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A smaller world in 2007
In this first issue of 2007, we look beyond the Berkshires to the west and Boston to the east and offer a global perspective, a perspective we suggest has implications for the region's businesses. The close of 2006 brought news that the euro is "confounding critics" and may be close to rivaling the dollar, pound and yen and is now seen as a "strong global currency," and Chrysler has entered into an agreement with China to manufacture small cars for sale in the United States. The Disneyesque "small world after all" is here.
Of course, not every small-or medium-size business desires to go global, but there are lessons to be learned from others that have made that leap. Amber Chand was driven from her homeland on a journey that brought her to western Massachusetts where she owns and manages an online business combining e-commerce with compassion.
Kellie Holloway, working on the opposite coast, shares her expertise with an international spin on the familiar SWOT (Strengths,Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis that will be helpful whether a business is looking to make overtures to Asia, Europe or someplace in between.
That same need to assess your organization's place in this "small, small" world applies to non-profits, as did the Western Massachusetts Regional Library System. The member libraries asked themselves where to put their resources and efforts, and then formulated a plan designed to do just that. The hill towns to the west of us may not fall under the global umbrella, but the WMRLS's strategies and tactics for serving target markets in other neighborhoods can be applied to other businesses.
Internally, we've made changes to the magazine, including organizing articles by section, adding author photos and formatting changes for improved ease-of-reading. The changes reaffirm our commitment to serve as a resource for small-and medium-size businesses in western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut
So take a look and have a read as we all prepare for a productive and prosperous 2007!
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