globalEDGE International Business Blog

Lessons from Change

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 10:46:04 EDT

Recently a study released by Ernst and Young, looks in detail to how leading global companies have dealt with the recession and are looking ahead. The report compiles conversations that over 500 of the firms senior partners had with clients around the world. The business environment of today is totally different then it was just a few years ago. There are many problems in the very near future, such as depressed demand, high unemployment, higher taxes to cover government spending, and most...

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The 2009 MPI is Here!

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 15:20:47 EDT

The Michigan State University Center for International Business (MSU-CIBER) has recently released the 2009 Market Potential Index for Emerging Markets (MPI). The study focuses primarily on emerging markets, designated by The Economist magazine. A market is determined to be an emerging market based on the distinction that it is on the cusp of transforming into a developed nation from a developing one. The economies of these nations comprise over half of the world’s population, provide...

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For Name's Sake

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 14:22:44 EDT

Generally, when something is put to a vote, the most popular vote wins. This is not the case for the Kraft Foods Australia product, Cheesybite. If you don’t know what Cheesybite is, it is a jar of caramel-brown, salty, gooey yeast paste (also known as Vegemite, an immensely popular Austrailian spread), that is mixed with cream cheese. Sounds appetizing, huh? Well to many Australians, it is. In a recent New York Times article, Bill Granger, a well known Sydney chef, said that Vegemite is...

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Expatriate Distress: Leaving China Early

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 17:34:43 EDT

One of the critical factors of having a large, successful international operation is having “feet on the street” in the country where multinational companies do business. Recently, an article from ChinaDaily.com featured some staggering statistics about expatriates and the duration of their stay in the country. Although business demands often dictate relocation by executives and their families, is this the most efficient use of resources? According to the article,...

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Booking the Best

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 19:45:21 EDT

In recent months, there has been a huge cutback in business travelers staying in luxury hotels. With thousands of workers having been laid off, companies who sent their executives to 5-star hotels were being attacked. Since companies have been under scrutiny for unnecessary spending, business travel has been cut back and downgraded to the bare minimum. Now, the international hospitality industry is trying to bring back luxury business travel. Major cities around the world have thousands of...

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The Top Global Brands of 2009

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:23:24 EDT

Recently Interbrand, the world’s largest brand consultancy, released its 2009 rankings of the top global brands of 2009. So what is a global brand, exactly? A global brand is one that has transcended the linguistic and cultural challenges of entering foreign markets. Widely recognized global brands have successfully implemented the namesake and desirability of their products to consumers in many countries. The Top Ten Global Brands of 2009: 1. Coca-Cola 2. IBM 3. Microsoft...

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Japanese Automakers Thriving in China

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:24:38 EDT

It is well known that the auto industry has taken a hit across the globe. With sales and production down and several plant closures, it seems that things are looking grim. However, several Japanese automakers are thriving, not internationally, but in China. With global production down for almost every automaker, Japanese cars have had positive growth in China at rates up to over 60%! While global production has dropped over 16%, Honda’s Chinese production increased by 20%. This...

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A Buyers Beware Market for Informed Investors

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:29:09 EDT

China has just recently launched its brand new Growth Enterprise Market, a Nasdaq-style stock market that has been over 10 years in the making. Twenty eight small- and medium-sized companies will be debuting on the Gem as it is called, made to attract financing of new high growth industries. These industries include software companies, pharmaceutical firms and creative industries. But investing in these companies will be risky business, since there will less than 30 companies to begin...

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An Unusual Success Story

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:00:24 EDT

In a small village in Italy, one entrepreneur decided to start a business in an unusual location - a castle. With workers not having to clock in, the atmosphere is quite different than other typical factories. Brunello Cucinello's cashmere factory has been extremely successful. The full story can be found in a video from BBC NEWS. It is surprising to many how well the business is doing because of the untraditional way it is run. Is it possible for other businesses to adopt similar working...

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Starting a New Business: 4 Ways to Forgo Faulty Deals

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:33:19 EDT

Congratulations on your new business! There are a lot of new and exciting opportunities to choose from. How do you know what will be best? By following these tips, your business can avoid frequent run-ins with the phrase, “There’s just one catch.” Good, but not too good. When hearing about an opportunity, if you only hear good news, that’s not good. A business can pick two things, “fast, cheap or good--but not all three." Set goals to team up with...

