globalEDGE International Business Blog

Indonesia's Economy Booms in 2011

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:53:29 -0500

Indonesia’s economy grew by 6.5% in 2011, marking the highest percentage in over a decade. This GDP growth, however, is not unprecedented because in seven of the last eight years Indonesia’s GDP has grown by more than 5%. In the last couple of years, corporations and investors have begun to compare Indonesia’s economic growth potential with the likes of India and China. Strong growth and political stability are two of the main reasons why corporations and...

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The World of Natural Gas

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:21:21 -0500

Natural gas is a relatively obscure energy source compared to its more popular companion oil. Most people rarely think about it - it heats their house and if there is a particularly cold winter, their heating bill tends to rise. Thought process done. However, natural gas has started to become more mainstream as pricing patterns around the globe and new technologies are awakening the industry. First things first. In the United States natural gas prices have fallen from around $4.50 in...

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Introverts: Hidden Gems of the Business World

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:15:52 -0500

The perfect leader is outspoken, bold, voices opinions, and is a people person right? Not necessarily. Whether we realize it or not, we often associate many extroverted traits with strong business leaders and assume that those who are introverted will not be as successful. This is not always true. There are several characteristics that introverts possess that businesses could benefit from that are probably being overlooked. Extroversion is highly rewarded in many business...

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Europe's Energy Network

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:37:03 -0500

While many countries depend on each other for the trade of goods and services, few would think countries could depend on each other for one of the most important resources on Earth—energy. A proposed electricity supergrid spanning across several European countries could mean not only improved power sources but also cleaner energy. Advocates of this energy plan suggest that a transnational supergrid could connect power sources like wind farms in Scotland and solar arrays in Spain to the...

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Corporate Job vs. Entrepreneurship - Which is Actually Risky?

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:26:56 -0500

Entrepreneurship is risky. Entrepreneurship is for the naïve. Entrepreneurship rarely succeeds. All of these assumptions make entrepreneurship sound like a bleak place only for the most risk-averse; the de facto position from many people is that corporate life is the way to go. But this conventional position is far from true. Building new companies is far more sensible than one may think. With the likes of Apple, Microsoft, and Facebook, all the founders took that risk and created...

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Setting Up Shop in India

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:22:18 -0500

Starbucks Corporation recently announced that it will begin opening cafés in India and plans on opening its first café as early as August. Starbucks’ arrival in India is a result of a joint venture with Indian company Tata Global Beverages, which is currently the country’s largest conglomerate. Although India is traditionally a tea drinking country, consumer demand for coffee is increasing. In fact, domestic coffee consumption has increased by an...

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Small Business Exporting

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:19:35 -0500

With the National Export Initiative, the United States is seeking to double exports by the end of 2014. However, the typical United States manufacturing exporter sells to less than five buyers in overseas markets. Many people may assume that the responsibility of meeting the ambitious export goal lies in the hands of large businesses and corporations in America. While partially true, there are other businesses in the United States that are already stepping up to the challenge. These businesses...

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Dancing with China

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:43:05 -0500

Two years after pulling its search engine from main land China, Google is once again pushing to expand in the enormous market. The original disagreement between Google and Chinese officials started after Google traced a cyberattack to Chinese hackers. The hackers attempted to not only steal proprietary computer code, but also attempted to spy on Chinese activists' Gmail accounts. Although officials denied any connection to the hackers, Google moved its search site to Hong Kong where...

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gE Blog Series: Global Resiliency Part 5 - Small Business Triumphs Over Setbacks

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:41:36 -0500

While cities and industries around the world have been displaying a great deal of resilience in tough economic times, small businesses also have the opportunity to accomplish this. Almost every day businesses overcome a variety of obstacles and setbacks in order to operate successfully. In fact, in a globalized world, small businesses may have greater access to foreign markets and the latest technology but that also means these businesses are connected to potential disruptions in the global...

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gE Blog Series: Global Resiliency Part 4 - Economic Rebirth after Natural Disasters

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:09:36 -0500

In a year plagued by economic uncertainty, natural disasters also made their mark on global markets in 2011. Shattering the previous record of $262 billion worth of economic costs in 2005, disasters of 2011 in Japan, Thailand, China, New Zealand, Australia, and the U.S. cost the economy $378 billion. The deluge in Thailand alone, which cost the country $40 billion, J.P. Morgan estimates set back global industrial production by 2.5%. Looking towards the future, risks are continuing to rise as...

