No More Third-Party Fact-Checking Organizations for Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg

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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced today, 1/7/25 that the social media company, which owns Facebook and Instagram, would stop working with third-party fact-checking organizations.  Repeating talking points long used by President-elect Donald Trump and his allies, in a video Zuckerberg said the company's content moderation approach resulted too often in "censorship".

Well we can kiss censorship goodbye folks.  Anything goes now.  We are prioritizing free speech - any speech.  

Rieva Lesonsky: 7 Leaders Predict Small Business Trends for 2025

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How do you keep up in this fast-paced world? To help you stay ahead of the curve, my esteemed colleague, long-time small business journalist and small business advocate Rieva Lesonsky (https://smallbusinesscurrents.com/) tapped into the expertise of seasoned small business experts and leaders [I, Laurel Delaney, am lucky to be one of them] and created a series of articles to share the vital trends and actionable insights that will empower you to thrive in this ever-changing entrepreneurial world. 

I am also glad to see geopolitical risk and due diligence business expert Candice Tal, founder and CEO of Infortal Worldwide included.  No one knows risk intelligence business better than Candice.  That's why so many law firms and big financial institutions use her services.

Read the entire article here at Forbes (or at AllBusiness.com).  

To learn more about staying ahead of the curve on global trade trends, register for Laurel's free of charge Global Trade Trends Report 2025 wegginar® 1/8/25 at 11 AM CT.

Today in Global Small Business: Laurel Delaney's Global Trade Trends Report 2025 (wegginar® 1/8/25)

©Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All rights reserved.

What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• Poise your global business for growth in 2025 by attending Laurel Delaney's Global Trade Trends Report 2025 wegginar® on 1/8/25 (free of charge and learn what's important as you navigate the new global landscape).  Register here.
• 2025:  A year of logistics volatility.
• Quote of the week: “One thing we have lost, that we had in the past, is a sense of progress, that things are getting better. There is a sense of volatility, but not of progress." – Daniel Kahneman
• Top 5 risks for 2025: U.S. uncertainty, global trade war, digital attacks.
• BRICS+ and the redefinition of global trade in 2025.
• Redefining global trade and economic growth in 2025. 

We Triple-Dog-Dare You

©2024 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

The statement "We triple-dog-dare you to find a better depiction of the holidays" appears to be a reference to the famous movie "A Christmas Story" and its iconic "triple dog dare" scene.

The author of "A Christmas Story," Jean Shepherd (along with Bob Clark and Leigh Brown), was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 26, 1921, but he grew up in Hammond, Indiana.

Photo credit:  @2024 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.  Taken in Indiana 1/3/25.

Tariffs: Burdening Even Tiny Businesses With Expensive, Arduous Compliance

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Mark Cuban has warned that Trump's plan to impose sweeping tariffs on US imports would burden even tiny businesses with expensive, arduous compliance.

"I think one major point the discussion of tariffs is missing is the time and cost to businesses, even the smallest single person company," the tech billionaire said in an X post on Monday.

He goes on to say, "It's a lot of work. It's a lot of bureaucracy. It almost always required hiring a broker to deal with all of it. And of course there is the ongoing record keeping that each business is responsible for."

Why (Global) Small Business Owners Are Optimistic about 2025

Happy 2025 from the Global Small Business Blog!

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"Be bold, persevere, set achievable goals, and expand globally.  When small businesses thrive, the world thrives.  Happy New Year!" – Laurel J. Delaney, creator of the Global Small Business Blog

Auld Lang Syne by Mariah Carey (Goodbye 2024)

Today in Global Small Business: The New Year (2025) Edition

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What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• Boost your productivity in 2025.
• Poise your global business for growth in 2025 by attending Laurel Delaney's Global Trade Trends Report 2025 wegginar® on 1/8/25 (free of charge and learn what's important as you navigate the new global landscape).
• Quote of the week: “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past." – Thomas Jefferson 
• Ways to make 2025 a year of positive change.
• Why you don't need to reinvent yourself in the new year (for young creatives).
• Make 2025 the year you go BIG!

Sparkle

©2024 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Sparkle is the secret ingredient for a magical New Year." – Unknown source

From a $4K Investment into a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

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After a successful Kickstarter campaign, Cofounders Heather Aiu and Rachael Leinaʻala Soares launched Aloha Collection to produce Hawaii inspired waterproof bags with each contributing $2,000 of their own money.

The Kickstarter campaign helped them secure their first customers and distributors. Today, their company is a multimillion-dollar brand with retail stores in Hawaii, California, and at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

Here’s how they turned that initial $4,000 investment into a business that lets them live a dream lifestyle. 

Great Minds Don't Think Alike

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Adam Grant believes that great minds don’t think alike—they challenge each other to think differently. His weekly show explores new thoughts and new ways of thinking – from revealing hidden potential, to the future of creativity, to understanding the pendulum swing of global power.  Check it out here.