Today in Global Small Business: Singles Day, Divorce Day, Pets Day; Can China Teach the World How to Shop?

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

• How to take your business global by putting your state trade offices to work.
• Singles Day.  Divorce Day.  Pets Day.  Can China teach the world how to shop?
• Why you should consider doing business in Peru.
• Learn why small businesses in London are embracing international trade.
• Discover 5 commerce trends retailers can profit from this holiday season.
• Are wearable gadgets the secret to commercial global success?

The Hourglass of Our Life

©2014 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it." - Niccolo Machiavelli

Innocent Until Proven Guilty: U.S. Export-Import Bank

How do you define what is a small (vs. BIG) business?  Is it based on the size of revenues?  Number of employees?  Apparently everyone, including Ex-Im Bank, is struggling with that very same question.  The latest on the trials and tribulations of the U.S. Export-Import Bank.

Ex-Im Misleads Congress and the Public About Helping Small Businesses

But an investigation by the Reuters news agency has found that potentially hundreds of the subsidy recipients categorized as “small businesses” by Ex-Im are actually very large enterprises or units of multinational conglomerates.

Exclusive:  Export-Import Bank admits errors in small biz data - Yahoo News

The U.S. Export-Import Bank has mischaracterized potentially hundreds of large companies and units of multinational conglomerates as small businesses, a flaw in its record keeping that could undermine the export lender's survival strategy.

Export-Import Bank's list of 'small' businesses draws fire from conservatives | TribLIVE

A comparison of about 6,000 businesses characterized by Ex-Im as “small” with information supplied by corporate data collector Dun & Bradstreet, which Ex-Im uses to vet applicants, and other sources turns up about 200 companies that appear to be mislabeled and many more whose classification is uncertain.

How to Build a High-Performing and Truly Entrepreneurial Global Business

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Ever heard of organizing a company around a conceptual framework?  That's the way Haier's leader, China philosopher-CEO Zhang Ruimin, describes how he built a winning global company by continually reframing his management philosophy.  Haier is the world's fastest-growing appliance maker.  Other things Haier excels at:

"... the largest market share in “white goods” worldwide—about 14 percent of a market with at least seven other major competitors. It is also a world leader in business innovation and one of the largest non-state-owned enterprises in China."

Art Kleiner, Editor in Chief of strategy+business writes a wonderful spread on Zhang and his success tips for running Haier.  Before we get to it, the following statement encapsulates how Zhang pulled off leading a high-performing and truly entrepreneurial global business:

Zhang has steadily initiated shifts in the company’s structure, moving consistently toward participative management, decentralized decision making, and autonomous but accountable work teams and platforms. 

Read the entire article:  China's Philosopher - CEO Zhang Ruimin

How South Africa Is Building a Robust Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

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With the launch of Startup Nations South Africa (SA), the initiative joins a global network of Startup Nations such as Startup Britain, Startup Chile, Startup Malaysia, Startup China, Startup Norway, Startup Australia and more recently Startup Brazil, Startup Vietnam and Startup Korea.

The Startup Nations South Africa initiative is a collaborative effort by founding partners, The Innovation Hub, the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the Wits Business School, aimed at contributing towards building a robust entrepreneurship ecosystem and vibrant sustainable entrepreneurship culture.

Global entrepreneurship is crucial to the vitality and growth of a country and its people.

Read more:  SA Small Business Minister Launches Startup Nations South Africa Initiative

Photo:  Capetown, South Africa

Globally, SMEs Are More Optimistic

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Zurich Insurance recently surveyed 3,800 businesses spanning across 19 countries (200 businesses in each country). Participants were asked to identify up to three out of a possible 15 activities and challenges in their business over the previous 12 months - from expanding activities to target new customers in their domestic market.  UAE-based SMEs were found to be more positive than competitors in other countries about reaching out to new customers, the study showed.

About one third of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) believed “acquiring new customers is their biggest opportunity at the present time, indicating high levels of confidence in the strength of the local economy,” Zurich said in its 2014 Global SME Survey yesterday.

The 2014 Global SME Survey results are as follows: 

• Survey results (PDF 645.49 KB)

Related article: Small businesses confident in strength of local economy

News release:  SMEs globally see mixed opportunities for growth

Today in Global Small Business: How to Copy Warren Buffett's Global Success

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

• Discover what a middleman (or middle woman) is, what they do and how they work.
• Guidelines to consider before hiring offshore staff.
• How to brand yourself everywhere so the world knows you exist.
• Why Ghanaian entrepreneurs needs to go global.
• What are the four lies that small businesses tell themselves to avoid commerce?
• Want to copy Warren Buffett's global success?*

*One of Buffett's fundamentals:  Encourage small businesses to grow and expand one step at a time, even if haphazardly, as the accumulation of individual achievement can add up to huge enterprises, like the many success stories in building Dairy Queen. 

