Global Small Business Success: What Does It Take?

Small businesses are the backbone of our state and national economy.

According to the Small Business Administration, small business represents 99.7 percent of all employers, employ half of all private sector employees and pay 44.3 percent of total U.S. private payroll. Nearly 40 percent of these small businesses are in the technology fields and 53 percent of them are home-based.

Clearly, national and state policy-makers should be listening to what small business wants and needs to succeed in the global economy.

What do we need to push forward?

Read the opinion piece here but I think we need a lot more than this.

The Role of Small Businesses In Exports to China

In Export.Gov

Go here to download report.
Then click on "The Role of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Exports to China: A Statistical Profile."

Get the scoop on what's really going on and then get going! The data represented is from 2002, the last year for which data are available. It's phenomenal! You won't want to miss it.

20 Women Exporters Take Part In Training

In IPPMedia

An institution dealing with women entrepreneurship development (WED) and the Small Industries Development Organisation (SIDO) have organized a five-day training session in Dar es Salaam to make women exporters in Tanzania become competitive in the global market and increase their capacity so that they can engage themselves effectively in international trade.

Read the article here.

A Global Checkup: Diagnosing the Health of Today's Organizations

In Strategy+Business

Nearly 50,000 profiles completed over two years by individuals around the world are consistent with one central hypothesis: Most organizations are unhealthy. Find out why here.

Global Business Columnist

In PRWEB

It's official!

CHICAGO, IL (PRWEB) November 11, 2005 – Laurel Delaney, an international entrepreneur and author, will become a global business columnist for Entrepreneur magazine on Nov. 1.

Read the release here.

I just hope I can follow through on my remarks: “There are just no more excuses on why companies aren’t going global,” Delaney says. “Rather, this is the beginning of a global small business revolution.”

Abridged Borderbuster 11/4/05

CONTENTS

If you are not a subscriber to Borderbuster, here's a glimpse of what you missed this month:

1. Welcome From The Publisher
2. Feedback From Our Readers
3. U.S. Must Help Iraq Obtain Wealth Quickly*
4. Business and Cultural Tips: Have Some Fun!*
5. Foreign Shopping Sites Cater to U.S. Customers*
6. How I Went Global: Ongoing Series // GlobeTrade.com
7. A Reader Asks: Q&A*
8. Everybody Loves a Freebie -- repeat: FREE OFFER*
9. Expanding Internationally: Grow As You Go*
10. The Importance of Developing An International Strategy*
11. Executive Planet*
12. Blog World: A Feature On Wal-Mart*
13. Laurel’s New e-Book Is Ready: “GODZILLA Global Marketing!”
14. Take A Walk On The Wild Side (TAWOTWS)*
15. Wind Behind Your Sail*
16. Miscellany*
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Published in Chicago – “Home of The World Series Champion White Sox!” – Congratulations!

*Indicates exclusive to Borderbuster subscribers only.

Sample section:

9. EXPANDING INTERNATIONALLY: GROW AS YOU GO
*Subscriber Exclusive*

Large companies routinely take advantage of the enormous potential of international markets. They simply budget for the expansion, spending whatever it takes to build the infrastructure to support future revenue. Entrepreneurs, on the other hand, have limited resources, few connections, and tight budgets. When they go global, they need to be convinced that they are doing the right thing.

To read the balance of the article, visit:
EntreWorld

###

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Sign Up For Borderbuster!

Going Global: Help For Small Manufacturers

In Industry Week

Despite the criticism of the federal government's trade policies that some say have effectively allowed foreign competitors to gain unfair advantages against U.S. makers of goods, at least one Commerce Department program is aimed specifically at helping small and midsize manufacturers to thrive in the same big pond with the sharks.

Read the article here.

The Three Hurdles Of Global Web Sites

In Optimize

One of the most difficult issues companies are dealing with in the new global economy is thinking locally and managing globally. Sure, companies have always had international divisions and subsidiaries, but they tended to be isolated fiefdoms. Now the global economy requires that companies use their Web site to provide a consistent image to customers, no matter where they are. But companies can't just impose a one-size-fits-all view on their Web site.

Here's what they have to look out for:
http://www.optimizemag.com/article/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=171200563

Going Global: Can You Afford It?

