J. Crew Spreads Its Global Wings

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The classic American outfitter, J. Crew, currently available only in North America and Japan, has plans to spread its global wings through a new agreement with Net-A-Porter that will take them first into Canada and next into the U.K.

Hard to believe:

"We're not capable of shipping outside of the United States," Lyons explains. "We have received an overwhelming request from our customers to be available overseas."

Jenna Lyons serves as J. Crew creative director.

Read more here.

Global Granola

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Sometimes you have to take time out to ... well ... mix your own granola!

Design your custom made organic, all natural cereal mix from over 75 healthy ingredients and enhancers. You can even add a custom picture to the mix!

Technology takes you where you want to go -- and that can be across the globe.

Learn more at MixMyGranola.

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Rev Up Your Export Engines: Global Expansion Is Where It's At for Small Businesses

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The light at the end of the tunnel is ... exports that take your business global.

By the way, you'll catch this in the article but ... vital day-to-day business survival techniques can include exporting.

Read more here with this thoughtful primer on how it's time to go global.

News You Can Use From Our Foreign Trade Division

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Working on strategic global marketing plan for your business? Trying to figure out how many of your particular widgets are sold in a specific overseas market? Finishing up a term paper for school that requires the latest foreign trade balance? Just curious as to where the numbers are at and what it means? Look no further.

1.) Press Release: December 2010 Trade Data
--------------------------------------

"The Nation's international trade deficit in goods and services
decreased to $380.7 billion in 2009 from $695.9 billion in 2008."


a.) GET THE BASICS from the "U.S. International Trade in Goods
and Services - Highlights"
----------------------------------------------------------

- http://www.census.gov/indicator/www/ustrade.html

b.) GET MORE DETAILED DATA from the full "U.S. International
Trade in Goods and Services Press Release"
----------------------------------------------------------

- http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/press.html

c.) GET TRADE BALANCES with specific countries
(as far back as 1985 for most countries!)
----------------------------------------------------------

- http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/index.html

d.) GET PRODUCT TRADE INFORMATION. What do we trade with
specific countries?
----------------------------------------------------------

- General (1-digit SITC)
- http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/sitc1/index.html

- More detailed (3-digit SITC)
- http://tier2.census.gov/sitc/sitcpage.htm

e.) WHEN IS THE NEXT RELEASE?
----------------------------------------------------------

- Release dates are set through statistical month December 2010
- http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/faq/gen/gen0007.html

Where and How to Compete Globally

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An old research document (11 pages) by Michael Porter that is still relevant to our times. Porter is generally recognized as the father of the modern strategy field. He shares where and how to compete globally.

New Global Strategies for Competitive Advantage

Tip:

Alliances are a tempting solution to the dilemma of a firm seeking the home-base advantages of another nation without giving up its own.

Should Any Manufacturing Operations Return to the United States?

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If so, which ones?

Read more at: "The Case for Backshoring"

Wanted: UPS to Help Double SMB Exports

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What a great job to have! The U.S. has asked UPS to help double exports for small and medium-sized U.S. businesses. UPS will use shipping data to identify those SMBs.

President Barack Obama set a goal of doubling exports to more than $3 trillion over the next five years to help create or support 2 million American jobs.
Less than 1 percent of America's 30 million companies export, which is significantly less than in other developed countries, the Commerce Department said in a statement.
Of those that do export, 58 percent export to only one country, providing what U.S. officials see as a big opportunity to expand exports.

A lot of the above stats can be found at UPS Business Monitor.

Read more here.

Another interesting piece: Export volumes: Is it possible to double exports in five years? ~ The Economist