Global Marketing Strategy? Have You Heard Of That?

When we hear "global", we often associate it with big or large scale. Thus, in business-if it is large scale-it's expensive and really expensive. But oh, what if there is an economic downturn in your local market. What do you do with your marketing strategy? Or have you even imagine to drop your business thinking it won't work anymore?

Well, the toughest answer we could give is to - Expand Globally! If you got that answer, you'll probably ask, then what's next? What to do to get it started? Here's an article by Beverly Cornell. It's been a year ago but I believe it's a good read for all of us. Is it time for a global marketing strategy? How to get started.

Earn More by Exporting

An inspiring article for us entrepreneurs to get our business global form Wall Street Journal. I'm pretty sure you are now very interested why, how , is it true or not? Below is quoted from Wall Street Journal.

MARTHA MONTOYA HAS found a way to grow her small business: She exports. While "exporting" conjures up images of vast shipyards and warehouses, Montoya, a comic-strip artist in Santa Ana, Calif., sells her colorful cartoon characters for use on snack packages in China, Ecuador, Colombia and other far-away places. She tells other entrepreneurs — no matter their business — to think about going global.

Well, guys you must read the facts in this article written by Colleen Debaise - Going Global: Businesses Earn More by Exporting.

Global Entrepreneurship Strategy

I am thinking of starting my business internationally. But before my business conceives, I know I have to make a lot and deep research on what to do about it. Today, I tried to query in Google for what types of small business I can do internationally but I came across with an article which presented the difference between Domestic and International Strategy.

I believed knowing the factors that affect domestic and international business strategy will help me and anyone of you determine the right move to do if you are planning to start a small business and aims to market it internationally. Check out Strategy for Global Environment.

Google Showing Some Love To The Small Businesses

Here's a quick update of global, sweet juices from WebProNews.

Google announced the launch of a new initiative called the Small Business Network in an effort to contribute what it can to the success of small businesses, which are Google's bread and butter.

"It's no secret that small businesses play a key role in Google's success as a company and drive the economy as a whole," says David Fischer, Google's VP of Global Online Sales and Operations. "AdWords, AdSense, Apps – you name it – have all grown because small businesses use them. Because of that, increasing their bottom line is very important to us."

The Small Business Network is designed to promote business-friendly policies at the federal and state levels. Fischer says the company asked itself, "What can we do to help broaden the collective voice of small business both on Capitol Hill and in the states? We want to know about the issues that are important to our small business partners so that we can better invest in their goals and objectives and ultimately, their success."

While Google's intention is to take on a variety of issues, the company is getting started right off the bat with increasing broadband access and preserving an open Internet.

The network takes full advantage of Google's Moderator tool, which allows interested parties to share their thoughts and others to vote them up and down, creating a sense of priority among them. Google is hoping that they will be able to use the Network to help encourage lawmakers to grant funds to ISPs to create broadband access for small businesses around the U.S.

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow in Business!

Selling Walkmans in an iPod World is an excellent post by John Jantsch. But oh oh, please do not understand it literally and it is really worth noting here because we are all entrepreneurs, wanna-be entrepreneurs whose thirst for learning can never be quenched.

So, the question is, are you still trying to peddle you industry’s version of the Walkman or are you willing to take a look at every aspect of your business, your products, your services, and your processes in an effort to give the market what it demands.

Traditional medical practice

Walkman - you make an appointment through your insurance company, mountain of paperwork, doctor makes you wait 30 minutes past appointment time, doctor pretends to listen, discounts treatment options you’ve found on Internet as a hoax, prescribes several medications to treat symptoms without any discussion about prevention diet or exercise.

Neighborhood clinic

iPod - same day appointment, paperwork online, massage therapy and green tea while you wait, appointment on time, discussion about overall health, encouraged to explore combination of traditional medicine and alternative therapies.

Interesting, isn't it? What do really John is trying to point out to us? Check it in his post --Selling Walkmans in an iPod World.

Seeing Things In Positive Perspective

Brad Sugars in his article,Top 10 Reasons to Start a Business in a Recession, shared and presented that we, entrepreneurs must not always dwell to all of the negative things that is happening around us. Excited what are those 10 Reasons? Check it below.