In WorldWIT

Determining how much you can afford to invest in your international expansion efforts can be a tricky proposition. Will it be based on ten percent of your domestic business profits or on a pay-as-you-can-afford process? That’s an excellent question. And my answer is: It depends.

Read more here.

And a big thank you to our favorite webinar place -- shhhhhhhh ... a best-kept secret -- for letting us know the article was published.

Going Global: Try South First

In Inc.

Many entrepreneurs have their eyes fixed on China, but it may make sense to look south as well as east. The recent passage of the Central American Free Trade Agreement gives the U.S. six new free-trade partners -- Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. The treaty immediately reduces or eliminates 80% of tariffs on U.S. exports -- including IT, medical equipment, and telecommunications supplies -- opening a new world of opportunity. And risk.

Read the article here.

Going Global But Localizing The Brand

In Inc.

There are 1.3 billion potential wine drinkers in China, and Scott Henry, owner of Henry Estate, a winery in Umpqua, Oreg., was convinced they'd love his pinot noir. Henry understood that Western-style wine is a relatively new phenomenon in China, but he also believed that his wine's taste and texture were a perfect match for Chinese cuisine.

Henry Estate is no stranger to exporting. For the past 10 years it has shipped cases to Canada, the U.K., and Japan. How much harder could it be to add China to the list?

Read the article and find out here.

Going Global: Study Your Markets, Develop a Strategic Plan

In Growing-Global.com

Go global before a foreign competitor steals or marginalizes your business. Not only will you expand your market, but you will access a diverse revenue stream which is more stable since you will no longer be as vulnerable to periodic downturns in any one economy. Global companies outperform domestics, growing twice as fast with significantly higher returns.

Find out how and why here.

Abridged Borderbuster 10/5/05

CONTENTS

If you are not a subscriber to Borderbuster, here's a glimpse of what you missed this month:

1. Welcome From The Publisher
2. Feedback From Our Readers
3. The Global Business*
4. Business and Cultural Tips: Have Some Fun!*
5. China Venture News*
6. How I Went Global: Ongoing Series // AskDerekScruggs.com*
7. A Reader Asks: Q&A*
8. Everybody Loves a Freebie -- repeat: FREE OFFER*
9. Going Global Has Its Perils*
10. Energizing Entrepreneurs*
11. Doing Business: Benchmarking Business Regulations*
12. A Wee Bit of Ireland*
13. Laurel’s New e-Book Is Ready: “GODZILLA Global Marketing!”
14. Take A Walk On The Wild Side (TAWOTWS)*
15. Wind Behind Your Sail*
16. Miscellany*

*Indicates exclusive to Borderbuster subscribers only.

Sample section:

3. THE GLOBAL BUSINESS
*Subscriber Exclusive*

Globalization has made the world a smaller place and has changed the way people do business in OECD countries. But did you know that a significant part of global integration reflects trade within transnational firms and industries?

To read the balance of the article, visit:
Leader-Values.com

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Sign Up For Borderbuster!

A Crash Course In Globalization

In Fortune Small Business

Five years ago, I wrote global small business briefings for Fortune Small Business. Many are still relevant today for going global. Take a look:

8/16/2000
Gaffe-Proof Global Marketing

Don't let your company's sales pitch get lost in a translation.

7/05/2000
Tap Business Opportunities in China

Finding the right partner is the secret to doing business with the Chinese.

6/21/2000
Find the Right Overseas Partner

Team up with a well-connected distributor and watch your sales explode.

6/07/2000
A Crash Course in Doing Business Abroad

Is your Website attracting customers from around the world? Use these sources to learn the ropes of doing business overseas.

You can access links to each of the above articles here.

Case Study: How Lenovo Is Leveraging the Global Brand from East to West

In May 2005, when Lenovo Group completed a U.S. $1.75 billion purchase of IBM's personal computing division, the China-based manufacturer leapfrogged its way to become the No. 3 computer maker in the world, second only to Dell and Hewlett-Packard. Along with rights to the venerable IBM name and logo, Lenovo got Deepak Advani, a Wharton graduate who was serving as vice president of marketing for the old regime.

Read Wharton's interview with Advani, now Lenovo's senior vice president and chief marketing officer, to find out what it takes to merge an Eastern business -- whether big or small -- with a Western one.

