Memorial Day

Remembering those who have died in our nation's service.

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Photo: Arlington National Cemetery

Forces Shaping the Future World of Business

IBM conducts annual global research on the evolving role of c-level executives in the decade of smart.

They also interviewed 3600 students around the world on their views of forces shaping the future of business. Worth a look.

A snapshot of insights:

You have to base decisions in facts not instinct, but you have to act rapidly which involves a little bit of experience and trusting in yourself. ~ Student Perspective: Mexico

My generation has a completely different view and understanding of unbounded, unlimited social connectivity, science and technology and cultural conglomeration that leads to more open, interconnected ambitions. ~ Student Perspective: U.S.A

I think it's high time to manipulate as much data as possible in order to understand this changing world in a better way. ~ Student Perspective: Argentina

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Emerging Countries: Hotbeds of Business Innovation

Why are countries that were until recently associated with cheap labor now becoming leaders in innovation?

Find out here in this special report on innovation in emerging markets: The world turned upside down | The Economist.

Chart credits: The Economist

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Who's the Largest Tech Company in the World?

IBM, Google, Oracle, Apple or Microsoft?

In terms of market capitalization, the winner is:

Apple

This list of product rollouts tells the story:

iMac (Bondi Blue -- pictured above) – 1998

iBook (clamshell) – 1999

iPod with scroll wheel – 2001

Mac OS X – 2001

iTunes Store – 2003

MacBook (switch to Intel) – 2006

iPhone – 2007

App Store + iPhone SDK – 2008

iPad – 2010

Do you aspire to become the world's largest company at what you do?

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

The World Brought To You By Stanford University

Explore Stanford's world here:

• Bechtel International Center
• Bing Overseas Studies Program (BOSP)
• Center for Global Business and the Economy (CGBE)
• Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI)
• International Comparative and Area Studies (ICA)
• Stanford Center for International Development (SCID)
• Stanford Global Health
• Stanford International Initiative
• Stanford Language Center

Wait, there's more!

Blogs:

• Stanford International
• Unofficial International
• My favorite: The Unofficial International Stanford Blog -- Unbiased. Uncensored. Stanford in real time.

Shortcut to their Browse Global page.

SMB Exporters Exude Confidence About Their Companies' Future

According to a survey commissioned by UPS, although concerned about the economy, small- and medium-sized business exporters are confident about their companies' futures, especially when it comes to international sales.

I've always felt that exporting and boldness go hand in hand.

"Entrepreneurs who export are self-assured, adaptable and resilient so it doesn't surprise me that the survey shows exporters are confident about meeting their business goals," said Laurel Delaney, owner of small-business consulting firm Global TradeSource, Ltd.

Yet many SMBs feel -- if only they could get started!

"Talking to current exporters reveals that for many small businesses, the most difficult thing about exporting is just getting started," said Dan Brutto, president, UPS International. "But with the administration's new export initiative, there's never been a better time for small businesses to give exporting a try. The right partner can serve as a bridge to help businesses ease into global trade and, in turn, find new revenue streams."

For complete results of the Business Monitor United States survey, visit http://ups.com/businessmonitor/us.

Did you know? UPS also offers tips and resources for small businesses looking to export at http://pressroom.ups.com/snapshotsforsmallbiz.

Immediate download (PDF) offering facts and tips on how to take your business global:
2010 Business Monitor United States fact sheet

Immediate download (powerful information -- worth a good long look):
2010 Business Monitor United States full report

UPS blog, UPSide here.

So, muster up that boldness (kitty cat confidence as shown in photo) and get exporting!

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Here's What Works in Entrepreneurship Across the Globe

This is a phenomenal article by Daniel J. Isenberg in the June 2010 Harvard Business Review. One of the best I've read in a long time on entrepreneurship. Well researched, good case study references, excellent country specific examples and terrific insight into the nine prescriptions for creating an entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Isenberg is no stranger to entrepreneurship with international wings. He also authored, "The Global Entrepreneur," December 2008 for HBR.

