Have you got a great idea for an international business? It’s not always easy to find specific how-to information for international business development and this is why I provide some international business resources here on this blog, simply to help others.
But this leads to my getting emails with all sorts of odd international business requests. You see, I only help businesses at the point of new market entry, which is a very specific moment of time in the process of creating an international business… more about that below.
This is why I thought I’d share with you here the 3 main reasons why I won’t be able to help you with your international business. Here they are.
#1: Export Business Model
- “My grandfather has a cement company in Japan and I want to import his products in the US”
- “We are in Turkey and sell industry-specific pipes to manufacturing plants all over the world”
- “We are based in Mexico and produce large scale artwork and want to sell directly to international buyers”
In short, these examples are all about exporting and importing products. To put it bluntly, I’m sorry, but I can’t help you here.
To be perfectly honest, I find import and export a bit boring. I do find this easy enough to do, but it’s just not what I like doing.
Besides, it’s a waste of my particular skills which allow me to get a much deeper understanding of:
- What would make people from a different country buy your products or services
- How to get them to buy
- What you need to do to get more international sales.
This is how I help businesses to adapt their products, marketing and sales tactics to get more international sales.
Now, I do occasionally help export businesses with general tips to get unstuck. But I can only do this if there is a real business functioning in the background, and most of these requests are only based on an idea of exporting products into a new market. There’s no actual business up and running yet, so I can’t help them get unstuck if they haven’t even started.
I can’t help people with ideas simply because it’d take up too much of my time, cost too much money and my interests are at another level as you’ll see below.
Tip
Get on the phone and talk to the people listed on my international business resources. Find the international trade lists for your industry. Talk with the Trade Commissioner from your country’s embassy in the foreign country involved. Listen and follow up the advice you get.
That’s just a starting point.
You’ll probably need to travel and meet with the right people. You’ll need to hustle and learn how to ask the right questions in the right places. You’ll also need to develop your business knowledge. Commit to doing this preliminary business research properly.
#2: Unclear Business Model
Some requests are so fuzzy I have no idea what industry is involved and cannot get a good picture of where the business is and even if there is a business involved at all.
Brainstorming international business ideas can be fun, and I do enjoy this from time to time, but you need to articulate your idea well to get any value out of a brainstorming session.
If you are having trouble conveying your idea to others, you need to work on it some more. You should ask yourself whether you have a business idea at all, and if there is a business model somewhere behind this idea and one you can take abroad.
I often hear from people who do not have a clear understanding of the business model for their international business. This is usually a company which “does everything” and wants to develop their international business on the same scale. This fuzzy bunch of “everything” translated into a big nothing. This just isn’t going to work. You need to start with a very clear business model.
Tip
Strengthen your primary business first. Before thinking about developing your international business you need to get a clear understanding of what you do, why it works in your country, who you sell to and why. It’s scary the number of business professionals who contact me who do not know this. How can you expect to take your business into a different culture if you don’t understand what it is in your own culture?
And how well does your business work? If your business isn’t working in your own country, what makes you think it’ll work in another country? If you haven’t been able to resolve the challenges in your own cultural environment, how will you be able to do so in a foreign cultural environment? Hone your business skills first.
#3: No Business Model
Here’s my favorite “international business” request which comes in frequently:
- “I have a book and want to get it published in many different foreign languages.”
A book is not a business model. I’m sorry I can’t help you.
Tip
Your publisher can probably point you in the right direction.
Bonus Tip
If you don’t have the money to invest in a professional translation by a native speaker, living in his native country with specific industry knowledge on the topic of the book, then don’t bother.
Where I Help Businesses Get Faster International Sales
I help established businesses at their point of new market entry when they are connecting with their new international clients for the first time. I help them to adjust their international business development strategy based on the initial feedback from this first connection with a new market. I get sales and marketing tactics fine-tuned to bring in results from a new culture enabling faster international market penetration.
I usually only intervene for the first 6-12 months of a new market entry with the aim to provide the best operational guide to get sales in the new international market. I get involved in the international sales and marketing as this is where my cross-cultural and international skills enable me to interpret the real market feedback and learn how to adapt business tactics for best results.
Risk when managing the unknown and risk in cultural blunders are critical factors when entering new markets. So I also coordinate with senior management and other key players to closely monitor the risk factor. It’s valuable for risk evaluation to have people with strong international and cross-cultural skills involved at both the operational level and at the decisional level.
I have extensive experience in new market entry in traditional international business environments and I also have a few years in new media for international business development.
New media is taking up most of my time now. And to further develop these skills I also take on a few clients to hone specific marketing tactics such as blog editing, social media promotion and online community building.
So, if you have a new international business idea:
You’ll need to:
- Get a clear understanding of your business model
- Do all of the preliminary research for your new international business.
Look at the links under the resource section to get you started. But you’ll still need to dig further and do the groundwork needed to start your international business.
When you’ve done all of this preliminary work, set up a company and are just beginning to make sales in your new international market you’ll probably find that you need to adjust your tactics. You’ll find that all of the research you’ve done is not quite right, things are taking longer than expected, you’re not getting the results you expected. You might even hit a barrier or two. What works on paper and looks good in research usually needs adaptation when you start your real business.
And this is where my particular set of skills and expertise can help you.
Now, over to you…
- Do you have a clear understanding of your international business markets?
- What are you doing to develop your business into new international markets?
- What are your favorite resources for international business research?
Please share your comments below.
More On International Business Development Strategy:
- 3 Reasons Why I Won’t Help Your International Business
- 5 Actions To Start Developing Your International Markets
- Action Strategy For International Business Development
- Aligning Your Questions To Build Your International Business
- Are People In Small Countries Better International Business Developers?
- Are You Outsourcing Too Much?
- Define International Business
- Global Or International Business?
- Is The Expense Of Foreign Travel Stopping You From Getting International Clients?
- Market Research For International Business Development
- New International Business Development Phase Today With The Right Marketing Mix
- Online Success? Study Traditional Paths To International Business Development For More
- Plans With Adaptability, Flexibility And Agility
- Small Businesses Need To Take Action To Uncover International Business Opportunities
- When Discrimination Is Useful In International Business
She is who I turn to when I have questions and you should too"
-- Chris Garrett, co-author of the "Problogger" book
