Going Global Gracefully
When companies first go global, they tend to select the richest foreign markets. After all, if you want to make money abroad, you follow the money abroad. Yet this strategy …
Business globalization
Will Wal-Mart Ever Stop Growing?
Wal-Mart did $191 billion in revenues last year. By 2011, analysts expect it to hit $450 billion. It has more than 4,600 stores open around the world right now; it …
The Great Global Safety Net
UPS is like a lot of American multinationals – its international business is not the core source of revenues, but is an increasingly vital source of revenues. This week, UPS …
Is it Feta or is it Fake?
I knew there were strict rules about what constituted actual “champagne” but wasn’t aware there were also rules for feta. This from the EU: The label “feta” can only be …
A Brand By Any Other Name
A great interview with Andy Chuang of Goodcharacters.com in Fresno, California. His company specializes in Chinese naming and linguistic evaluation. The interview was conducted by Steve Rivkin; here’s an excerpt: …
Emerging Markets and Emerging Web Sites
The computer industry is in a slump. People aren’t upgrading their computers every 18 months and companies like Dell and Intel are rightly worried. Yet there is still hope to …
Accepting payment accross borders
Accepting payments in other currencies is a never-ending headache for companies, particularly small businesses. And although credit cards provide a nice alternative, many Europeans have yet to embrace them. So …
Globalization Cuts Both Ways
Living in the U.S., it’s easy to take a one-sided view of globalization, where U.S. companies expand into foreign markets. But globalization cuts both ways, and I always love to …
Learning to Avoid a Deal-Killing Faux Pas in Japan
A good article about Japanese culture (and American ignorance) in the NY Times.