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gE Blog Series: Global Resiliency Part 3 - Manufacturing Industry Moves Forward

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:15:30 -0500

The storm caused by the European Debt Crisis has loomed like a dark cloud over much of the world. But certain sectors of the economy, the transport manufacturing industry in particular, have weathered the turbulent markets. It is the rise in purchasing manager indexes for the United Kingdom, Switzerland, China, India, and Australia, coupled with the decrease in Germany's unemployment that make economists suggest a boom in the export of cars and machinery for the coming year....

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Kwintessential iPhone Culture App – Free!

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:28:02 -0500

Attention international business professionals – Kwintessential has recently released a free iPhone app designed to easily compare cultures. This app will assist you in your international travels by giving you tips and pointers about various cultures. Check out all the details here, and more on the Kwintessential website. Thanks!

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gE Blog Series: Global Resiliency Part 2 - Economic Recovery in Cities

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:14:10 -0500

While the recent global downturn has had a major impact on many national economies, the weakened economic setting has also negatively influenced many city centers throughout the world. It is important for these metropolitan areas to be resilient to changing economic times. One example of great economic resilience in tough times comes from the county of West Yorkshire, United Kingdom. A recent study by the research firm Experian looked at two contrasting cities in the English county to...

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gE Blog Series: Global Resiliency Part 1 - Introduction

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:11:04 -0500

The global economy has certainly taken a hit recently. The global downturn has not been easy for countries or companies to deal with, but still there are inspiring success stories that encourage us to keep pushing on. In hard times, focusing on these successes can be a great way to spur growth. This week in our blog series we will share some of these encouraging stories. There are many bright spots in what seems like a dim global outlook. For example, despite the global downturn, many...

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Colombia and Panama Free Trade Agreements Webinar

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:22:20 -0500

This past year the United States passed free trade agreements with Colombia and Panama. Both these countries represent key markets in Central and South America. In fact, Colombia is the third largest economy in South America while Panama is a major maritime and air transportation hub. There are many potential opportunities for international businesses in these countries. To find out more information on the business climate, market opportunities, and finance in both Colombia and Panama, there...

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Video Games Changing Workplace Training

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:46:03 -0500

When was the last time your employer told you to play a video game on the job? For many, the answer may be never, up until now. Recently, some top French companies, including Paribas, Orange, and Alcatel-Lucent, have been using role playing games to teach crucial management teamwork, and sales skills to their sales staff and managers; a very important skill to have in the competitive world marketplace. The employees are learning how to better manage evaluation interviews and management roles...

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Disaster Management

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:56:51 -0500

The Costa Concordia cruise ship ran aground off the coast of Italy on January 13th and has caused, along with a devastating heartbreak, major waves in the cruise industry. The tragic crash of this ship has caused speculation about the competency of major cruise lines worldwide. It seems that there are not strict regulations on cruise lines as passengers may have assumed which has caused customers to question their safety and could affect the travel industry as a whole. The uncertainty of...

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New Strides in Non-Profits

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:27:59 -0500

Globalization and the growth in emerging markets have driven significant changes in nearly every industry around the globe. This no different in philanthropy where the “old” standard of donations being led by wealthy Westerners is being turned upside down. Explosive growth has led to tremendous wealth creation in many developing countries and veteran donors are urging the new rich to donate to important causes. Philanthropy has also been repackaged into a businesses where consumers...

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Europe Falls Behind in Carbon Capture Technology

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:23:52 -0500

The European Union has been one of the most devoted players in the attempts to combat global climate change and reduce carbon emissions. The long-term energy plans proposed by the European Union depend largely on high technology projects designed to capture carbon dioxide emissions and store them underground. This would help abate global warming while also allowing industries to continue to burn large amounts of fossil fuels. However, weak support for the experimental carbon capturing...

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Hong Kong: A Consistent Winner

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:46:51 -0500

Last month, Hong Kong was reported to be the world’s most developed financial market by the World Economic Forum, an independent international organization. The responsive business environment and financial stability most industries found in this special administrative region of China, along with its efficiency, size of banking, and other financial services catapulted Hong Kong to the top, surpassing the United States, the United Kingdom, and Singapore. The rise of Hong Kong...

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