Leading In A Global World

In LeaderValues

Globalization is a driving force in business today and its consequences are the subject of much debate. Yet, despite its increasing impact on every aspect of organizational effectiveness, I wonder if most leaders have really confronted its consequences in terms of leadership skills and mindsets.

Global means more than just sourcing or selling in foreign markets.  It means recognizing that as we become more interconnected and interdependent, the basic processes of leadership and management must evolve to keep pace with the changing marketplace.  It means that leaders need not just to “go global” but to “think global.”

Read the entire article here.

Are Women Globalization's Winners?

In the Globalist

Canada has a new foreign minister, Pierre Pettigrew. Reason enough to delve into our archive and present his argument about who benefits and who loses in the era of globalization. In this Globalist retrospective, he finds that three distinct groups — women, immigrants and young people — will not only benefit from globalization, but are better equipped than most for handling its challenges.

The article is adapted from a speech Pettigrew gave at the World Forum 2000 and is more relevant than ever today. Remember, his remarks were made four years prior to the release of Friedman's bestseller, "The World Is Flat," which makes it a very compelling read.

What the global CEO thinks like

In rediff.com

Conventional wisdom talks of economies of scale. But in today's world, perhaps we should be looking at economies of learning and knowledge, says Sir Martin Sorrell, founder of WPP, one of the world's largest advertising groups. He manages over 100 companies operating in 92 countries.

Here's what Sir Sorrell says about what the global CEO thinks like:

"As a global CEO, if your database is well linked, you can be really up to date before you meet others so at least you appear to know what is going on.

Lots of people say that I am too much of a micro manager. I regard that as a compliment, not an insult. There are people who pull away from details and become totally consumed with strategies and tactics but implementation suffers.

If you ask someone why he got fired, the reason is usually because of execution not because they did not have a vision. We tend to have a lot of initiatives going on. I tend to believe that it's better to have thirty initiatives a day so you can get ten done, rather than have three and get just one or two done.

Being prepared is important. There are no nice neat mathematical models. What works in one place will not work in another. There are no global approaches, no blacks and whites but shades of gray. There have to be compromises, with strategic advances and strategic retreats.

You have to have different models. It could be an alliance model with just 20% of the company. It's pretty important to have a vision and execute that vision. I should be determined. Persistence is very important and speed is also very important.

I used to say it's better to take a bad decision on Monday than a good decision on the following Friday and I still think that it is true. You have to give people an instantaneous response, that's why I'm accused of being a micro manager."

Read the entire article here.

Abridged Borderbuster 9/6/05

CONTENTS

If you are not a subscriber to Borderbuster, here's a glimpse of what you missed this month:

1. Welcome From The Publisher
2. Feedback From Our Readers
3. The Changing Face Of Global Business*
4. Business and Cultural Tips: Have Some Fun!*
5. The Next Big Idea*
6. How I Went Global: Ongoing Series // GlobeTrade.com*
7. A Reader Asks: Q&A*
8. Everybody Loves a Freebie -- repeat: FREE OFFER*
9. Business in China: A Wakeup Call*
10. Identify Emerging Market Opportunities*
11. Language Isn’t The Only Trade Barrier*
12. Chinese Ownership of American Companies: A Problem?*
13. Laurel’s New e-Book: “GODZILLA Global Marketing!”
14. Take A Walk On The Wild Side (TAWOTWS)*
15. Wind Behind Your Sail*
16. Miscellany*

*Indicates exclusive to Borderbuster subscribers only.

Sample section:

3. THE CHANGING FACE OF GLOBAL BUSINESS
*Subscriber Exclusive*

Going global has never been easy. Companies have always struggled to reach out effectively to different cultures and balance competing national agendas. What's different today is the speed with which events transpire and major forces react to move markets and shift competitive strengths and weaknesses. Businesses must be savvy enough to identify—if not anticipate—the new sociological, political, and economic trends that emerge almost daily.

To read the balance of the article, visit:
Optimize
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China's hidden weaknesses

In The American Thinker

This is a great commentary offering good insights and I will follow up with the author, Brian Schwar, who lives in China, to get more of his thoughts on doing business in China. Here's his lead ...

"Before Westerners get carried away with irrational exuberance about the number of new Shanghai skyscrapers going up or the millions of new cars clogging the streets of Beijing, foreigners would do well to gain a greater understanding of the massive economic challenges its Communist leaders need to tackle in the next few years."

To read the entire feature, visit here.