build small brands up to global status.
• Foreign exchange:  what is it and why does it matter?
• Holiday [November] e-commerce sales go international.

The Wonderful Walnut Room at Macy's on State Street in Chicago

The world famous Walnut Room has been a Chicago tradition since 1907.

Located on the 7th floor of Macy’s on State Street the Walnut Room is the first restaurant ever opened in a department store. With Circassian wood paneling imported from Russia and Austrian chandeliers, the 17,000 square foot dining room is both elegant and comfortable.

Learn more:  Walnut Room | Macy's Restaurants  Take a look at the decorated tree in 2013.

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

The Ins and Outs to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement

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As promised, here's the two-part interview I conducted with Karen Kerrigan, president and CEO of Small Business & Entrepreneurship (SBE) Council.

• The Top 5 Benefits to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (Part I of II)
• Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP):  Trade Booster for the World (Part II of II)

The Walmart Effect in China

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As a global small business owner, how many times have you said, "I wish I was as big or had the power of Walmart?"  Oh come on.  You know you've gone there.  And yet you might work with Walmart and only worry about two things:  1).  Keeping up with demand and 2).  Getting get paid on a time.

But what if, just what if, you had to worry about this:

With Walmart (WMT) importing more cheap goods from China than it exports to that country, the retailer's actions may be implicated in an estimated loss of at least 400,000 U.S. jobs from 2001 to 2013, the study [published by the Economic Policy Institute] finds.

Would you rather remain who you are as a global small business owner -- creating jobs for America -- or become the size of Walmart and deal with their issues?

Read more:  Walmart's China syndrome:  The loss of U.S. jobs