Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Live Event: 10 Ways To Take Your Business Global

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Live, from your desktop, it's Small Business Trends Radio. Join me today at 1:30 p.m. EST at:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/smallbiztrends where I will talk about reasons for going global, ways to get started, and places to look for help.

Look forward to connecting.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

For those who listened in or for those how missed the radio broadcast:

Reasons for going global (not covered on the show):

• Increases sales and profits.
• Augments competitiveness.
• Earns a greater return from a set of core competencies.
• Generates economies of scale in production.
• Enhances local competitiveness and opens up the way to larger, more lucrative customers.
• Create jobs, productivity growth, and wealth.
• Enlarges the pie of potential investors.
• Insulates seasonal domestic (local) sales by finding new foreign markets and selling excess production capacity.
• Cuts costs through global outsourcing.
• Reduces dependence on existing markets.
• Capitalizes on tax advantages.


Ways to go global (covered during the show):

1. Build a website.
2. Create a blog (Blogger.com, Wordpress, Typepad).
3. Start a wiki (PB Wiki or Wetpaint).
4. Launch a social media platform similar to Facebook but outside of Facebook (try Ning.com)
5. Offer lots of free stuff -- meaning, best practice PDF files, white papers or articles covering what you are good at -- and place it on all your media platforms.
6. Start communicating with business reporters (WSJ, NY Times, International Herald) who cover your business beat.
7. Join like-minded social media platforms (Small Business Trends blog or OPEN Forum by American Express or here!) and comment wherever and whenever you can in areas that touch on your expertise.
8. Work-it. You have to really work-it as they say. Nothing comes easy. Dedication breeds passion, enthusiasm and people wanting to connect with you to buy whatever it is you are selling (books, products, services, etc.).
9. Partner with the big guys. Once you are established, think of ways to partner, or form a strategic global alliance (SGA), with a business that has already penetrated an overseas market you want to enter.
10. Look to your customers for referrals to other parts of the world. After all, without them, there is no global business.

Places to go for help:

www.globetrade.com
www.exim.gov/smallbiz/index.html
www.ups.com/globaladvisor
www.buyusa.org
www.us.smetoolkit.org/us/en

Also important but not mentioned:

Before you go global, establish a BOGA: Board of Global Advisors who comprise of:

International lawyer
International tax accountant
International logistics expert

They can assist you over the rough patches, if any.

If you have additional questions, please contact me at 773-381-1700.

Thanks,
Laurel
ldelaney@globetrade.com

William said...

I want to take a moment to note a few words about Glenn Llopis, the business strategy consultant who assisted me with my new business venture. As a successful executive in Corporate America for over 20 years, I wanted to venture out and start my own business. However, I felt I needed some guidance and that is why I approached Glenn Llopis who was referred to me. He gave me the advice that could only come from someone with extensive experience with new ventures. Glenn saved me hundreds of thousands of dollars in trial and error and provided me with the tools to accomplish my dreams. His management philosophies are timeless and highly impactful.

Lars said...

I would add one more important point: Make sure you have the best team possible. At www.RequirementOne.com we have achieved first page organic ranking on Google when searhing for "requirement management" and similar. But this is not easy. Apart from dedication and a lot of hard work you need many very different skills. These skills are available so get people on your team who know what they are doing.