Top Export Destination for British Firms?

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More than fifty-percent of small and medium-sized companies in the UK sell their products to the U.S., making it the top export destination for British firms.  Why?  To keep their businesses growing, they must look to foreign markets and the U.S. just happens to be a ripe one.

Research, by Barclays Business, shows that 37 per cent of small firms reach a growth ceiling in the UK within the first three years of trading, which is leading business leaders to turn to foreign shores.

Read the entire article:  U.S. Is the Top Destination For Small British Firms

For Global SMEs, Transformation is a Strategic Necessity

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As the recent study by Oxford Economics, sponsored by SAP, says, "SMEs [small and medium- sized businesses] are thinking and acting globally, competing with rivals of all sizes, and investing aggressively in technology to improve operations and make themselves more nimble."

For most [global] SMEs, transformation is understood as a strategic necessity, and perhaps as a key to survival.  Nearly two-thirds say they must transform to stay ahead of the competition, and over half say that technology developments are making traditional ways of doing business obsolete. 

Read the study:  How successful SMEs are reinventing global business.

How to Simultaneously Attract a Cash Investment in Your Business and Expand Internationally

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How do you infuse cash in your business and take it international at the same time?  Take, for example, DocuSign, the e-signature software company with operations in Seattle and San Francisco.

Three Japanese firms – NTT Finance, Mitsui & Co. and Recruit Holdings – all made strategic investments in DocuSign as a part of a $115 million series E financing round.

The three companies will each begin using DocuSign’s software to power their businesses, and Mitsui will also market DocuSign’s technology to its affiliate businesses and customers. In addition to the infusion of cash, the deal also will help DocuSign expand internationally.

There you have it.

Read the entire article:  DocuSign raises $115 million, attracts cash from Japanese backers

Today in Global Small Business: International Trade Will Increase by 20 Percent in 2016

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What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• Smart ideas for doing business internationally (and we are happy to be quoted).
• Mexico is the third largest trading partner with the United States - what that means.
• Nine tips for doing business globally.
• Issues that arise when you are conducting business across borders.
• Why international trade will increase by 20 percent by 2016.
• Overview on export statistics released October 3, 2014

World's Biggest Pumpkin (Almost)

©2014 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion." - Henry David Thoreau

Got Pork?

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Remember the "Got Milk?" ad campaigns?  Now you can look forward to The National Pork Board revving up to market U.S. pork on a worldwide basis.

The USA is trying to come up with a tailor-made international marketing strategy to tap a bigger share of pork sales, now growing at an estimated 13% globally from 2013 to 2018, said Kevin Waetke, vice-president for strategic communication at the country's National Pork Board (NPB).

Read the entire article:  US to formulate separate international marketing strategy for pork

What Is Global Distance Selling?

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DHL recently launched a survey with 11,000 consumers in 20 countries to better understand consumer attitudes toward global distance selling (better known as shopping the world or cross-border commerce) – and the study shows significant differences between countries.

... the study suggests that businesses must understand their customers’ decision-making processes and align their business accordingly. Being aware of cultural and structural differences is a key success factor, particularly for cross-border commerce.

In the study, you will find out:

• Who is participating in cross-border shipping and in/with what countries are they most likely to engage?
• How are consumers finding retailers?
• How are consumers buying online? 
• How are consumers' returns handled?

Download the study (requires quick registration):  "Shop the World: DHL Charts the Journey of the Online Consumer."