1. Everything is cheaper.
2. You can hire more and better-qualified people.
3. People are looking to change suppliers.
4. Ownership equals tax incentives.
5. Family and friends don't want to (or can't) invest more money into the stock or real estate markets.
6. Suppliers are giving better credit.
7. You can get good PR by showing you are going against the trend.
8. You can buy everything you need at auction.
9. You can find great "low money" or "no money" down deals.
10. You've lost your job, and you have to do something.

Top 50 Social Entrepreneurship Blogs To Watch for 2009

An entrepreneur must also be social. Over at EvanCarMichael.Com, the authors put definitely great efforts in compiling the Top 50 Social Entrepreneurship Blogs To Watch for 2009. What is even better is that, they categorize it according to the major aspects of business we are in to these days.

The newest breed of superheroes are not on the big screen, but in the small business community! People have long been awaiting for a “hero” or social entrepreneur to arrive with the special ability to recognize society’s problems and bring about global changes. Entrepreneurs who have the burning desire to create “social value” and develop long-term solutions are real life Supermen/Wonderwomen. So if you wish to help the disadvantaged by empowering them with tools for success, check out EvanCarmichael.com’s “The Top 50 Social Entrepreneur Blogs To Watch in 2009” to start improving the lives of others right now!

Well, I definitely did and so as you, my readers! Check out now --> Top 50 Social Entrepreneurship Blogs To Watch for 2009!

Ready. Set. Go Online And Be Found Now!

One easiest way to get global right now is getting online. But getting online isn't enough. You and your business should be visible and easily found in the internet searches. There are two ways to that. There are two main ways to help your site be highly visible on search engines, and you may want to use both:

1. Search Engine Optimization (S.E.O.): Steps taken to get your site to rank highly in search results without paying search engine companies directly for placement. This is also called "organic search" because the results appear to come naturally or organically. SEO is done by carefully choosing the words, content, and design of your Web page to meet the needs of search engines.

2. Search Engine Marketing (S.E.M.): Paying for a listing of your website (or particular pages of your website) to appear at the time a user gets search engine results, typically at the top and side of other, nonpaid results. This is also referred to as "search engine advertising," "paid search," "sponsored listings," and more. SEM is done by carefully choosing which search words to be associated with — then there is a process of bidding to have your website ad placed near those words.

Even if you intend to hire others to do SEO or SEM for you (which may be likely), it helps to have at least a basic knowledge of search engine operations as you choose what to put on your website and where. And that is basic! Good luck!

2009 Top 10 Global Trends for Small Businesses

Just a week ago, Laurel Delaney shared her Top 10 Global Trends for Small Businesses for 2009.

1. Disruptive innovation will be both the coolest and hottest new growth strategy in 2009 because it will transcend all boundaries and transform businesses.

2. dotMobi will take global root in 2009.

3. Diverse global business partnerships will shine and outperform those businesses that don’t make these critical alliances.

4. Exporting (from the USA) will prevail in the first quarter of ‘09 and might start to strengthen later in the year.

5. Twitter will replace the “call me” statement with “Twitter me” due to technology, convenience and time constraints.

6. Entrepreneurs and small businesses will learn, if they haven’t already, everything there is to know about how to take a business global.

7. Optimism will fuel global small businesses that have the guts to press on, even in the face of insurmountable obstacles.

8. Women entrepreneurs will rule the global marketplace.

9. Trusted crowds will become profitable clouds.

10. Green and global are a marriage made in heaven because everyone wants to save the world.

Check out the detailed explanation of Laurel for each trend. Read more on Laurel's post -Top 10 Global Trends for Small Businesses for 2009.

How to begin to get global

So you want to take the plunge and go global with your product or service. How do you begin?

Let me give you a competitive start: Produce the highest quality product or service at the lowest cost and sell that product in every market on the face of the earth. If you do this, you will successfully globalize your company.

The real reason for exporting is to globalize your company and prosper in the 21st century and beyond. Any product or service can be exported. You just need a track (or a plan, as my colleague Tim Berry would say) to run on and a manageable process.

Thanks to Laurel Delaney for the very helpful post over American Express blog where she pointed out the basics and the must-do in getting our business global.

About Laurel Delaney courtesy of American Express:

Global business expert Laurel Delaney is the founder of GlobeTrade.com. She also is the creator of “Borderbuster,” an e-newsletter, and The Global Small Business Blog, all highly regarded for their global small business coverage.

What is more inviting to Laurel's post is the precise and detailed tips such as the track plan on closing an export deal, preparing the export team, how to enter the market and a lot more.

