Go, Go, Go Global!

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Posted by: Laurel Delaney, The Global Small Business Blog

Small Businesses Can Become Global Conglomerates

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How to take your small business global by way of extreme outsourcing.

Read BusinessWeek's "Mom and Pop Multinationals."

The Great Global Divide

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The global recession is opening up a big gap in output performance between the chemical industries of the developed and developing worlds, which will continue to widen over the next few years.

Chemical producers in the emerging economies of countries such as China, India and Brazil are using expanding domestic demand to grab a larger share of the global chemicals market.

China is already accounting for 17 per cent of the world's chemical output,' says Thomas. 'The high growth in chemical production will continue in 2010 because of the large number of new chemical plants due to come on stream in the country during the year. Their output will slow down the big inflow of imports into China.'

Read more about this topic here at Chemistry World.

Encyclopedia of Small Business

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Always discovering something new and in this case, Encyclopedia of Small Business with a focus on globalization; basic but still interesting nonetheless.

Some people view globalization in positive terms, as a key force in promoting worldwide economic development. But others believe ...

More here.

SMEs Are the Backbone of Many Economies

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Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of many economies, including Ireland, and international business is an engine that seems to be running out of steam across all continents.

For example, take this excerpt:

‘‘SMEs are the backbone of this economy and it’s time the government sat up and took notice of this," said Curran.

‘‘We need to look at improving the export policy of these businesses, but the cost of competitiveness and a reduction in rates and other charges - such as energy - must be addressed. SMEs have done all they possibly can to cut costs.

Further:

‘‘We are still reliant on the international economy, and I would be very worried about the first few months of next year. This has probably been the worst year for SMEs in 20 years."

Read more at "SMEs Hanging On In Unforgiving Climate."

Additional resources mentioned in article:

Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association (ISME)

Not mentioned in the article but of interest:
ISME & FORD Guide to Surviving in a Downturn

Ford teamed up with ISME to produce a useful guide for small business in the current climate 'Keeping the small business moving – A guide to surviving in a downturn', it gives advice on cash flow, general cost reduction and marketing as they relate to smaller business.

ISME & FORD Guide to Surviving in a Downturn (PDF)

Make the Holidays Your Own

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"Christmas is a time when you get homesick -- even when you're home." ~ Carol Nelson

Wishing You a Bright and Shining Holiday Season Worldwide

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It's a most wonderful time of year! All of us worker-bees at GlobeTrade.com (www.globetrade.com) join in saying "Thank you" for your readership (and your comments). We wish you a Happy Holiday and a Successful New Year.
May 2010 be your year to take your business global!

Here's a look at Christmas in Rome. Enjoy.

Guess Who's Leading the World Out of a Downturn?

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If you immediately thought Asia is leading us out of the downturn, you're right. Specifically, Hong Kong shows a burst of activity in consumer consumption.

An excerpt from the WSJ article, "Consumers Spend Asia Out of a Downturn."

"Chinese consumers are buying," says Dong Tao, regional Asia economist for Credit Suisse in Hong Kong. "Job prospects are good." Add what he calls "the spice of asset appreciation" in property and stocks, and folks feel richer.
All of that is good news for the world economy, which has relied on Asia to pull the world out of recession. The International Monetary Fund forecasts inflation adjusted growth in developing Asia will be 7.3% in 2010, compared to 3.1% globally. China has accounted for more than half of the world's economic growth the past three years, according to the IMF.

Still, Asia must rely on its exports to not just survive but to really thrive. More here.

Note: In observance of Christmas tomorrow, be sure to watch for our special holiday post.

Global Small Business Trends; How We Fared

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How much came true of what we predicted in our top 10 global small business trends for 2009? I'd say we nailed nine out of ten (No. 2 -- dotMobi is still up in the air) but see for yourself here.

We'll put together another trusty list for 2010 soon. Watch for it.

