Small Business

©iStock/francisLM What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners: China's new import regulations . Seven (7) ways to turn your cross-cultural understanding into a global competitive advantage (webinar 5/4; no charge). What is the Clover Online Store and how can it benefit you with an online presence? Manage your corporate relocation process with g lobal relocation software, tax compliance and expense management services . Tip of the week:  a tool to manage your international growth . Youths get hands-on lessons in going global.

©iStock/alisha5 How do you get companies to seize opportunities in the current global environment?  Singapore has some ideas and they focus on the external economy. So, the renewed push [by the government] is not so much about Singapore not having done well in the internationalisation story. Rather, it is about getting the companies to seize the opportunities in the current global downturn. We all know that finding new markets through globalization is one way for the companies to grow. Read more:   Going global -- will more government help make a difference?

©iStock/ChrisGorgio What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners: How to shake off complacency and create a sense of urgency. Company to watch:   Ally Commerce . How going global has improved Netflix's personal recommendations. Why you should not ignore tax when going global. Why France's biggest startup accelerator is going global with Cisco. Leaders discuss the ins and outs of doing business internationally .

©iStock/Rasulovs In order to strengthen its advertising operations, Instagram is going global.  It will focus on small businesses and users outside the US, as its sales operations rely more extensively on those of Facebook, its parent. Ms Levine [ chief operation officer Instagram; Facebook VP ] added that international expansion was a priority, with 75 percent of its more than 400 million users based outside the United States. Users Brazil:  29 million (second largest market outside United States) Germany:  9 million  UK:  more than 14 million Read more: Instagram to ramp up efforts to lure small businesses

©iStock/3dsguru 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

©iStock/BobYue 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 Bus

©iStock/valio84sl There are infinite number of reasons why you should take your business global.  We talk about many of them at this blog.  In the article below, author Heinz Bulos, highlights two specific reasons why you should look overseas for business growth: First, the opportunities obviously are much greater.  Second is foreign competition. According to Bulos, there are different paths to entering an international market.  The article discusses six different business models to take your business global. Read more:   Entrepreneurs go global