India Is Home to Nearly 7% of the World's Billionaires

Mukesh Ambani, India

According to Sadanand Dhume at The Enterprise Blog, with barely 2 percent of the world’s GDP (in dollar terms), India houses nearly 7 percent of the world’s billionaires.

How does this affect the way we market products in India (e.g., hire Bollywood actors and actresses to develop a brand)?

Read:  Does India Have Too Many Billionaires?

Related article:  India's Richest

Pictured: Mukesh Ambani, one of India's richest.  More on Ambani's firm and latest buy-in.

Argentina-Brazil: Trade Trouble Ahead?

Will Brazil's new government will be quicker to react to Argentina's non-tariff trade barriers than its predecessors?

Trouble began brewing in February, when Argentina lengthened the list of Brazilian-made products that no longer qualify for its automatic import licenses from 400 to 600. One of the first sectors to take a hit was Brazil's footwear manufacturing. After the U.S. and the U.K., Argentina is the biggest market for Brazilian shoes.

Learn more over at Knowledge at Wharton: "The Ties That Bind: A new Twist in Brazil-Argentina Trade Tactics?

Posted by:  The Global Small Business Blog

In a World of Risk, How Do You Write It Up?

As the article featured below in CFO Magazine indicates, in emerging markets, the clash between politics and profits presents numerous threats.

Read more here.

Illustration source:  Multilateral Guarantee Agency survey of investors, 2010

Posted by:  The Global Small Business Blog 

Contacting a Manufacturer: Script It To Perfect It

Preparation is everything when it comes to initial contact with a manufacturer on a product you wish to import or export.

Here's a script I prepared that hopefully guides you with your first communication.

Scripting Your Communication to the Manufacturer:  Importing and Exporting Business

Happy 4th of July America: We Are Still The Country of the Future

Happy Independence Day United States of America!

According to Walter Russell Mead, no country is better positioned to take advantage of the opportunities or manage the dangers than the United States.

... the United States of America is better placed to surf this transformation than any other country. Change is our home field. It is who we are and what we do. Brazil may be the country of the future, but America is its hometown.

Read:  The Future Still Belongs To America

Posted by:  The Global Small Business Blog

Borderless Benefits

©Laurel Delaney 2011.  All rights reserved.

Should we open our borders to free international trade?

By contrast, as a whole, American citizens actually hold a slightly negative (cited from 2009 so things may have changed since then) view toward trade with some 49% perceiving it as a threat to the economy from foreign imports. Why the disconnect?

Find out here.

Related piece (go figure):

Americans On Board with Opening Doors to Cuba

Photo credit:  ©Laurel Delaney 2011.  All rights reserved.  Madonna Della Strada Chapel on Loyola's Lake Shore Campus in Rogers Park.

New News: Look For Customers Outside of Your Country!

©Laurel Delaney, All rights reserved.

We love a good chuckle but seriously, the article below talks about the importance of looking to the world for your market.

“It makes sense that 10 years ago, if you could sell to your neighbor in Iowa, that was a whole lot easier than having to venture out and sell abroad,” says Roberts. “But I’m confident that our Illinois companies, once they get in the game, they’ll push up their sleeves and it’s no different.”

Exporting Illinois

Moral of the story: Include exports in your business plan!

Related articles:

Small Firms Lead the Way on Illinois Exports

Photo credit:  ©Laurel Delaney 2011.  Oak Street, Chicago, Illinois, looking up at the John Hancock building