There are Great Opportunities to Conduct Business Abroad

By recognizing that borders still matter, says Pankaj Ghemawat, author of World 3.0:  Global Prosperity and How to Achieve It, companies can better calibrate which markets and trading partners offer the best chance for truly global gains -- further clarifying that there are great opportunities to do business abroad.

Read the entire article:

Creating a Smart Export Strategy

Related posts:

The Regional Slice of Your Global Strategy (2/4/06)

Redefining Global Strategy (8/17/07)

Posted by:  The Global Small Business Blog

Memorial Day: Coming Together Globally To Honor Those Who Gave Their All

Remembering those who have died in our nation's service.  Memorial Day in the United States is observed on the last Monday of May (May 30, 2011).

Back with you on Tuesday, May 31st.

Photo credit:  ©Laurel Delaney

Top Dubai SME Exporting Awards

Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry honored the top export performing companies during SME Exporter of the Month recognition ceremony held at the Chamber facility.

Certificates of Recognition and the SME Exporter of the Month trophies went to:

1. Afegra Middle East FZE as a start-up company with the highest invoice value for the month of February.
2. Lisec Middle East Ltd FZE as most progressing company with the highest export growth rate during 2011.
3. Meka Emirates Trading for achieving the highest total invoice value during April 2011.

"More than 90 per cent of businesses in Dubai are SMEs and so their success and performance is vital to the overall health of Dubai’s economy," says Dr. Belaid Rettab, Senior Director, Economic Research and Sustainable Business Development.

Read more about the top Dubai export honors here.

Quote of the Week: Donald Murray

 

"We currently see more upside in China from new emerging companies that are going global." ~ Resources Global CEO Donald Murray

See how Resources Global (RG), a unit of Irvine, California-based Resources Connection Inc. (Hoover's listing here), assigns its 3,000 full-time consultants spanning across four continents to work on clients' projects.

Resources Global Eyes Chinese Firms Going Global

RG competes with Deloitte, KPMG, Ernst and Young and Accenture.  Too bad there is no global small business practice.

Posted by:  The Global Small Business Blog

Biggest Barriers to Global Communications: Culture and Language

According to a study commissioned by the Public Relations Global Network, one of the top international networks of independent public relations agencies, organization surveyed indicated that the biggest barriers to global communication were culture and language, each cited by more than 40 percent of respondents.

That and one other interesting finding:

... even organizations that are not operating globally today said that they expect to have a global marketing communications function in the future,” said Francine Robbens, PRGN president and partner at Brussels-based PRP-Public Relations Partners.  “Communications professionals see clear benefits in fostering global relationships.” 

Read the entire news piece:  Marketing Executives Going Global:  Survey

Mad About Trade and By Golly, I Am Going To Do Something About It!

Okay, first things first, I have not read this book, just love the idea of it because I have always felt there is value in international trade.  I am so pro-global trade, can't you tell?  International trade expert Daniel T. Griswold, director of the Cato Institute's trade policy center, makes a persuasive case against U.S. protectionism.

Mad About Trade appears to be a readable and enjoyable defense of free trade which tells the (debated) story of how a more global U.S. economy has created better jobs and higher living standards for American workers.

That said, it might be worth a serious look.

Mad About Trade:  Why Main Street America Should Embrace Globalization

Related article: Free or Protected Trade?

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Reinventing the World of 'Cars'

“Wherever you can go in our world, we can go in the world of ‘Cars.’” ~ Director John Lasseter

... it was during the international publicity tour for “Cars” that the director first imagined his car-cast in a global setting. Lasseter says he took in the mayhem of international locales like Tokyo and Paris laughed to himself thinking, “what would Mater do?” “The story of ‘Cars 2′ was sparked by the idea of taking Lightning McQueen and Mater overseas,” says Lasseter. “Lighting McQueen is invited to compete in the World Grand Prix to race against the fastest cars in the world in three fantastic locations: Japan (shown above), Italy and the U.K. Of course Mater, who has never left Radiator Springs, is completely out of place in these distinctive cultures, which leads to hilarious comedic moments.”

Read the entire spread (it's phenomenal in terms of the color graphics and the historical aspect of taking 'Cars' global):  Pixar's 25th Anniversary/CARS 2:  Going Global

Illustration credits here.