A Chicago Pizza Faithful to the Authentic Neapolitan Style

©2014 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

©2014 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved. 

©2014 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

I had the wonderful pleasure of eating at Spacca Napoli Pizzeria a couple of weeks ago.  It's a great find (I was turned on to it and treated by my designer at GlobeTrade.com) and I recommend it to anyone who loves an authentic Neapolitan style pizza.  For those who don't know, Neapolitan style pizza (Italian: pizza napoletana) is made with tomatoes and Mozzarella cheese.

We ordered the Bufalina pizza, blended San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala, basil and extra virgin olive oil (evoo).  It was superb.

As we were leaving the restaurant, the host offered us a plate filled with miniature cannolis.  What a nice way to end a meal.  We each took one for the road and it was outstanding.

When the nights in Chicago get way too long and chilly, pay a visit to Spacca Napoli Pizzeria for a true Italiano pizzeria experience.  It's like visiting Italy.

Are You Based in Tacoma, Washington and Want to Embrace eCommerce in the 21st Century?

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Join Chaitra Vedullapalli, former Microsoft senior director of global sales and marketing and a global director for alliance and channels at Oracle, when she speaks November 11th on “Why every business must embrace e-commerce in the 21st century” at the William Factory Incubator.

To make a reservation, email:  ellis@williamfactory.com

While I have you, you might read:  Going Global is Easy - Tips to Make it REAL and check out Meylah, where Chaitra is currently CMO.

How to Celebrate Your Birthday Perched On Top of the World

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Trying to decide how you can have the most awesome birthday ever? Look no further.  All you have to do is get on a plane and fly to Singapore.  What do you get when you arrive?  Take your pick from the Singapore Flyer:

•  The Full Butler Sky Dining -- For a romantic dinner experience like no other, check out the world's first full butler sky dining with awe inspiring views of Singapore.

•  The Flyer Birthday Bash! -- Plan a sky high birthday experience for yourself or that special someone, 165-metre above ground.

•  The Singapore Flyer and Flight Experience Program -- Take a flight on the Singapore Flyer and learn to fly a Boeing 737.

Wait.  There's more.  Explore here.  Oh, in case you didn't know, the Singapore Flyer, launched in 2008, is the world’s largest Giant Observation Wheel and is poised to become one of Asia’s biggest tourist attractions.

Entrepreneurs See the World Differently; It's All About Creating Opportunities

Photo credit:  Pascal Muradian.  All rights reserved.

The 7th Annual World Entrepreneurship Forum, held in Lyon, France October 19-22nd, brought good things to life for anyone who is an entrepreneur or aspires to become one.  Forty countries were represented with more than 200 members attending from five continents!  Ideas and opportunities came from everywhere - speakers, moderators, members, sponsors, workshop presenters and partners.  Here's a sampling on some of the talented people we heard from over a three-day period:

• Tony Meloto, Founder of Gawad Kalinga, The Philippines on "pitching for social entrepreneurship."
• Abdallah Absi, Founder and CEO of Zoomaal, Lebanon on "pitching for crowd funding."
• Atef Alshabrawy, Founder and CEO of the Islamic M&SE's Bank and SME's advisor to the Federation of GCC Chamber of Commerce, Bahrain, on "pitching for Islamic finance."
• Arnaud Mourot, Co-director of Ashoka Europe, France on "inventing the future of entrepreneurship at the BoP.
• Aishwarya Mahajan, Regional Head Livelihood Education and Regional Manager of Jaipur Office, Aide & Action International, India on "inventing the future of entrepreneurship at the BoP."
• Dylan Wilk,  Founder of HumanNature, United Kingdom, on "inventing the future of entrepreneurship at the BoP
• Colin Jones, Senior lecturer of entrepreneurship at the University of Tasmania, Australia on "Entrepreneurship 3.0:  Critical knowledge and skills for entrepreneurs and how to develop them."
• Mohammad Reza Dayyani, Founder and Chairmain of the Board - Iran Entrepreneurs Forum, Founder and CEO of Entekhab Investment Development Group, Iran on "doing business in Iran."

Other impressive speakers included:

• Letizia Molatti introduced the socio-economic enterprises concept to bridge the gap in society. 
• Richard EU narrated his experience of handling failures in his family business while inducing family values in his organizational hierarchy. 
• Marita Chang, recipient of the young Australian entrepreneur 2012 award, described her journey from a simple university workshop on robotics to starting-up her company Robogals Global. 
• Chief Nyamweya, spoke about how he embedded happiness as one of the core values of his business.