Please take the time to read, "Start An Entrepreneurial Revolution," in its entirety. The best part is near the end where Isenberg challenges us by posing the question:

Do you have a strong entrepreneurship ecosystem?

Do you?

Note: added 5/24/10 at 9:35 p.m. CDT, an audio IdeaCast:

How To Create An Entrepreneurial Economy (Daniel Isenberg, professor of management practice at Babson College and author of the HBR article "The Big Idea: How to Start an Entrepreneurial Revolution." Copyright 2010 Harvard Business School Publishing)

Island Paradise: Dubai World

Are Polish Entrepreneurs Swindlers?

Well imagine my reaction to reading this headline published by News From Poland (pictured):

Poles distrust entrepreneurs

According to a survey by PBS DGA (English here), almost eighty percent of Poles (1,000 people surveyed) believe that Polish entrepreneurs are thieves, cheaters and swindlers.

How could this be?

Half of the respondents claim that businessmen manage to achieve success and grow rich through backdoor activity and contacts with politicians. Every fifth Pole thinks that financial success can be achieved only by violating the law, i.e. fixing tenders, giving bribes or stealing confidential information from rival companies.

Care to weigh in with your comments or share your experience? As always, we welcome hearing from you!

How to Compete Globally

It starts with participating in export seminars and utilizing a sort of Cliff Notes on how to do business in six (6) different countries.

UPS, a longtime advocate of the benefits of international commerce, today announced a series of key global trade initiatives aimed at helping small- and medium-sized businesses expand and compete in today's rapidly changing global business environment.

Learn more here.

The Cliff Notes (snapshots, if you will, provide an overview of global markets that present significant opportunity to U.S. small businesses, whether you are just beginning to explore international trade or already expanding to new markets) can be found here and include Brazil, Canada, China, India, Poland and Vietnam.

Complete global toolkit can be found here.

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Localization Intelligence Across Borders

What predominant color should your billboard be in Argentina? How many units should you pack in a gift box for Japan? Can your site communicate effectively across borders?

There's a company that claims to translate global business (right up our alley :-).

Learn more about it here.

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

International Trade Data for March 2010

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's Foreign Trade Division, March 2010 exports are up $25.0 billion (20.4%) and imports are up $36.6 billion (24.2%) compared with March 2009.

Go here to learn what to monitor in terms of recent disasters (e.g., volcano and oil spill) that could interrupt U.S. trading patterns in the future.

Illustration credit: U.S. Census Bureau's Foreign Trade Division

How to Make a Global Deal Work

Two CEOs lived on different continents and barely knew one another. They each had their share of challenges. Find out how they struck a global merger here.

Questions for everyone:

1. Will the lack of a shared history together have negative repercussions on the merged firm in the future?
2. How will they decide to fairly allocate resources to the merged entity?
3. Was this global merger born out of desperation or to optimize the growth of a business?

As always, we welcome your comments.

Exports Strengthen Global Trade

According to the Commerce Department, the U.S. trade deficit expanded 2.5% to $40.4 billion in March, compared with the prior month.

The March rise in exports and imports was a positive indicator for U.S. demand, as well as for international trade, signaling that more economies around the world are recovering from the downturn.

U.S. exports rose 3.2% to a seasonally adjusted $147.9 billion, while imports increased 3.1% to $188.3 billion.

Read more here.

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Fearless About Going Global?

One has to be fearless when it comes to taking a business global but ... did you know ... there is a new magazine called fear.less?

There is indeed and here it is. Want to know more? Go here.

Full 38-pages here.

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Revolutionizing Cycling on a Global Basis

Can bicycling promote Third world development?

Frederick K.W. Day recalls his first long car ride in Zambia in 2006. "We're looking out the window and we keep seeing bike carcasses piled up alongside the road," he says. "It was like something out of The Andromeda Strain."

Find out what Day does as a result here.

Moral of story? Build a better bike and then teach them how to make it for themselves.

Visit Scram.

Photo credit: Forbes/Leah Missbach Day

Pictured: Day and a student ride on her new bike (Africa)

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Truth or Dare to Be Innovatively Global?

My latest contribution (via Small Business Trends) over at the American Express OPEN Forum.

