Small Business

©iStock/killerbayer When it comes to online activities, Amazon changed the way we shop, especially on books.  Just look at the state of Borders who turned over its online keys to Amazon back in the early days and Barnes and Noble who seems to operate only in big cities.  How are they fairing?  Now Amazon is not only opening brick and mortar bookstores but is changing the way we ship, or at least the choices we make when we buy from Amazon and have our merchandise delivered. ... Amazon has moved openly and aggressively to increase its reach, capabilities and capacity in the logistics and distribution arena. The Seattle-based company purchased thousands of trailers blazoned with Amazon logos in the U.S., registered as a non-vessel-operating common carrier to better manage the flow of goods from China to the U.S. and leased 20 U.S. domestic cargo planes from Air Transport Services Group. Are we in for market disruption in the logistics industry?

©iStock/balbaz What do basketball and hot chocolate have in common.  If you are 11-year old Max Ash, that's an easy answer because he sees the world differently. “I’ve come up with the idea of a mug with a basketball hoop to throw marshmallows into hot chocolate,” Max said. So far Max has sold 44,000 of these mugs -- The Mug With a Hoop™ -- and made more than $1 million in retail sales.  But the truth of the matter is that Max is on a bigger mission beyond himself.  “That kids with dyslexia [which Max has] have good ideas but they learn differently." Read more:   Weston Boy's Mug Business Is Global Slam Dunk Related video:   Meet a Child Entrepreneur With Dyslexia and His Mom

©2016 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved. The Heartland Cafe in Rogers Park, Illinois (USA) is a cultural icon in a diverse neighborhood that has been around since 1976. Known for its vegetarian dishes (although they do serve meat) and a quaint little general store that sells select items such as Newman's Own dark chocolate peanut butter cups and Kiss My Face body wash .  

©iStock/Bank215 UK Prime Minister David Cameron recently announced a referendum to take place Thursday, June 23, 2016 on whether Britain should remain in the European Union. In the article below I cover why the vote is about to be held, who wants the UK to leave the EU and how the outcome of the vote might impact small and big businesses. Read the entire article:   What Happens to SME Trade if Britain Leaves the European Union (EU)?

©iStock/Rat0007 In the Pacific Rim area, keeping trade and investment barriers in check and taking next steps to enable more people and businesses to take advantage will be an important determinant of future prosperity. "There is still considerable potential in the Asia-Pacific for growth in sectors like services trade and small business participation in supply chains," he [ APEC Secretariat Executive Director Dr. Alan Bollard ] continued. Read more:   Pacific Rim has growth potential for services trade and small businesses

©iStock/Rawpixel Doing business across borders and time zones requires that you must look beneath the tip of the cultural iceberg — the more obvious nuances such as proper attire, etiquette and greetings, says Julia Kruse , an innovator in global education and strategy. In the article below, she talks about seven skills you must master if you want to be a global business leader.  Here they are. Time orientation Individualism vs. collectivism Hierarchy and power distance Uncertainty avoidance Cooperative vs. competitive Low- and high-context Being vs. doing Read the entire article:   7 skills you must master if you want to be a global business leader

©iStock/gustavofrazao Interesting and spot on opinion piece by Morton Kondracke and Matthew J. Slaughter for The Wall Street Journal (3/16/16).  The authors talk about how the four leading USA presidential candidates are divided on so many topics yet stand united on one:  the assertion that trade hurts America. Donald Trump blasts that “foreigners are killing us on trade,” while Bernie Sanders inveighs against “disastrous trade agreements written by corporate America.” Ted Cruz laments that “we’re getting killed in international trade right now,” and after flipping her position on the TPP and other trade agreements, Hillary Clinton now promises that America will never again “be at the mercy of what any country is going to do to take advantage of our markets.” Read the entire opinion piece:   Make the Case for Trade