The UPS Business Monitor began in 1992 as an important information resource to help UPS customers stay ahead of ever-changing business trends. Each UPS Business Monitor offers a glimpse into the psyches of those who are shaping the world of global commerce every day, from top executives in Europe to small business decision makers who are helping drive trade in Latin America.

The UPS Business Monitor started in Europe. It surveys 1,450 executives from Europe's top 15,000 companies about Europe's business climate including economic and employment trends. The survey questions executives in seven countries who run businesses that earn an average of 1.2 billion euros annually.

The UPS Business Monitor Asia is the first comprehensive study that examines the competitiveness of one of the region's most important economic engines: small-to-mid-sized enterprises. Published annually since 2005, the UPS Business Monitor Asia surveys 1,200 business decision makers in 11 countries including China, Japan, India, Singapore and Indonesia.

UPS has three business monitors in the Americas; one in Latin America, the United States and Canada. The UPS Business Monitor Latin America started in 2006, and surveys a total of 580 small-to-mid-sized business leaders from Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. The UPS Business Monitor United States and the UPS Business Monitor Canada began in 2007. Both surveys reveal insights from approximately 600 decision makers at small-to-mid sized businesses.

* An important note about the research: The definition of a small-to-mid-sized enterprise varies by region, so UPS Business Monitor researchers chose the most appropriate criteria for each survey. By region, small-to-mid-sized companies were defined as follows:

• Latin America: Businesses with a maximum of 200 employees
• Canada: Companies with 250 or fewer employees
• Asia: Businesses with an annual revenue of US$500,000 to US$10 million, and with fewer than 250 employees
• United States: Companies with annual revenues ranging from $250,000 to $50 million; the majority of respondents (418 out of 600) reported annual revenues between $250,000 and $5 million.

• The latest Asia Business Monitor is now available for download in English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai.
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• Check out UPS Canada's new Logistically Speaking podcast series hosted by Canadian small business expert, journalist and blogger Rick Spence. Interviews with expert guests discuss topics affecting small to medium-sized businesses - from tips on how to survive the credit crunch, to sourcing the perfect shipping partner.
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• In collaboration with the U.S. Commercial Service, UPS is hosting Exporting for Growth, a seminar series designed to show small and mid-size companies how to grow their business across borders. Hear from a few Chicago-area entrepreneurs who share their steps toward global growth and what they learned from the seminar.
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• European business leaders say that terrorism tops their list of global concerns.
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• From favorite drink, to entertainment choices and football teams - European business leaders are more down-to-earth than you might think.
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• Laurel Delaney, president and founder of Global TradeSource, Ltd., moderates the "UPS Business Monitor 360°" panel at the 2007 UPS Global Small Business Forum. The panel features four small business owners and examines why small businesses are not engaging in global trade based on the latest UPS Business Monitor survey data from Asia, Canada, Latin America and the United States. (Length: 13:58)
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• Israel Hernandez, Secretary for Trade Promotion and Director General of the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service International Trade Administration, discusses how small businesses can make the most of the global marketplace and explores resources available to help them engage in trade at the 2007 UPS Global Small Business Forum. (Length: 14:15)
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• "Just go for it" and take your business global, says Alex Osorio of Mexico City-based PoliPack, a pharmaceutical materials manufacturer. For Osorio, there was no trepidation in engaging in global business; in fact, he dove in head first. In this podcast, you'll hear about the successes of a small, non-U.S.-based business that engages in cross-border commerce. (Length: 7:29)
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• What started out as a book to help people Alzheimer's-proof their homes grew into a decade-old successful business. In this podcast you'll hear from Ellen Warner, owner of The Alzheimer's store and The Alzheimer's Daily News. Ellen will share how the Internet helped take her Cumming, Ga.–based business from a local shop to a global resource. (Length: 4:03)
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• Global trade isn't just for companies with "widgets." In this podcast you'll hear from Gary Harris, an Atlanta-based entrepreneur who runs an engineering consulting firm. Nearly six years ago, Harris found a solid niche for his services in Japan. Since then, his company has increased its credibility in Japan and is evaluating consulting opportunities in other countries. (Length: 5:26)
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• As a motorcycle enthusiast, Kathy McCurry liked to take her bike to the grocery store, but she didn't want to look like an Evel Knievel clone in the checkout lane. So she started an online motorcycle-wear company, which has taken off in the United States, Singapore, Australia, Europe and Canada. (Length: 7:56)
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• Eleven years ago Seth Ramesh moved from India to the United States. Now his Georgia-based company exports products from the U.S. back to his homeland. In this podcast you'll hear how this entrepreneur is turning his Indian heritage and American knowledge into a successful business model. (Length: 3:52)
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• When a restaurant venture failed, Valerie Orr was forced to sell her company's furniture. Then, the light bulb went on: Orr thought that buying and selling furniture for the restaurant and hospitality industry would make a great business. What she didn't expect was the phenomenal, global success that followed. (Length: 4:32)
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• Environment, education, poverty reduction priorities for latin business, political leaders. Survey Also Reveals Pressing Internal Investment Opportunities
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• The leaders of America's small- and mid-sized businesses report that the economy and health care are the nation's most pressing problems.
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• Most of America's small- and mid-sized businesses have failed to explore the significant growth opportunities offered by an increasingly global economy.
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• Canadian small businesses in the Alberta region are both the most optimistic and the least globally competitive in the country.
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• The second UPS Business Monitor Latin America forecasts continued growth with Brazil and Mexico leading the charge.
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• Canadian small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are hesitant to expand their business beyond Canadian borders.
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• Small businesses engaged in global trade twice as likely to expand workforce.
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