Check out her post - On Your Mark, Get Set, Go Global to get the detailed explanation of each tip mentioned above.

Business Branding

I know you too are longing to bring your small business to global but I believe there is one very important thing we should do first. That thing I am referring to is -- Building your Brand.

Wouldn’t you love to be known as the go-to person or business in your area of expertise?

You hear a lot about branding in business, establishing yourself as the must-have solution, idea, product or service in a particular field. Associating your company or product with a specific problem, emotion, sensation or solution.

Large companies spend millions every year in advertising and PR to brand themselves.

Viewing it as a gargantuan, costly effort, though, most small businesses largely give up on the notion of branding. Well, here’s some good news, if you’re willing to strap on your innovation hat, there may be ways to not only brand your business without paying a dime…

Jonathan Fields wrote about this very interesting post. So if you want to build your business brand without paying a dime, then you have to check out on Jonathan's post --5 Simple Ways To Get Paid To Build Your Brand.

I Still Go For Free Market

Scott Shane posted about Managed versus Market Capitalism and I must admit I resent to one of his views about it.

First, he mentioned in his post -

I just got back from a week of lecturing in Singapore, where there is no financial crisis, no recession, and no extra economic pressure on entrepreneurs.

My goodness sake, is this really true? Well,I honestly don't think it is. Second is about a favor towards managed capitalism like what Singapore is doing over free market.

I don’t prefer with a managed capitalism. Nothing really beats than a free market. My goodness sake, it’s good that there will be regulations on the market but being a controlled freak in the government, I don’t think is good.

What do you think guys? Are you resenting on my thoughts? Of course, you are free to do so and you are always welcome to share it here in the comments section.

Be trained in Exporting

Is exporting workable as a home-based business? Exporting is an ideal home-based business that can be done at home. Many products exported from many countries are made by home-based entrepreneurs who discovered the ease of undertaking international business right from the comforts of their home-offices.

Some exporting companies operate their manufacturing facilities in the ground floor of two story apartments, or even in the garage. Others do not even have any facility at all. Like any other business, exporting needs careful study. One has to be aware with various factors that could potentially affect the business as a whole.

So, to assist us in acquiring the skills and knowledge in exporting our products and services globally, SBA offers an online self paced course or training for exporting.

A new online course will help small businesses explore exporting opportunities in international markets. Global Enterprise: A Primer on Exporting is a free, self-paced course that provides practical guidance on exploring international markets. The new course is available from the Small Business Administration training Web site at www.sba.gov/training. To access the course, click on “Free Online Courses,” and then select the first course listed under International Trade.

Learn more about this training for Exporting in the Press Release at Small Business Trends.

Global Entrepreneurship Week Unleashes Online Challenges for Young Problem Solvers

"Unleash It!" Spurs Entrepreneurship and Innovation by Matching Enterprising Minds with Real-World Challenges! This is the calling I’ve read from Market Watch worth noting of. It is a few weeks ago article but I would just like to share it here.

Global Entrepreneurship Week organizers today launched Unleash It!,www.unleashingideas.org/unleash, an online community that will connect dozens of countries in the pursuit of entrepreneurial solutions to challenges around the world. Anyone can post a challenge -- government or business, big or small, global or local -- and bright, young minds are invited to "unleash" their creative and innovative ideas to find solutions.

Through Unleash It!, innovative thinkers will have the opportunity to explore solutions across cultural boundaries -- such as connecting virtual 3-D environments with real businesses or finding new ways to distribute potable drinking water to sub-Saharan Africa.

"This global community puts the brainpower of problem solvers to work on challenges at home and abroad," said Carl Schramm, president and CEO of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a founding sponsor of Global Entrepreneurship Week. "We are excited to see what dialogue is sparked and what solutions young people across the globe offer through Unleash It!."

Unleash It! is a signature event of the first-ever Global Entrepreneurship Week, Nov. 17-23, 2008. Founded by the Kauffman Foundation in the United States and Make Your Mark in the United Kingdom, the Week will encourage participants to pursue entrepreneurial thinking and opportunities through activities supported by entrepreneurs, government officials, non-profit leaders and educators.

You can check out more details about this in Market Watch, the Wall Street Journal.

