I wrote an article for American Express OPEN on how to be a global small business. Here is an excerpt:
What will the future of small-business entrepreneurship look like? Last summer, while traveling throughout Eastern Europe with a group of students, we got a good look at it in -- of all places -- a remote crystal factory in a rural area of the Czech Republic.You can read my nine tips on how to be a more worldly small business here.
The artisans of Rückl Crystal make fine leaded crystal using age-old techniques. Although they compete with mass-produced glassware from China and Poland, Rückl has survived and thrived. How, you ask? It's simple: It sells 80 percent of its products outside of the Czech Republic, to outlets across the globe.
Studies show that American small businesses lag behind their international counterparts in engaging in global trade. Part of that is due to a lack of knowledge about other cultures and economies.
It's too bad that we are relatively insulated within our own borders. The majority of future global economic growth is not expected to come from the North America and Europe, but from emerging markets around the world. American small businesses should be better equipped to take part in that opportunity, as demand at home may not return to previous levels for some time.
The worst possible scenario would be for that door to be closed entirely by an irresponsible protectionist reaction to high unemployment.