Here's another American Express OPEN Forum contribution, "11 Tips to Help You Thrive After Losing Your Biggest Client."

And your biggest client can be local or global.

My latest contribution for OPEN Forum by American Express OPEN highlights how Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" parallels much of what we do every day within our businesses.

I also bring to the fore two other perspectives on the situation, my own with "A Business Carol," and that of Dr. Vijay Govindarajan, a professor of international business at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, with his view on business strategy.

A very different twist on things. See what you think. If you "get it," click on the Found It Useful button.

And by the way, I notice the OPEN Forum by American Express OPEN is officially launching to the world in 2 days. Be sure to pay a visit. Lots of good information for global entrepreneurs and business owners.

Do you care what people think about you worldwide? Well if you do, I have a sneaky suspicion that you are not living LOUD.

What does living LOUD mean? Find out here with examples of five people (including Former President George H.W. Bush -- pictured skydiving on his 85th birthday). And a big happy birthday to my Dad who is 86 today!

Check out a recent contribution over at the new (preview content) Next Gen site of OPEN Forum by American Express OPEN:

How A Business Owner Can Sleep Like a Baby During Tough Times

If you like it, say so with a firm YES! To see more beta content, go here.

I am not sure if you are following my export series over at OPEN Forum by American Express. If you are, ignore this post. If you aren't, pay a visit to my latest two-part installment:

The Art of Closing the Export Deal

And as always, let me know what you think of it.

Just posted "Turning Limes to Limeade: Entrepreneurship Can Surface in Many Ways," over at the OPEN Forum by American Express OPEN.

See what you think.

Just posted, "For Advice That's Never Stale, Pick Up a Classic Business Book," over at the OPEN Forum by American Express OPEN.

During a time of such unprecedented economic turmoil and change, lately I find myself visiting my trusty (and dusty, I might add) in-home library of business books, looking for answers and timeless wisdom from influential authors who just might be capable of leading us fearlessly into the future.

Out of hundreds of books to choose from, here are five that deserve a spot in any collection of business classics. I’ve summarized the insightful advice I took away from the authors, all business visionaries who helped transform the world with their genius. You will find that most of the advice is more timely, practical and relevant than you could possibly imagine considering today’s global economic climate.

Despite harsh economic times, you can still formulate a plan to take your business global. In this case, it's getting ready to export.

I prepared this article, Organizing Your Export Trial Run (3 of a 5-part series) for Small Business Trends over at the OPEN Forum by American Express OPEN blog.

If you like it, click on the useful button (and add your comments). If you don't, please email me at ldelaney(at)globetrade.com. I always welcome feedback.

Over at the OPEN Forum by American Express, I'm doing a blog series on internationalizing your company. Here's Part 2: Building Your Crack Export Team of what will become a 5-part series.

And the usual ... if you find it useful, say so. If not, let me know why. Many thanks.

I posted over at the OPEN Forum at American Express, "On Your Mark, Get Set, Go Global." It's about how to begin the export process. This will be a five-part series so I hope you stay with me.

Here are 16 Ways to Dodge an Economic Crisis that we posted over at the OPEN Forum by American Express. My favorite is No. 16. And if you find the article useful, please say so with a click on the Yes button for that's the only way I know if you like my work -- many thanks!

Here's my latest contribution over at the OPEN Forum by American Express. It's entitled, "McDonald's: Local Footprint, Global Reach."

Key objective: To understand how effective the concept of local footprint, global reach can be in developing a successful global strategy for a company.

Favorite part: By surfing online, you can check out the Golden Arches in different parts of the world to see the differences in culture, food offerings and technology.

Take a look. And if you like what you see, click on the Found It Useful button. It helps me determine whether I am doing a good job or not with my posts. Many thanks.

OPEN Forum offered by American Express and under Anita Campbell's stewardship has my next entry up on bribes, red tape and cultural differences. It goes into great detail about whether there is a true opportunity for consultants in the United States to do business globally or is the opportunity primarily for product companies.

If you find it useful or wish to add to it, be sure to do so at the designated areas. Also, we placed an official badge on our blog to show all the OPEN Forum entries. Be sure to check out when time permits.