The Do-It-Yourself Global Economy

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There's certainly no good reason why you can't do this same project across borders. An excerpt from Thomas L. Friedman's Op-Ed column in The New York Times (12/12/09):

Two examples, one small, one large: The first is my childhood friend, Ken Greer, who owns a marketing agency in Minneapolis, Greer & Associates. The Great Recession has forced him to radically downsize, but the Great Inflection has made him radically more productive. He illustrated this by telling me about a film he recently made for a nonprofit.
“The budget was about 20 percent of what we normally would charge,” said Greer. “After one meeting with the client, almost all our communication was by e-mail. The script was developed and approved using a collaborative tool provided by www.box.net. Internally, we all could look at the script no matter where we were, make suggestions and get to a final draft with complete transparency — easy, convenient and free. We did not have a budget to shoot new footage, yet we had no budget either for stock photography the old way — paying royalties of $100 to $2,000 per image. We found a source, istockphoto.com, which offered great photos for as little as a few dollars.
“We could easily preview all the images, place them in our program to make sure they worked, purchase them online and download the high-resolution versions — all in seconds,” Greer added. “We had a script that called for 4 to 5 voices. Rather than hiring local voice talent — for $250 to $500 per hour — we searched the Internet for high-quality voices that we could afford. We found several sites offering various forms of narration or voice-overs. We selected www.voices.com. In less than one minute, we created an account, posted our requirements and solicited bids. Within five minutes, we had 10 to 15 ‘applicants’ ” — charging 10 percent of what Greer would have paid live talent.
“Best part,” he said, “within minutes we had sample reads, which could be placed into our film to see if the voices fit. We selected our finalists, wrote them with more specific instructions and within hours had the final read delivered to us via MP3 files over the Web. We could get any accent or ethnicity we wanted. For music, we used a site called www.audiojungle.net,” where he could sample thousands of cuts of music and sound effects with the click of a mouse, and then buy them for pennies.
By being able to access all these cheap tools, Greer got to focus on his value-add: imagination.

Read the entire column here. When you attempt to access cheap tools and focus on your value add, take it global.

Funny Thing Happened....3/12

A lot of people wonder why the posts have dried up. It's not that there isn't anything to discuss or cuss, it's just that the discussion seems rather futile. It doesn't change.

The ER loses good staff, and they hire locums. Clinical or nursing loses staff, and locums replace them at twice or three times the cost.

The spread-out services continue to make it difficult for Essent's showplace to be truely functional.

The 401Ks go begging for a second year, but a new hospital is acquired.

When ever you ask someone that works here how things are, the first thing they do is look over their shoulder...that says a lot. (Try it sometime, you'll see what I mean.)

But, apparently the only thing we lose is customers. Paying customers, that is.

Maybe it's the wave of the future, but this is a future that doesn't float my boat. I think it's about time that I plot a different course. There are enough locum jobs that don't involve Essent and provide a safe way to evaluate an employer--and an area.

There are a number of former staff that have made the move--I'll probably have mates to commiserate with. I just hate the idea of the bad guys winning...by default.

Making a World of Difference

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Every Friday at 2:00 p.m. Eastern and 11:00 a.m. Pacific Dr. Amy Vanderbilt does any amazing job conducting live interviews on her website about national and global trends that you can turn into your personal and professional advantage. I had the wonderful opportunity ("thank you Amy!") to be featured on her happening program last Friday (12/18) under the theme of "A World of Difference: Trends Affecting the Global Business Environment in 2010 and Beyond" and concentrated on global business challenges and opportunities in 2010.

Find it here. And follow Dr. Vanderbilt on Twitter here.

Honor The Global Holidays In Your Heart

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"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year." ~ Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Press the Go Global Button in 2010

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As featured in the NYTimes.com:

Some Small Businesses Grow, Even in a Recession

Even before last fall’s crash, sales at Lexington International, a 12-employee maker of a laser device for treating hair loss, started heading south. “People cut down on nonessential health care items, and we really felt it,” said David Michaels, managing director of the company, which is based in Boca Raton, Fla., and was founded nine years ago. When he analyzed his company’s performance, Mr. Michaels concluded that the possibilities for domestic sales growth were slim. But he had started exporting his product, called HairMax, to Canada and Australia in 2001. Perhaps expanding to other countries was the answer.
Mr. Michaels turned to the Gold Key Service of the Commerce Department, hiring consultants who spent several months conducting industry research and visiting a handful of countries, the better to pinpoint potential distribution partners. Then, Mr. Michaels traveled to those places to meet his partners in person. At the same time, the consultants helped him understand the regulatory issues he would have to tackle in each country. Ultimately, the licensing process took three to nine months, depending on the region. The most difficult country was South Korea, which, Mr. Michaels said, has a particularly rigorous licensing procedure for medical devices.
Now, he is also selling to Russia, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, in addition to South Korea, where, Mr. Michaels said, “There are significant social advantages to having a great head of hair.” He figures that international sales have more than compensated for the decline in the United States.