6 Ways to Be iNNOVATIVELY Global

Foreign market entry does not always require a major investment. If you follow these six tips, overseas business will be at your doorstep in no time at all.

Read the entire article here. If you like it, chirp a bit or (re)Tweet it.

Photo credit: Madonna, the queen of global pop is shown in her movie "Truth or Dare."

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Are You World Savvy?

If you think beyond borders, you would be considered world savvy.

But in this case:

World Savvy is a global education nonprofit serving youth and educators through three core programs in three offices nationwide. Our mission is to educate and engage youth in community and world affairs, to prepare them to learn, work and live as responsible global citizens in the 21st century.

Learn more and find out how you can get involved here.

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Tough as BRIICS

Meet, BRIICS, the new tough and high potential set of emerging markets in the world: Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia, China and South Africa. They have fairly large populations, natural resources and face different challenges and opportunities as the global economy recovers.

Read this SPECIAL Report by Euromonitor and learn about:

• Economic performance
• Consumer markets
• Business environments and opportunities
• Challenges ahead
• Prospects

Chart credit: Euromonitor International

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Do You Know the Muslim Population?

Interactive maps show the size and distribution of the 1.57 billion worldwide Muslim population.

Pew Forum Map: Distribution of Muslim Population by Country and Territory

Now you might understand President Obama's Muslim entrepreneurship initiative.

Illustration credit: here.

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Going Global Can Take Place Anywhere in the World

Repeat: You can take your business global from any point in the world (such as this small town shown above) provided you have access to the Internet to help facilitate things. Got it?

Read this Portfolio (now available only online) article:

Small Town, Big World

Entrepreneurs in Sonoma have figured something out. You don’t have to be in New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles to go global. Sometimes, you can do it right in the backyard of your own little California town.

How To Become a Global Media Brand in 60 Minutes

In case you have been living in a cave, come out and explore this practical and fun piece by David Brewer!

Becoming a global media brand in 60 minutes

It's a six step process that goes like this:

Step 1: Words (10 minutes)
Step 2: Distribution (10 minutes)
Step 3: Audio/Video/Images (20 minutes)
Step 4: Creating a network (10 minutes)
Step 5: Convergence and cross-promotion (10 minutes)
Step 6: Sit back and enjoy (ongoing)

Read more here.

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

What High Achievers Do: Go Global

We are delighted to reconnect with one of our favorite entrepreneurs/journalists/editors, Rieva Lesonsky, over at GrowBizMedia on a fantastic article she wrote for Success Magazine June 2010 (front cover as shown above):

Taking Your Business Global
A world of opportunities awaits business owners seeking to sell or source products overseas.

Many thanks to Rieva and her brilliant team for including us in this article and for getting the message across on how important going global is to small businesses.

As Rieva says:

... proof that even the smallest business can take advantage of expanding opportunities in global trade.

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

What's the Recipe for Transformative Change on a Global Scale?

According to John Elkington, What Matters, McKinsey & Company, change starts with four different steps that have to do with individual beliefs and behavior: mindsets, behaviors, paradigms and cultures.

His lead to this fascinating piece:

Still, I have now spent 35 years helping CEOs and other leaders wake up to—and tackle—the new risks and opportunities thrown up as a series of societal pressure waves have pounded, shaped, and powered markets.

It appears from his commentary that integrating human values into the core of business purpose, strategy and behaviors works wonders when it comes to social entrepreneurship or activities that drive social change.

Read the entire thoughtful piece here.

What do you think?

Illustration credit: here.

Which Apps are Global?

We've been a long time fan of John Yunker over at Global by Design and last week did a blog post about which apps are "international ready." Here's a snapshot of his tally thus far:

• PayPal Mobile: 15 languages
• Google Mobile: 15 languages (shown above)
• Facebook Mobile: 7 languages
• Monopoly: 6 languages

Read more here. Interesting. What's your take on it? Is he missing anything? Be sure check out his Web Globalization Report Card 2010 -- worth a look.

When It Comes To Exporting, Don't Think It, Do It

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is encouraging you to export.

Go here for more details.

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog