International Business

Are People In Small Countries Better International Business Developers?

by on 10 March, 2009

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International Business Development Strategy

iconcatib Are People In Small Countries Better International Business Developers?Readers often ask me about the current climate in international sales.  And in response, I often simply check the number and type of requests I get for business requests.

After a recent trip to Eastern Europe, David Meerman Scott asked some interesting questions about international business in a recent blog post:

  • Do you think that when a country is bigger, it is less likely that the companies in that country will market outside of their borders?

And the question that interests me most:

  • Do you think the companies in small countries develop their international sales more than companies in bigger countries?

The comments here are also well worth reading.  Of course you need to have the basics of business.  But let’s take a look at this question from another angle…

Life In A Small Country

You see I come from a small country.  The Bahamas, with 250,000 people over 800 small islands.

There is one difference I see between the people there compared to the people where I now live in Europe.

In a small country, if you want something you know you have to get up and do something yourself. There is usually no other way.  On an island it is even more complicated: isolation is real. What you want or need might be on the other side of the sea.

This almost creates some sort of survival instinct or primal consciousness.  This reaction to take personal responsibility, and take action, kicks in before any other options such as:

  • “I do not feel like it”
  • “Let’s wait and see”

In an international setting, it is even possible to identify people who come from this type of environment.

Content With The Good Life

The trouble is that coming from a small country is not the only thing that gives us the desire to conquer international markets.

In the Bahamas, many of my compatriots say that we are a lazy nation. After all life treats us well compared to many other countries.  You will never achieve anything unless you actually do something.

Desire For More

Not only do you need to be able to put yourself into action, but you also need to have the desire for more, the desire to go outside of your boundaries.

Of course, you do not have to live in a small country to be like this.  But I think David’s hunch is right.  There is probably a higher percentage of businessmen in small countries willing to make the extra effort it takes to get international business.  When you have no other choice, going the extra mile is not an option.  I think people from small countries have this primal consciousness or awareness of their own role in their success.

Beyond Motivation

It takes effort to set up an international business.  For many people, it also involves considerable personal investment. Some people jump to it and some people do not.

Motivations can be many things, including economic or personal passion.  The question is:

  • How do you put you motivation for an international business into action?

This is where coming from a small country may give you an advantage.

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Tagged as: business, business developer, business development, countries, country, david meerman scott, desire, globalization, international, International Business, international business development, International Marketing, International Sales, outside world, people, small business, small countries, world government

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