Read the entire article here.

Who In Our World Celebrates Christmas?

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Wondering whether December is a brisk time to market your wares internationally and if people in certain countries are receptive to holiday items? You might take a look at:

Wikipedia's Christmas Worldwide

Honored to be Among Top List of Irish Americans

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Irish America’s Annual The Business 100 is a celebration of Irish-American corporate success. The executives profiled here represent some of the most powerful corporations and in my case, global small businesses, in the world.

All of the Business 100 share one thing in common: pride in their Irish heritage. I can vouch for that. It is an honor to be highlighted as an honoree.

Read more on my entry here.

Global Recognition for Award Winning Designs

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Meet Joseph Joseph.

Twin brothers Richard and Antony Joseph founded Joseph Joseph in 2003, combining their respective experience in product design and business – Antony studied design at Central St Martins whilst Richard studied business at Cambridge University.

Specializing in contemporary kitchenware, Joseph Joseph is now internationally recognized for producing some of the most stylish and technically innovative products available, and has become one of the fastest growing companies in the worldwide homewares market.
Their unique ability to match form and function has earned them global recognition for their multi-award-winning designs.

For more information, go here. Makes for a nifty, unique holiday gift.

The Incredible Shrinking Trade Gap

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The shrinking trade gap is lifting our spirits and growth prospects.

"U.S. exports appear to be improving much faster than the domestic economy, suggesting that much of the improvement seen in the manufacturing sector reflects strengthening economic conditions abroad and the impact of the weaker dollar," said Nomura Securities economist David Resler.
Stronger-than-expected net exports lifted growth prospects for the current quarter. The forecasting firm Macroeconomic Advisers raised its estimate for fourth-quarter growth to 3.8% from 3.4%.

Read all about it here.

Winter World Wonderland

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"As we struggle with shopping lists and invitations, compounded by December's bad weather, it is good to be reminded that there are people in our lives who are worth this aggravation, and people to whom we are worth the same." ~ Donald E. Westlake

Posted by: Laurel Delaney, The Global Small Business Blog

Expand Into the Global Market

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Although this is after the fact, it's still interesting and relevant to see that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in China are looking for ways to expand their businesses internationally.

"One of the key goals of this year's fair is to build an efficient trade platform for domestic SMEs to expand their business in the global market," said Lin Ying, secretary-general of the organizing committee.

Learn more here.

The Going Global Christmas Sale

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Isn't this sweet?

Crafts, baked goods and rummage - all of these will be on sale at the 1st Maple Guides Going Global Christmas sale, Saturday, Dec. 5.

Learn more about it here.

Global Artistry in Delectable Dark, Milk and White Chocolates

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We promised to provide you with unique gift ideas during the holiday season, and this one, Norman Love, is made in the U.S.A.

Norman Love® blends a master’s appreciation of the sensuous with the art of the chef to create handcrafted chocolates ... exquisite, silky, rich chocolates ... reserved for those who expect nothing less than perfection. Norman Love Confections® has been satisfying connoisseurs of fine chocolates since 2001, when the chocolatier first introduced the masterpieces he produces at his facility in Fort Myers, Florida.

Today, Norman enjoys international recognition for the incomparable, handcrafted natural sweets with tastes and textures that arouse the senses.

Think about someone special in your life -- employee, partner, spouse, friend, colleague, client, vendor, etc. -- and whether they might be in the mood for a nice surprise from you.

Learn more here.

Business Attire For Globetrotters; How to Fit In, Be Comfortable and Not Offend

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Have you ever been overseas attending a business meeting and at the close of the gathering, someone suggested you meet afterward at a famous sauna to relax and further discuss business -- in the nude? I have -- at least up to the nude part (swimsuits do come handy while traveling overseas!).

Here's a great little article that covers this and many other awkward moments when traveling to foreign countries and how to deal with it in the most sensitive manner possible without offending anyone, losing yourself or the deal you're working on.

Where Yellow's a Faux Pas And White Is Death

The Need to Go Global in 2010

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We featured the report, Taking on the World, in a recent edition of our monthly e-newsletter, Borderbuster, but for those of you who don't subscribe, we think it's important enough to re-highlight here. The report is published by KPMG Canada.

Growth opportunities for Canadian private companies don't always come from north of the border or sea to sea. Increasingly, foreign markets are the places to be if an organization is to achieve maximum growth in today's global economy. Indeed, Canada's future prosperity depends to a large extent on Canadian businesses' ability to compete globally by expanding successfully beyond the country's borders, thus taking full advantage of global markets and opportunities.
The report documents the extent of private companies' foreign operations to date; sheds light on the benefits of global expansion for private companies, and the key challenges and risks of doing so; and provides information about local employee and supply resources in foreign markets.
Access report: Taking on the World

Cruising Along in Our World

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A view of Lyon, France, where I am attending the World Entrepreneurship Forum.

Posted by: Laurel Delaney, The Global Small Business Blog.

10 Photos: World Entrepreneurship Forum 2009, Lyon, France

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World Entrepreneurship Forum
Lyon, France • 2009

Outsourcing New Ideas

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As funds dry up the world over, businesses are doing everything they can to continue down the path of generating new ideas (innovation). Have you considered outsourcing that aspect of your business to reduce costs, speed development time and tap into a pool of talent worldwide?

According to a recent article in the WSJ (special Business Insight Report), four situations call for outsourcing:

1. When companies would need to add lots of new knowledge to innovate, such as figuring out how to work with an unfamiliar chemical compound to make a different line of pharmaceuticals.
2. In the early stages of a project, when there are lots of technical hurdles to be overcome and the outcome is far from certain.
3. When intellectual property isn't well protected in the industry. In these cases, since new ideas spread quickly from company to company, it may not be possible to differentiate products with innovations. So, businesses turn to outsourcing to limit spending.
4. When companies have had lots of experience with outsourcing. Let's say all the factors above are equal—it's basically a toss-up between working on a project in-house and outsourcing it. In these cases, companies with a long track record of contracting tend to hand off the job to outsiders—three times as often, in fact, as businesses with average levels of experience in the practice. The costs and benefits of outsourcing are more certain for experienced firms, and they can better manage the situation to produce effective results.

Take a further look here to find out how outsourcing innovation works and affects performance.

Questions From First-Time Exporters

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Delivered by FedEx and this is good news to see they have returned to putting a big push behind globalization!

Reading the Greens: Four Questions From First-Time Exporters

If you don't know what reading the greens means, go here.

U.S. and Asia Have An Enormous Stake In Each Others' Prosperity

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Read the latest by Marcus Noland, Peterson Institute for International Economics:

American Economic Relations with Asia [immediate download of PDF file]

How To Derive 65% Of Your Revenue Outside Your Home Country

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India-based Tata Group chairman, 71-year-old Ratan Tata, has pushed to expand internationally. In an interview with a WSJ reporter Paul Beckett, he talks about the value of recent acquisitions his firm has made, succession plans for when he retires and how Indian companies can manage their image in the United States.

First, though, a couple of highlights.

When asked about two specific acquisitions:

Tata: If we assume that the global meltdown is a phenomenon that will be over in the near term, I think we will look back and say that these are very strategic and worthwhile acquisitions.

What has he done well?

Tata: One company standout is Tata Motors. It was particularly badly hit with its acquisition of Jaguar Land Rover, which was in trouble because of the collapse of the auto industry abroad. Tata Motors was able to extinguish its borrowing of $3 billion through this difficult period, and most people don't realize the magnitude of that task. This was executed very quietly and very successfully. It was achieved by raising new capital and it was achieved by liquidating some of the assets. And it was done by increasing margins by doing away with some loose practices.

How are you conducting the search for your successor?

Tata: ... I would hope, would have integrity and our value systems in the forefront and hopefully would carry on the path that we have tried to set for the company's growth.

Interrupt: Amazingly, 65 percent of Tata's revenues come from overseas.

How have you seen the relationship between India and the U.S. developing both on a government-to-government and business-to-business level?

Tata: ... We should not be aggressive and alien to the kind of pain that is happening [in the U.S.]. And we should find ways to be complementary to the needs of U.S. companies and not in fact be a pain to them. I believe we still have the cost advantage which we can use to the benefit of U.S. companies without in fact taking jobs away from them. If we can overcome the difficult period that the U.S. is undergoing, I think we can emerge as a very strong business ally of the U.S.

Read the entire interview here.

America-style Agribusiness In Africa?

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Are American companies boosting poor economies by swooping up farmland or is there some other hidden agenda going on?

Read more at "Land Rush in Africa" and weigh in with your comments.

Innovation Matters According to Members of the World Entrepreneurship Forum

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In follow up to the World Entrepreneurship Forum, Business Reporter Laura Noonan, from The Irish Independent, provides her perspective on the Forum.

Read the article here.

About the World Entrepreneurship Forum

Founded at the initiative of EMLYON Business School and KPMG, the World Entrepreneurship Forum benefits from the high patronage of Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the French Republic. It is the first worldwide think tank dedicated to entrepreneurs, creators of wealth and social justice. It gathers annually more than 100 members of over 40 different nationalities.

For more information: www.world-entrepreneurship-forum.com.

Full disclosure: Laurel Delaney (quoted in article) is a member of the World Entrepreneurship Forum.

Pictured: Patrick Molle, President, EMLYON Business School

Happy Thanksgiving From The Global Small Business Blog

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Thank you for your readership and comments. Without you, this blog would not be possible.

Have a great Thanksgiving (United States).

The origins of Thanksgiving can be found here. The famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is here. And if you ran out of ideas on what to cook, go here!
Enjoy.

World Entrepreneurship Forum 2009

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The World Entrepreneurship Forum is being held in Lyon, France this year.

Our goal at the Forum was to promote a type of entrepreneurship that creates wealth and social justice on a global scale by building on the backgrounds and experiences of members represented from more than 40 countries!

Based on the nine recommendations from last year, we focused on the role public authorities can -- and sometimes should -- play in developing entrepreneurship. Our target was to deliver three key proposals at the end of the Forum (which we did) and I will report on that shortly.

About the World Entrepreneurship Forum

Founded at the initiative of EMLYON Business School and KPMG, the World Entrepreneurship Forum benefits from the high patronage of Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the French Republic. It is the first worldwide think tank dedicated to entrepreneurs, creators of wealth and social justice. It gathers annually more than 100 members of over 40 different nationalities.

For more information: www.world-entrepreneurship-forum.com.

What's Your Approach to Global Trade in 2010: Conservative or Aggressive?

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In scanning the article, "What 2010 Has In Store for SMEs," published in the Times LIVE (South Africa), I found it refreshingly bizarre. How so?

He (Stanlib economist Kevin Lings) says that recent data from the United States shows that this powerhouse is recovering, and adds that global manufacturing has turned the corner.
It is also worth noting that South Africa takes about three to four months to react to global trends, so our recovery will come after a worldwide upturn.
"We are nowhere close to normal but it seems the worst is over. It is going to take a long time to recover, but the numbers look better."
Mike believes that the world's economic growth will stay muted for the next two or three years, so it will take some time to see significant growth on local soil.
Rode & Associates CEO Erwin Rode echoes these sentiments, saying that a conservative approach to 2010 is probably the best advice for SME decision-makers.
"For planning purposes, I would rather be a pessimist than an optimist. Don't expose yourself to great risks," he says.

This really cracked me up, "I would rather be a pessimist than an optimist." Anyone else feel that way? It seems so opposite of how American SMEs perceive their outlook on business!
Yet the article closes with:

Nevertheless, Mike is fairly optimistic about the prospects for SMEs, saying because of their lean and streamlined nature, they will be able to take up opportunities presented in 2010 much quicker than their large counterparts.

Read more here.

Climate Change is a Growing Global Challenge

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Back from Lyon, France after attending the World Entrepreneurship Forum. I will report about it later this week (catch a quick glimpse of award ceremony venue here).

In the meantime, a new APEC website for the Environmental Goods and Services Information Exchange (EGSIE) went live. The EGSIE is an innovative new website that will promote information-sharing and collaboration related to cutting edge environmental technologies in the Asia-Pacific region and will also promote the dissemination of such technologies globally.

Learn more here.

Amazing Autumn

Photo credit: Laurel Delaney

"Delicious autumn (Chicago photo)! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns." ~ George Eliot

Have a bountiful weekend.

Posted by: Laurel Delaney, The Global Small Business Blog

Blogging LIVE at the World Entrepreneurship Forum in Lyon, France

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I had the great honor and opportunity to listen to Minister Lee Yi Shyan, the State Minister of Trade and Industry, in charge of Entrepreneurship, Singapore talk about Singapore's strategy on entrepreneurship development.

Here are twenty (20) highlights:

1. How can government be a part of entrepreneurship (big question he was faced with)?

2. Ten percent (10%) of all businesses in Singapore are small businesses.

3. World Bank named Singapore the easiest place to do business.

4. Businesses in Singapore can no longer compete on the basis of low-cost pricing.

5. Projected growth for Singapore is 2-5 percent.

6. After a recession year, Singapore always bounces back.

7. Singapore involves the private sector to encourage and develop entrepreneurship.

8. They set up structures and the environment for entrepreneurship to thrive.

9. They also set up an action committee for entrepreneurs.

10. They set up a PRO enterprise panel to cut red tape and reduce regulatory burden; they seek and act on suggestions by the public.

11. Private equity platform; access to private equity financing (for those companies with high growth potential); micro-loan program -- up to $5 million dollars.

12. State Minister gave an analogy of how a tree grows in 10 years whereas a person takes a century.

13. Will check into his comment about a BlueSKY Festival which encourages SMBs to try out entrepreneurship and reach for their dreams.

14. Has a YES! School which helps schools develop entrepreneurship programs (ten percent of Singapore's schools reach 1,000 students).

15. Eighty-four percent (84%) of people would NOT give up business for better job!

16. There were 50,000 start-ups in 2009.

17. Launched a IES (International Enterprise Singapore) program.

18. Considered most innovative nation according to International Innovation Index.

19. Moving ahead: Innovators, Entrepreneurs, Scientists and Venture Capitalists = dollars + knowledge + market connections.

20. They participated in Global Entrepreneurship Week (this week) with 40 different programs.

Based on Minister Lee Yi Shyan's comments along with his high spirit, it is easy to understand why Singapore is flourishing with entrepreneurs!

Global Trade Gap Grows

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Even with a sinking dollar that aids exports, the trade gap still grows.

Important excerpt here:

Long term, however, economists say the U.S. needs to address its trade deficit by spurring exports to help offset imports of other nations' goods and services. One way to do that is by lowering the value of the dollar relative to other currencies, making U.S. goods and services cheaper abroad and more attractive to buyers.
That is already beginning to take place, as a recovery of the global economy has reversed investors' "flight to safety" that spurred demand for dollars during the past year. The U.S. dollar has been trading near a 15-month low this week against a basket of other currencies.
Even so, "the dollar may need to decline further," said Mr. Pandl, to spur exports enough to help narrow the trade gap and boost U.S. economic growth.

Read more here.

Could China Dominate a New Asian Trade Bloc?

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What's up and what's the hurry?

China's total trade volumes are expected to drop 20% this year largely because of the U.S. recession. Beijing has to keep exports growing to keep workers employed, and it needs commodities to turn into finished goods. China also needs other nations as customers and suppliers—if not the U.S., then Korea, Japan, Australia, and others will do.

Find out what China's strategy is and what the U.S. intends to do to remain competitive here.

Blogging LIVE From World Entrepreneurship Forum in Lyon, France

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Arrived in France for the World Entrepreneurship Forum where there are already fabulous exchanges between members of so many different backgrounds.

Enjoying the experience immensely. Follow my Tweets @Laurel Delaney or twitter.com/LaurelDelaney.

Cuban Bloggers Count

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Prominent dissident Cuban blogger, Yoani Sanchez, got herself into a little trouble lately for telling the truth (criticizing?) about the Cuban government but what struck me is how strong and resilient she is.

And her blog entries (she won a top journalism prize from Columbia University but was barred by the Cuban government from traveling to New York to accept the award) are pretty powerful too.

Take a visit to where she blogs at: Mediaite. Ain't no stopping Yoani.

Guiding Principles of World Entrepreneurship Forum

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On my way to the World Entrepreneurship Forum in Lyon, France (November 18-21) and our 2009 main topic is:

How can governments, at all levels, support the development of entrepreneurship?

We will also review the nine (9) recommendations we proposed during our 2008 Forum, aimed at enabling and fostering the development of the various forms of entrepreneurship. They are as follows:

World Entrepreneurship Forum Guiding Principles

1. Reform Regulations

To promote a truly entrepreneurship-centered business climate, reform tax and regulatory environments so as to make it easier, faster, and less costly for entrepreneurs to set up enterprises, grow them if they are successful, or close them if not; minimize the time they spend on licenses, tax procedures, litigation and other similar activities.

2. Create New “Entrepreneur-Friendly” Institutions

Introduce new-style entrepreneurship-friendly support institutions that provide technological knowledge, market information, business know-how, certification services, access to capital, and other essential business support.

3. Promote Proper Governance

Set forth a governance framework which unambiguously encourages risk-taking, while also ensuring that ethics lapses, corruption, and neglect of environmental sustainability carry a high cost to reputation.

4. Foster Positive Entrepreneurial Attitudes

Foster a cultural context where entrepreneurship has a positive image and where entrepreneurial success is publicly celebrated.

5. Create an Early Education Entrepreneurial Curricula

Include within schools a curricula that promotes the development of the skills and attitudes that are the hallmark of entrepreneurship, such as: Creating a vision, perseverance, creativity, spotting needs, empathy, leadership, dealing with ambiguity, risk-taking, and follow-through.

6. Develop Young Adult Entrepreneurial Curricula

Include within an education curricula practical elements of entrepreneurship and business development so as to increase the entrepreneurial IQ within the community.

7. Promote Lifelong Entrepreneurial Education

Provide entrepreneurs lifelong learning and development platforms for sharing of experience and best practices, coaching and mentoring, mutual support, and international networking, with the strong support of key stakeholders from business and civil society.

8. Empower Entrepreneurial Women, Minorities and the Disadvantaged

Support programs must also specifically target women, minorities, and the disadvantaged. Further, governments should implement laws and policies that ensure that entrepreneurs are sensitive to gender empowerment as well as diversity promotion.

9. Understand Entrepreneurship

Make it known that entrepreneurs are positive agents of social change, wealth creation, transparency, sustainability, and innovation.

Formal Guiding Principles can be found here.

I hope to have a chance to report out to you while in France but if I get too busy, which is very likely, I will wait until after I return to provide you with key takeaways. However, in the meantime, catch a LIVE broadcast of key moments here (http://www.world-entrepreneurship-forum.com).

By the way ... here's why I am a member of the World Entrepreneurship Forum.

Even a Caterpillar Knows How To Unleash Itself Into a Beautiful Butterfly

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Today marks the beginning of Global Entrepreneurship Week, an initiative to inspire young people around the world to embrace innovation, imagination and creativity. It runs this year from November 16-22 and virtually connects approximately 4 million people in 87 countries (read Kauffman Foundation's release about it).

Each nation has found a different way to kick off what is the culmination of months of organizing and engaging their communities.

How do you plan to celebrate and connect with the world? You can start by making a comment here with "I support Global Entrepreneurship Week!"

To find out more, visit Unleashing Ideas. Get live updates at the Unleashing Ideas Blog.

Go ahead ... unleash yourself and your potential -- globally!

Delivering Results for Children Affected By Aids

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We had a reader comment on our entry about, "The Tipping Point For World Recovery: Women Entrepreneurs," with this:

Great article! Our organization has been supporting women-owned micro-enterprises in less-developed countries for two decades and the results have been remarkable.

Learn more about FXB International (http://www.fxb.org). And if you are in the spirit to support, go here.

Thank you to our reader and congratulations on your success!

China Holds Great Promise

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Long time friend, colleague and Borderbuster fan, Paul Barsch, Global Services Marketing, Teradata (CA), who has weighed in thoughtfully from time to time on this blog (e.g., here and here), has written still another provocative piece for the Marketing Profs Daily Fix Blog with a headline of: "Going For Growth ... In China."

Fortunately, I had the great honor and pleasure of being interviewed for part of it. I say fortunately because Paul has a way of making all information concerning China -- palatable. And in this case, he doesn't let us down. Here's an excerpt:

Why all the difficulty? Western firms must deal with the fact that for all the excitement of capitalistic economic zones in China, most of the enterprises in China are state owned. That means Western companies must deal with plenty of costly and unending red tape from protective Chinese authorities. And while China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, there is much work to be done to level the playing field for Western companies to effectively compete.

So take a moment to read Paul's post to learn tips and strategies for how to prosper in Chinese markets. The comments are enlightening too -- be sure to add your own.

Many thanks Paul!

The Tipping Point For World Recovery: Women Entrepreneurs

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Let me catch my breath on this one because it's a doozy of a "Groundbreakers" report #2 by Ernst & Young, "Scaling up: why women-owned businesses can recharge the global economy," detailing how women entrepreneurs are critical drivers of economic growth and provides resources and insights for private sector, government and NGO leaders who are seeking to close the gender gap. I love to see that women entrepreneurs and women-owned business owners are finally getting the respect and attention they so rightfully deserve.

The Center for Women’s Business Research study shows that there are about 8 million women-owned enterprises in the US. Those businesses have an annual impact of nearly US$3 trillion dollars and create or maintain more than 23 million jobs — 16% of all US employment.

Women entrepreneurs have economic clout. Greater participation of women in the labor force correlates with higher GDP growth.

Worldwide, women own or operate 25% to 33% of all private businesses, according to the World Bank. Women-owned enterprises grow faster than those owned by men and faster than businesses overall.

And that's not all. What has made a difference for women entrepreneurs lately?

• The US government has appointed a woman as Secretary of State, and has created a new position, Ambassador at-Large for Global Women’s Issues.
• The World Bank’s Doing Business project has launched a two-year research program to identify and recommend reforms to eliminate the legal and regulatory barriers facing women.
• The Declaration on Fostering Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. The more wind and support we put behind women entrepreneurs, the faster and more powerful our global economic recovery. Read more here.

Download "Scaling up: Why women-owned businesses can recharge the global economy," as a printable document (818KB PDF).

We've been on this same trend (and agree with the report findings) for some time but see for yourself by visiting our sister social enterprise, Women Entrepreneurs GROW Global (WEGG). You might also re-visit our Top 10 Global Small Business Trends in 2009 (refer to No. 8: Women entrepreneurs will rule the global marketplace).

China Investigates Sales of U.S. Cars

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China is investigating sales of GM, Ford, and Chrysler vehicles, and the inquiry could lead to higher tariffs for American automakers.

Read more here. Comments are interesting. Do you have any? Let's hear.

Free, Free ... Free At Last: Dig and Learn

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A couple of resources that might come in handy for you as you kick your business up a notch in 2010:

DimDim.com
(http://www.dimdim.com)

Allows you to deliver live presentations, whiteboards and Web pages while sharing your voice and video. No downloads required.

HearMe.com
(http://www.hearme.com)

Small business owners can conduct an online business meeting with clients and contacts in an affordable manner. Educators can use HearMe's web meeting services to teach students around the globe.

paltalk.com
(http://www.paltalk.com)

Lets you explore your online world of chat sites with community chat rooms, lots of people and cool webcam technology that lets you see and be seen. Use for voice and video chat. All for FREE.

Gutenberg.org
(http://www.Gutenberg.org)

Project Gutenberg is the place where you (in the U.S.A.) can download over 30,000 free ebooks to read on your PC, Kindle, Sony Reader, iPhone or other device.

Lifelong FREE e-Learning

In this tough global economy, online education -- especially when it's top caliber and free -- is worth a serious consideration. It can never hurt to take a refresher course that might very well strengthen your competitive position in the world marketplace.

OpenCulture.com
(http://www.openculture.com)

The best free cultural and educational media on the web. This place is terrific. Take the time to dig and learn!

A Sumptuous Soap With Lots of Scents from Portugal

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It's time to start thinking of special gifts for special people in your life since the holidays are nearly right around the corner. Every week or so, we'll feature a unique item made from a different part of the world and will include a link on where you can buy it.

We have no tie or affiliations to these organizations. It's our way to shine a spotlight on businesses worldwide who are doing remarkable things and many for a very long time. If you have a remarkable product that you would like to have featured on The Global Small Business Blog, send us an email and we'll get our team right on it. Here goes ...

Country of Origin: Portugal

From Oprah's Favorite Things 2007
Established in 1887 in Porto, Portugal, the Ach Brito Company (site in Portugues or English) is the oldest family owned soap and perfume manufacturer in Portugal. Until the 1960's Ach Brito specialized in producing soaps and perfumes for the wealthiest of Porto's merchant families. The products were made and packaged specifically for certain families. The bath products produced in this factory are still made today, using the same turn of the century methods and techniques.

A place to buy? Try here.

Or go direct: