Easter Spells Out Beauty

Photo courtesy:  ©2013 Laurel Delaney.  All rights reserved.  "Rockefeller Memorial Chapel (University of Chicago)"

"Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life."~ S.D. Gordon

New Powers of the Developing World. It's Called the South.

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A new report, "The 2013 Human Development Report," examines the profound shift in global dynamics driven by the fast-rising new powers of the developing world and its long-term implications for human development.

But the "Rise of the South" analyzed in the Report is a much larger phenomenon: Turkey, Mexico, Thailand, South Africa, Indonesia and many other developing nations are also becoming leading actors on the world stage.

Find out how the report identifies more than 40 countries in the developing world that have done better than had been expected in human development terms in recent decades.

Read:  The 2013 Human Development Report - "The Rise of the South:  Human Progress in a Diverse World"

Easy access - Download parts of the 2013 report (Media)

Amazon: Zero Sales to $21 Billion in 18 Years

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I was conducting a little research on Amazon for a book I am working on about exporting (due out February 2014 by Apress) and discovered Amazon opened on the Web in 1995 as the world's largest bookstore. Today they are "the Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices.”

Amazon went from zero to more than $21 billion in sales in eighteen years. It goes without saying that anybody can win on the Internet.  You just need a brilliant idea and execution skills!

Check out Amazon.com's international sites here.

A Website and the Use of Social Media Is Central to Going Global

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As a runner up in the Internet and ICT Award at the Tyneside and Northumberland North East Business Awards, the the UK-based All-in-One Company in just over four years has customers from more than 150 countries across the globe who purchase their onesies.

“In many ways we are a strange mix. Many people get to know us through social media and the website, of course, is absolutely central to what we do," says Director Kate Dawson.

Read the entire article:  Local firm is rewarded for going global

The Walgreens of Europe: Alliance Boots

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Walgreens has a new partnership with pharmaceutical distributor AmerisourceBergen and European drugstore Alliance Boots.  Alliance Boots is considered the Walgreens of Europe.

Walgreens may have had dreams of going global but through this new partnership it looks as if those dreams will become a reality sooner rather than later.

The real story is the AmerisourceBergen and Alliance Boots partnership. The partnership will help reduce some of Walgreen's operational costs, as AmerisourceBergen will begin distributing a number of generic pharmaceuticals that Walgreen traditionally self-distributed. AmerisourceBergen's superior supply chain will allow for greater efficiencies and daily deliveries.

Read the entire article:  Walgreen Dreams of Going Global

Legitimate Inquiry. Fake Company?

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Many of us receive what looks like legitimate business inquiries from all over the world on a daily basis but how do you determine if they are each on the up-and-up?

This will help.  Read:  How to Determine If a Foreign Company is Legit

Peaceful and Happy: Everyone Profits

Photo courtesy:  ©2013 Laurel Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it.  This is the most basic kind of peace work." ~ Nhat Hanh

Have a peaceful and relaxing weekend!

Want to Take Your Business Global Fast? Add Stars to Your Advisory Board!

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Producer Basis Science Inc. is coming out with a health-information device that doubles as a wristwatch.  They refer to the device as a wrist-based health tracker and recently added health guru Deepak Chopra and innovation evangelist Esther Dyson as advisers.

Users wear the water-resistant Basis 'smartwatch' while it monitors things like activity, heart rate, sleep patterns and perspiration.

The San Francisco company started shipping the 'smartwatch' priced at $199 in December 2012 and is currently sold out with a waiting list that is a mile long.  What I don't know is if that waiting list is local or global.  It can't hurt that Basis Science has Chopra and Dyson on board.  When you add stars as advisers, it's a fast way to get global traction. 

As a small business owner, it would be hard to do this on the cheap.  Perhaps setting aside a small percentage of equity to advisers and employees might work provided it is based on what needs to be done (execution).

Learn more about Basis Science, Inc. here.

Two related questions for today:  Will 2013 by the year of the 'smartwatch?' And will Apple and Samsung play in the space?

Best Way to Stimulate an Economy? Export!

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According to Rob Lawley, head of international trade at UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) West Midlands, exporting makes people think more about their products and company.  In addition, he says, "Businesses that trade internationally have a better survival rate. They can become more profitable and are more likely to grow."

And I just love this line in the article:

EXPORTING could be the shot in the arm businesses need to survive as the economy flatlines.

Read the entire article here.

Growth in Emerging Economies is Part of the Solution to America's Economic Woes

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In the Peterson Institute's newest book, Rising Tide: Is Growth in Emerging Economies Good for the United States?, Lawrence Edwards and Robert Lawrence conclude that rapid growth in emerging economies is part of the solution to America's economic problems rather than their source.

Read the news release here.  Excepts from the book for preview purposes only are available here.

Sample preview here:  Introduction [pdf]

How to Fund Future Global Business Growth For Your Business

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Have a hot international sale yet find yourself scratching your head as to how you are going to finance the deal?  Look no further.

This is my first contribution for Mastercard Business Network.  I hope you find it useful.

Read the entire article:  5 Ways to Fund Future Global Business Growth For Your Small Business

Invest In Your People and a Country Will Grow

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In the 2013 Human Development Report, the United Nations predicts that over the next two decades, economic and political power will shift away from Europe and North America.

The report projects that by 2020 the combined gross domestic products of Brazil, China and India will exceed the entire output of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Great Britain and the U.S. put together.

Power Shift Under Way As Middle Class Expands in Developing World

Top of the Morning To You!

©Laurel Delaney 2013.  All rights reserved.  "St. Patricks' Day 2013"

I don't know about you but I am preparing for tomorrow (3/17/13), my favorite day of the year:  St. Patrick's Day!  Have a happy one.  Remember, everyone is Irish on St. Patty's Day.  All it takes is a smile and wear'n of the green. Enjoy.