McDonald’s: Local Footprint, Global Reach

This is one very interesting post I found at American Express Forum which a lot of business experts share ideas with really interesting posts in the forum. Here's one proof that will really inspire us more of pursuing our global business dreams.

Laurel Delaney wrote McDonald’s: Local Footprint, Global Reach which talked about distinct characteristic of McDonalds worldwide.

• Norway: The “Laksewrap Wasabi,” a salmon wrap with dill sauce.

• Netherlands: The “Groenteburger,” a vegetable burger.

• Germany: Frankfurters, tortellini and beer!

• Thailand: The “Samurai Pork Burger,” marinated with teriyaki sauce; a palm-fruit sundae; or a fish n’ salmon sauce burger.

• France: Wine.

• Uruguay: The “McHuevo,” a hamburger with a poached egg on top, or the “McQueso,” a toasted cheese sandwich.

• Japan: The “Chicken Tatsuta” sandwich, fried chicken spiced with soy sauce and ginger, served with cabbage and mustard mayonnaise.

• The Philippines: “McSpaghetti,” featuring a sweet tomato and meat sauce with frankfurter bits.

• Singapore: Vanilla ice cream swirled with Flavour Burst - rich chocolate, tangy raspberries, fruity grape or exotic mocha - and spiced for Singaporean tastes.

• New Zealand: The “Kiwiburger,” a hamburger with a fried egg and slice of beet.

• Chile: Dress your burgers with not ketchup but avocado paste. It becomes a “McPalta.”

• Canada: Grilled cheese sandwich, and in some parts of Canada, you can order a lobster dinner with the McLobster lobster roll.

The above are just a few which Laurel mentioned in her post. Well, like she said, if money isn't a problem - how good if we could try and witness ourselves to how the Golden Arches conquer the world's taste with the very popular and successful fast food chain in the world, McDonalds.

You can check out more of this at Blogs.OpenForum.Com!

A Cheat Sheet for the Working World?

Odette Murat shares her insights and experiences over years of work to guide us through the Working World. Below I quoted from the article at Wall Street Journal personally written by her.

The working world can be a very unpredictable place. It differs from our time as youths, when we pretty much knew what to expect according to our behavior. The truth is: day-to-day life on the job turns into a challenging proposition every now and then. Cheat Sheet for the Working World by Odette Murat allows us to somehow foresee and influence events in order to control outcomes affecting our lives.

Cheat Sheet for the Working World uses a global perspective to alert readers, especially those in their initial stages of work, and provokes thoughts and reactions from the more seasoned members of the workforce. It analyses the job of an Operations Manager in both national and multi-cultural settings, outlining goals and responsibilities, potential problems encountered and possible solutions. This book takes an inside look into potential experiences, and it gives readers advanced knowledge for faster decision making and a more effective course of action throughout their careers.

Read more on A Cheat Sheet for the Working World at Wall Street Journal.

Dealing with the financial meltdown - tips for businesses

With the global financial markets in disarray, lots of people are worried about their money.

In times like these, business owners need to be just as vigilant about their business accounts as they hopefully are about their personal accounts.

In the United States, for instance, there has been a lot of concern that the market for money market funds could be "the next" to run into problems as many institutional investors have demanded redemptions.

Here are some tips for business banking in today's environment:

• Find out what insurance, if any, your bank and financial accounts are covered by. In the United States, for instance, checking and savings accounts for corporations and partnerships receive $100,000 in FDIC coverage. If your company has more than the insured amount in a single account, spreading it across multiple accounts (and at different institutions) would be a wise move to ensure maximum protection.
  
• Preserve capital and liquidity. Many companies were hit earlier in the year by the failure of auctions for auction rate securities (ARS). Most of these companies had been told that ARS were highly liquid and because they offered higher interest rates than mutual funds were very appealing. But the liquidity was an illusion and a number of startups reportedly ran into cashflow problems when they couldn't pull money out of their ARS.
  
  The lesson - if you have money that is going to be needed for accounts payable, etc., you might want to reconsider whether or not it should be invested. In my opinion, risking principal and/or liquidity for interest is not smart. It's far better to be in cash (and have some protections) than to put your principal at risk.
  
  For those business owners who do decide to keep some capital in interest-bearing instruments, know what you're investing in. Any instrument offering higher-than-average interest rates should raise huge red flags.
  
• Focus on fundamentals. In tough times, it's easy for businesses to fall upon hard times, go into debt and even to fail completely. Today, even strong businesses are finding it more difficult to borrow money from banks that just don't have a lot of capital to lend.
  
  That's why it's doubly important to ensure that your balance sheet stays solid - you have a better chance of making it through the downturn and at the same time maximize whatever potential exists to obtain financing from lenders if absolutely needed. And when we emerge from the downturn, you'll have a business on good footing to take advantage of the recovery.
  
• Stay informed. Keep current on what's happening in the financial markets, monitor the news about the financial institutions you deal with and don't hesitate to ask questions.
  
• Don't panic. It's easy to become overcome by fear in a market like this. When making decisions, however, be sure to stay rational and check your emotions at the door. This will help you make smart financial decisions.

Volatile markets are never fun and the current global crisis is certainly the worst in decades. But crises like this give business owners a good reason to go back to basics and rediscover some of the good practices that are often lost when times are a little too good.

Source: Dealing with the financial meltdown - tips for businesses

Want to go global? How a Web site can help

Start small. You don’t need to get the entire world coming to your site. Do some research and figure out which country is your best bet for breaking in. Of course, you’ll want it to be one where there’s a sizable market for your product or service, but also consider factors such as whether you’ll need to translate the site into a different language and whether you have connections in that country who can help you.

The above is quoted from a short and concise post of Rieva Lesonsky from Microsoft Office Live Small Business Community blog. The above statements from her article is really true. Start small. And this is what we should bear in mind. We can't just a build the whole building and make it complete at a glance. We have to start it from gravel and even small pebbles in founding that building. Same goes with business. It's a matter of perseverance that entrepreneurs should have.

Building a Productive International Sales Network

Ready to take on global selling? Looking for exporting best practices? One of the most challenging aspects of exporting is creating a sales network to promote your product overseas. For a small business with limited resources, it can seem like an impossible task. Luckily, you've got a lot of options to choose from, and some them might be just across town. Below are the three proven methods for creating an effective foreign sales network.

Selling to Domestic Buyers Who Export

The easiest way to begin building an international sales network is to sell your products to domestic buyers who will then export them abroad. From your company's perspective, these transactions are the same as selling your products to any other domestic buyer because the buyer - not you - assumes all risks and handles all of the exporting details. The downside is that the buyer also makes all the decisions about how and where your products are sold.

It might sound like this approach doesn't accomplish much in the way of building a foreign sales network. However, for a small business taking its first steps in exporting, it's a great, low-risk way to introduce your products to an international market.

Exporting Through Intermediaries

If you are looking for a way to maintain more control over how your products are exported, then exporting through an intermediary might be a better option than selling your product to a domestic exporter. Intermediary firms specialize in connecting domestic businesses with international buyers, and they have the contacts and expertise to prove it.

In addition to leveraging an intermediary's expertise, this method keeps you more intimately involved in the export process. You retain much of the decision-making and you learn a lot about exporting along the way.

Direct Exporting

Direct exporting is by far the most complicated and riskiest method for building an international sales network since you will be required to handle every aspect of the export process, including the promotion and distribution of your product abroad. For many businesses, this requires internal restructuring and a level of expertise they may or may not possess.

A common method for exporting products overseas is to employ the services of a foreign distributor. Distributors are foreign companies who purchase products from exporters and then resell them within their own country. They also provide service and support for your products, eliminating the need for you to create your own mechanisms for foreign consumers.

If you prefer, you can also sell directly to foreign retailers. To do this, you will need to establish a network of foreign sales representatives, much like you do when you sell your products at home.

Newcomers to exporting rarely start building an international sales network through direct exporting. Instead, they build their network in stages, beginning with the use of intermediaries and gradually processing to direct exporting as they gain knowledge and adapt their organization. To help better your chance of success, take the time to carefully map a strategy to create a foreign sales network that is suited to your goals, capacity, and experience.

Source: Building a Productive International Sales Network

Expo teaches small business to think big!

Luis Ruiz of Longmont Signs talks with Geno Lechuga of Broomfield’s Checkers Industrial on Thursday during the Boulder County Multicultural Business Resource Fair at the Radisson Conference Center in Longmont. The event drew about 75 participants and these expo teaches small business to think big.

Well, this optimism is what we really need especially when we are eyeing into global entrepreneurship. To give us more insights, read the whole story on TimesCall.com written by Tony Kindelspire.