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Happy United Nations Day!

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:41:19 EDT

Mark your calendars: United Nations Day is October 24th. The holiday is an annual celebration observed internationally by UN member nations, reaffirming the goals and the values of the organization. Of special interest to those in the international business field is the United Nations Global Compact, a sub-organization that acts as a policy group for companies that are “committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human...

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No Cord? No Problem!

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:37:11 EDT

We have all learned to ignore the pile of cables connecting the pieces of our home entertainment. But how great would it be if we could just get rid of them? This is something consumers and engineers have been dreaming of for years. Now, it is a reality. Israeli startup Amimon has developed a way to link audio-video devices without cords. This is not the first product of its kind, however, it is the first to do the job efficiently. Unlike previous wireless proposals, this Wireless Home...

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Melting Away

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:34:59 EDT

Greenland is covered by ice on nearly 80% of its surface, making business activities in this area rather difficult. However, as we all know, the northern ice caps are beginning to melt due to rising global temperatures. In fact, it has been predicted that in the next few decades the Arctic Ocean will be almost all open water. While this is bad for the environment, it does open up new opportunities for business. Greenland is rich with several valuable natural resources. It has an abundance...

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Implications of the Global Currency Debate on the GCC Regional Currency

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:42:41 EDT

Since its establishment in 1981, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has made its primary priority to be the creation of a monetary union, and subsequently, a single currency across the region. The Gulf Cooperation Council is a trade bloc of six Arab nations residing in the Persian Gulf: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The GCC nations, excluding Oman and the UAE, have aimed for January 1, 2010 as a deadline for establishing a common currency. If the GCC...

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Say Goodbye to Back Pain: Kindle Going Global

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:09:04 EDT

There is no need to carry around all those books any longer! You can thank Amazon’s Kindle, an electronic device sold in the U.S. made for reading e-books and other digital media. Books and other content are downloaded through Amazon’s Whispernet, by using free internet access. Kindles have a 6 inch (diagonal) screen, it holds over 200 titles, and it only weighs 10.3 ounces. Let me know if you find a book like that! I did mention that the device was only available in the U.S....

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Business Typhoon

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:11:42 EDT

The recent back-to-back typhoons in the Philippines have really crippled their small entrepreneurs. In this country consisting of thousands of beautiful islands, these small businesses are what make the economy thrive, so recovery has been and will be an uphill battle. A whopping 99.7 percent of all businesses in the Philippines are classified by the Department of Trade and Industry as micro, small, and medium enterprises. It got me thinking a bit about how other natural disasters affect the...

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Camel Milk Chocolate?

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:26:38 EDT

In October of 2008, Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum formally established Al Nassma - a chocolate producing company. It is not just another chocolate brand however. What distinguishes it from other brands is the fact that Al Nassma chocolate is made with camels' milk and is the first of its kind. This is a creative innovation in the food and beverage industry that will most likely prove successful as Al Nassma chocolate addresses a wide market - including diabetic, lactose...

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Alternative Energy for Europe? How About Flammable Ice?

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:06:27 EDT

Much of Europe is heavily-reliant on Russian pipeline gas to satisfy its energy needs-- However, this could change fairly soon. Oil companies and private investors are carefully weighing the initiatives which may be set forth following the 2009 Black Sea Energy and Economic Forum. The Black Sea is home to a wealth of unconventional oil and gas resources which could possibly rival Russia in the sheer volume of output and usage. The most abundant source of alternative energy thought to be...

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Tips to Ship

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:58:51 EDT

You have to pay to ship your products to another country, but you don’t want it to cost you an arm and a leg. So what can you do? To be successful internationally, you must know how to get your products to your customers all over the world in a timely manner and at the lowest cost. First things first, you might want to hire an international freight forwarder to ship goods by land, ocean or air. These are a couple services offered: • Arranging global...

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It's A Zoo

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:28:09 EDT

Ethiopia is one of the poorest nations in the world. However, they have seen GDP growth in each of the past 7 years. One of their major businesses is livestock, but recently they have been suffering due to animal smuggling. Livestock is an essential part of Ethiopia’s economy. They exported about $53 million worth of animals last year, but unfortunately, criminal activity is cutting into the small country’s profits. Criminals from neighboring countries are smuggling live animals...

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