And that's not all.  There were more terrific speakers and awardees from The Award Ceremony Gala Dinner - too many to list here.  To learn more on who else participated at the amazing World Entrepreneurship Forum, see pictures from each day and become a member, visit:  World Entrepreneurship Forum.  Press kits and news releases, go here.

In closing, entrepreneurs see the world differently.  We are all about creating opportunities, especially ones that can change the world. Thomas Edison is a great example of an entrepreneur who went on to create thousands of ideas that created value over time.  In their own right, the World Entrepreneurship Forum members and participants are all budding Edisons.

Note:  I am in the photo above with all the other participants at the World Entrepreneurship Forum 2014 in Lyon, France.  Next year's Forum takes places in Hangzhou, China.  Watch for more details soon.

Bringing Internet Access to Everyone in the World

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The big, bold solution:  "How to deliver basic internet services to everyone by working to decrease the costs of connectivity, building more efficient services that use less data, and by partnering with mobile operators on new models for access that can help the industry grow while also bringing more people onto the internet." - Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, on the challenges and opportunities of a new generation of connectivity platforms.

Read the paper:  Connecting the World From the Sky

Projects:  Internet.org

Today in Global Small Business: The World of Global Mobile According to Numbers

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

• What trips up most small business owners when it comes to importing and exporting?
• How to pick a market for expanding your commerce store?
• Why PayPal Canada launched PassPort for small businesses.
• Are small businesses pulling back on capital spending?
• Why many small businesses in Iowa desire to expand their businesses globally.
• The world of global mobile according to numbers.

Autumn Is Almost Gone

©2014 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"A wind has blown the rain away and blown the sky away and all the leaves away, and the trees stand.  I think, I too, have known autumn too long." - e.e. cummings

What Are People Sourcing at Global Sources?

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If you want to know the top 20 home products list on GlobalSources.com, you can access it here.  Plastic tumblers with improved user-friendliness and aesthetics are all but the rage these days, followed by multifunction electric rice cookers and nontoxic food storage containers.

Products are ranked based on the number of inquiries on the home products section on GlobalSources.com.

Learn more and check out the infographic:  Global Sources top 20 home products (September 2014): Impressive numbers pour in for plastic tumblers

New York's Global Welcome Ambassador: Taylor Swift

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Like it or not, Jeremiah Moss writes an amusing piece on Taylor Swift being named New York city's "Global Welcome Ambassador."

Is Taylor Swift qualified to define what New York stands for?

I'm all for this part:

Use your voice to encourage Mayor de Blasio to control the spread of chains. Advocate for the Small Business Jobs Survival Act to protect small businesses from skyrocketing rent hikes. Encourage tourists to spend less money at chain stores and shop local instead.

Everything else?  Meh.  I think there could be better choices.

Read:  A modest proposal for Taylor Swift

How Small Business Merchants Can Leverage Innovation to Sell Successfully Globally

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Small business owners have tremendous opportunity to sell to a global audience through their company website, blog, Facebook account, Twitter handle or any other web presence. The good news is that it never has been easier for small businesses to setup an online store, or more cost-effective, to reach prospective customers globally.

Here's how:  How Small Businesses Can Easily Use Innovations in Ecommerce to Grow

How to Lower the Credit Risks to Exporting

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Congress extended the Export-Import Bank's charter through the middle of 2015 as part of a compromise between supporters of the agency and those who want to eliminate it. Generally, the reauthorization period is extended for multiple years at a time.

Many small business owners rely on the credit agency to lower the risks of exporting.

Find out how some business owners are dealing with the uncertainty on Export-Import Bank's assistance, or eventual lack thereof, by reading:  Exporters Fear Credit Crunch

Today in Global Small Business: How America's Big Cities Have Prospered Under Existing Free-Trade Accords

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

• How pro-trade policies could create 10 million new high-paying trade-connected jobs in the U.S. over the next decade.
• Why trade clearly has the potential to create jobs.
• How America's big cities have prospered under existing free-trade accords.
• What country would you pick to expand overseas and why?
• How do you know when it's time to go global?
• How global flows are creating new degrees of connectedness among economies.

A Look at Lyon, France

Here's an assortment of pictures I took during my trip to Lyon, France to attend the World Entrepreneurship Forum.  The multicolored building is the hotel where I stayed - the Novotel Lyon Confluence, which is situated in the heart of the trendy district between the Rhône and the Saône.

All the other photos are taken within walking distance from the hotel.  It's an absolutely beautiful area.

Photos courtesy:  @2014 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.