Small Business

©iStock/yacobchuk Despite the challenges competing against global rivals, more than 80 percent of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) reported maintaining or growing revenue in 2018.  This is according to the inaugural State of Small Business Global Report by TradeGecko, a cloud-based commerce platform for growing companies, in collaboration with Golfdale Consulting. SMBs are the lifeblood of the global economy, making up over 95 percent of all firms and 60-70 percent of total employment. The report polled 573 product-centered commerce businesses from 24 countries around the world, including 383 from the United States, to lift the lid on the challenges and opportunities for small and medium-sized commerce businesses. The survey shows that "small and medium businesses are punching above their weight when it comes to competing in the global market against large firms with big teams and big budgets." To access the report and its findings, visit here .  For mor

©2019 Laurel Delaney.  All rights reserved. Chicago is colder than parts of the Antarctica today. Temperatures are expected to stay below -13°F all through Wednesday, January 30, making the Windy City colder than the South Pole in Antarctica, which will see highs of -4°F the same day. Wind chill will make the historic temperatures even more extreme.  Gusts could potentially make it feel as cold -50°F outside. So what do you do when it's this cold outside?   Make an ice-light – a Finnish tradition . from The Global Small Business Blog http://bit.ly/2Wq56It Baby It's Cold Outside, At Least in Chicago-Small Business

©iStock/FLDphotos In a recent opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, "I wasn't trying to build a global company." Instead, he just realized you could find almost anything on the internet—music, books, information—except the thing that matters most: people. And that was the beginning of Facebook (2004), which currently has more than 2.7 billion monthly users worldwide (Q3 2018, most recent report available). Learn more about Mark Zuckerberg's business model and read the opinion piece here . from The Global Small Business Blog http://bit.ly/2Urwrbs I Wasn't Trying to Build a Global Company-Small Business

©iStock/Tryaging What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners: Exporting is one of the best ways to grow a small business.  With the current state of United States trade though, it makes it mighty difficult.  Here's what to keep your eye on .   Join Jacqueline Smith, CEO, Kiesque on her weggchat™where she will discuss how to startup and take a personal care product global.  It's free and all you need is a Twitter account.  Go here to find out why you should join the chat and how to do it . Quote of the week:  "A founder is not a job, it's a role, an attitude.” — Jack Dorsey, Twitter co-founder and CEO of Twitter and founder and CEO of Square. Mizuno golf balls are going global with the USA its first new market entry . New year, new rules for governing e-commerce . Global shipping rates slump in the latest sign of an economic slowdown. from The Global Small Business Blog http://bit.ly/2G5YNEb Today in G

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved. "The American flag is the symbol of our freedom, national pride and history." – Mike Fitzpatrick from The Global Small Business Blog http://bit.ly/2FYDft3 Freedom, Pride and History: The American Flag-Small Business

from The Global Small Business Blog http://bit.ly/2FWOrX4 Understanding Cultural Differences in Global Business and Appreciating Why Relationships Matter-Small Business

©iStock/marchmeena29  The majority of people in a global survey say there's no 'objective' news anymore. The survey draws on answers from 20,301 people around the world. Individuals from 36 countries in four regions — the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East and Africa — were surveyed: 11,238 were “informed elites” (college-educated people who consider themselves middle class) and 5,963 were “business decision-makers” (senior leaders in an organization or small business owners). The rest were defined as adults over 18 years of age. Read more about the survey and how a patent attorney released a chart on the most trusted news sources showing just how biased they were . from The Global Small Business Blog http://bit.ly/2FYGL6z Is News Objective Anymore?-Small Business

©iStock/wildpixel Karen Kerrigan, president and CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, says "The USMCA would greatly benefit American small businesses and encourage new business creation in America. Congress should waste no time in approving the deal." She goes on further to say: The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) was signed by President Trump and his fellow leaders at the G20 in Argentina. The accord modernizes the decades-old NAFTA and is chock full of meaningful provisions that will help American small businesses boost exports and safeguard their intellectual property (IP). To learn the good, the good and the good on USMCA according to Kerrigan, visit, " why America's small businesses and entrepreneurs win under USMCA ." On a side note:  If you missed Laurel Delaney's " Global Trade Trends Report 2019 ," (wegginar®) you can catch it here  for free and she touches on the good, the bad and the ugly

©iStock/carmengabriela  The myth of the omniscient leader has been debunked and for success in this competitive world, entrepreneurial talent needs to hum through the organization. Once thought to be the sole domain of start-ups or small companies, entrepreneurial talent is a vital engine for larger organisations. One definition is “the ability to discover, select, process, interpret and use the data necessary to take decisions in an uncertain world and, then, to exploit market opportunities." There are a top 10 countries that have all invested in creating and encouraging entrepreneurial talent. These nations are open economies with a strong emphasis on education. Innovation and talent impact are the areas where they perform particularly well. Read more to find out which countries are the world's most entrepreneurial, innovative, competitive and talented in 2019. from The Global Small Business Blog http://bit.ly/2FIgpGN A Single Genius Cannot Power An Entire C

©iStock/Coast-to-Coast What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners: Think you are too small to be hacked?  Think again, at least if you are a Hong Kong SME . Listen to Laurel Delaney's Global Trade Trends Report 2019 and find out what will be booming and what will not.   It's free -- 2-second sign-in . How a diverse workforce can help company performance. Quote of the week:  "Success is fine, but success is fleeting.  Significance is lasting.” — Beth Brooke, Global Vice Chair of Public Policy, EY Global e-commerce sales grow 18% in 2018 -- should be near $6 trillion by 2022 . Join Jacqueline Smith, CEO, Kiesque on her weggchat™where she will discuss how to startup and take a personal care product global.  It's free and all you need is a Twitter account.  Go here to find out why you should join the chat and how to do it . Honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. on this day . My dream is ... fro

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved. " I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train." --Oscar Wilde from The Global Small Business Blog http://bit.ly/2T1AsTp Read Something Sensational on a Train-Small Business

©iStock/Deagreez A global initiative to support women entrepreneurs with financial management resources and mentorship opportunities, called She's Next, has been launched by Visa.  This initiative is in addition to an already existing and independent nonprofit called wegg® , which helps women entrepreneurs and business owners go global. The purpose of the She’s Next, Empowered by Visa is to encourage women small-business owners as they build, sustain and advance their businesses, the company said.  She's Next will be supported by the Female Founder Collective , a network of women-led businesses founded in 2018 by fashion designer and entrepreneur Rebecca Minkoff, co-founder and creative director of the Rebecca Minkoff company. Learn more about how Visa and Rebecca Minkoff have partnered to support women entrepreneurs . from The Global Small Business Blog http://bit.ly/2AONooE New Lifeline to Women Entrepreneurs-Small Business

from The Global Small Business Blog http://bit.ly/2CtVgMj Global Superstar Lady Gaga Answers 73 Questions-Small Business

©iStock/kirisa99 In early 2018, Global Strategy Group and Public Opinion Strategies conducted a national online survey of 2,165 business owners.  This sample included: 764 first year startups 1133 startups that were fewer than five years old 1032 businesses that were more than five years old Discover the key findings in the report, Breaking Barriers:  The Voice of Entrepreneurs   with the ©2018 Ewing Kauffman Foundation. from The Global Small Business Blog http://bit.ly/2swzuTM The Current State of Entrepreneurship-Small Business

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved. Today's Global Small Business Blog test for readers comprises 3 questions: Which USA company began in a small condo in Manhattan Beach on 26th Street and The Strand in 1992? How many square feet was their first office? Where are they today in the grand scheme of things? Answers: Skechers -- cornering the world as they design design, develop and market a diverse range of lifestyle footwear for men, women and children, as well as performance footwear for men and women. 1,800 square feet of space in Manhattan Beach. Skechers has expanded into a global brand with annual sales of more than $4 billion. Read more about how Sketchers is celebrating its groundbreaking of company expansion . from The Global Small Business Blog http://bit.ly/2M9JCe9 A Lifestyle Shoe Company Expands Its Footprint -Small Business

©iStock/krblokhin What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners: India's leading export:  CEOs ... how they are leading the global tech revolution . World Bank's Kim to take new job .  Who will lead the World Bank next? Quote of the week:  "All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” — Walt Disney Going global:  what clients need to know ( podcast ). Mobile transactions , particularly with smartphones, continue to grow globally. Join a weggchat® 2/6 hosted by @weggtoday with Jacqueline Smith, CEO, Kiesque where she will discuss how to startup and take a personal care product global.  It's free and all you need is a Twitter account.  Go here to find out why you should join the chat and how to do it . from The Global Small Business Blog http://bit.ly/2D8rZrX Today in Global Small Business: Who Will Lead The World Bank Next?-Small Business

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved. "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." -- Helen Keller from The Global Small Business Blog http://bit.ly/2M8l4lB Make Life a Daring Adventure-Small Business

from The Global Small Business Blog http://bit.ly/2VMyesN Jeff Bezos on Global Business Strategy: Big Things Start Small-Small Business

©iStock/Britus  The export promotion agency, Dubai Exports , of the Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai, recently participated in a series of events in Egypt, Ivory Coast and Nigeria as part of its efforts to promote UAE products and services across promising international markets and connect local trade to the best gateways in the African continent. Ahmed Al Omari, Director Exports Market Development at Dubai Exports, says: “Dubai Exports is actively pursuing opportunities in Africa and enabling more exporters to reach out to markets within the continent." He goes on to say: "Year after year, we see the export capabilities and international presence of our UAE companies steadily increasing and the missions and events we organize contribute to their business development." Read more about how Dubai Exports promotes trade with Africa through a mission to Egypt, Ivory Coast and Nigeria. from The Global Small Business Blog http://bit.ly/2QF59

©iStock/SasinParaksa The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) released, " NFIB Small Business Economic Trends " by William C. Dunkelberg and Holly Wade. The report itself seems to come across as pretty much optimistic from the view of the SME market lens and their outlook.  However, as the author writes: And no matter how the NFIB spins Tuesday’s [1/8/19] report, reading from U.S. corporates like Apple (AAPL), South Korean giant Samsung, the U.S. manufacturing sector, the Chinese manufacturing sector, the German industrial sector, and the U.S. services sector all point to a global economy that is, at a minimum, in a lower gear. Factor this in: This marked the fourth-straight month of declines for the index and is the largest four-month slide since 2012, according to Bespoke Investment Group. Read more about how small businesses might be starting to lose faith in the current USA administration. from The Global Small Business Blog http://bit.ly/

from The Global Small Business Blog http://bit.ly/2C6Kbkk Makeup Standards From Around the World With Inner Beauty Counting the Most-Small Business

©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: Listen in on Laurel Delaney's annual wegginar® regarding Global Trade Trends Report 2019.  FREE.  Register here. Quick take on Trump's trade war . Battling over copycat brands and trademarks in the e-commerce world. Quote of the week:  "I made no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me.” — Anaïs Nin A tariffically bad idea -- a look back on the global trade war that won't go away. Revisiting globalization . from The Global Small Business Blog http://bit.ly/2H1DKo8 Today in Global Small Business: Laurel Delaney's Global Trade Trends Report 2019-Small Business

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved. “Dig deep and empower yourself today.  Stand in your inner strength.  Be uniquely you.”  ― Amy Leigh Mercree from The Global Small Business Blog http://bit.ly/2SyNpUp Dig Deep and Empower Yourself-Small Business

©iStock/Ryzhi According to economist Richard Baldwin , "Globalization and AI are primed to disrupt tomorrow’s workplace."  Baldwin's thesis is: ... that globalization and AI robots constitute a “globotics” tidal wave that will shake the foundation of middle-class prosperity in wealthy nations. This, he [Baldwin] argues, will lead to social upheaval, just as 19th-century steam engines and mechanical looms created workplace disruptions that brought workers to the streets in sometimes violent protest. Learn more about Baldwin's new book, The Globotics Upheaval ,  published by Oxford University Press, which provides a compelling analysis how a new form of globalization will combine with software robots to disrupt service-sector and professional jobs in the same way automation and trade disrupted manufacturing jobs in the past. from The Global Small Business Blog http://bit.ly/2R6gMRw Globotics: You Heard It Here First-Small Business

©iStock/Khosrork Are you a smart, ambitious, competitive and confident entrepreneur?  Throw in that you have a global mindset too.  Great, you are off to a fantastic start in the new year.  Oops, not so fast. In fact, those beneficial characteristics can lead to an entrepreneur's downfall. Excessive confidence and unchecked ambition make up a recipe for self-destruction. According to a ScienceDirect publication, people's deepest impulses become disinhibited when they achieve power. Follow these three tips to keep bad habits from destroying your business. from The Global Small Business Blog http://bit.ly/2F1oxBG Curb Your Bad Business Habits in 2019-Small Business

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved. Since it is the beginning of a new year, we thought you'd like to learn a little history about the Global Small Business Blog. The blog was started by Laurel Delaney  July 20, 2004 as a vehicle to share global trade information and promote her company's capabilities:  helping entrepreneurs and small business owners go global.  That first year, when no one knew what a blog was, how to use one or how to get started, she posted 54 times.   Here's the first post.   The left side bar shows the number of blog posts each year from 2004-2019. Since its founding, the Global Small Business Blog has had more than 2,252,775 page views, 3,800 posts and a readership range of between 25,000-75,000 readers on any given month. The blog is now No. 1 in the world for entrepreneurs and small business owners who are interested in going global. We've had individuals and companies who have offered to purchase our blog but we ar