If you’ve owned a business for quite a while now – congratulations. Starting a business up from scratch and then maintaining it isn’t as easy as people think it is, so if you’ve managed to do that then you must be rather skilled. So many people assume that as long as they have a bit of money stored away, then all they need to do is pair that up with a good idea, and voila. But that isn’t necessarily the case. There is a lot of hard work that has to go into running a business, and you will have to learn a lot of things on the way from every mistake that is made, because let’s face it – mistakes will be made, it’s only normal. But rather than dwelling on the things that went wrong, you will need to see what the issue was, and then make sure that it can never happen again. – That is how you grow and become a success.
But if you now feel as though you’re ready for a new adventure, then why not consider taking your business overseas, or even starting a brand new business? There are plenty of benefits as to why you should do this. Here are just a few:
Open an untapped market
One of the biggest problems that entrepreneurs seem to deal with, is that they’re having to compete with so many other similar businesses in their area, and yet trying to find an idea that is completely unique is near impossible nowadays in the world that we live in. But standing out from the crowd won’t be as difficult if you’re in a country that doesn’t sell or cater to a market that you do. And that means you have a whole audience to yourself.
A better environment for business
Depending on where you are in the world, you may be faced with quite a bit of bureaucracy, and this can make trying to do business pretty difficult – more so than normal. But if you consider taking your business elsewhere, you may find a country that has more favorable rules to follow that gives you chance to run your company without always having to worry about the possible backlash from tons of paperwork and legal documents. As long as you have your citizenship and business license, you can get to work right away.
More recognition for your business
Building a brand that properly expresses what you and your business stand for, is key, and you want to be able to reach out to as many individuals as you possibly can. So rather than just focusing on your local area, expanding and taking it overseas can give you so much exposure and visibility that takes your whole brand to the next level. And all this new attention that you are gaining can all be turned into leads, that turn into customers, that turn into sales.
Gives you a second chance
Sometimes in business, it just doesn’t work out the way we wanted, whether it be our fault or just bad luck. But once a business fails, it is near impossible to bring it back to life again, because it will be tarnished. But going overseas is a fresh start – nobody knows you, and nobody has any preconceived ideas about what you can do for them, so you have a second shot at making things work out this time.
So now you have an idea of all the wonderful benefits that starting a business in the US or anywhere overseas has to offer you – now you need to think about how you can make it happen. But before you start packing your bags, you will need some tips to make sure you are getting off on the right foot. Here’s what you need to know:
Ensure to localize your ideas and expectations
When preparing your business in another country, you need to make sure that you find out as much as you can about the local culture in order to be a successful entrepreneur. You don’t have to worry about this too much when you’re at home, because you already know what the market is like after having lived there for so long, but now you’re in a new place, you need to forget what you know and start again. One good tip for this is living like they do, and getting yourself a hdb bto apartment so you’re mixing with everyday people that will potentially become your customers. Chat with them when you can, and launch conferences once you’ve made some business connections. If you’re not finding any luck with this happening naturally, then go on sites that put you in direct contact with clients who can help you instead.
Ensure you are willing to learn the language
So many people will go to a different country on the basis of building a business, and yet have no intention of learning the language. They have that ignorant mindset of “If they want my services or products, they’ll figure out how to ask me for them.” And although you will find that a lot of people are able to speak English, doesn’t mean that you no longer have to try. It’s rude to go somewhere and continue to force your own language down their throats, and no one is going to respect you for doing that. You’re in their country now, and you should be willing to learn their language while you’re there. This doesn’t mean you’re expected to be fluent by the end of the week – even if you’re a terrible learner with a terrible accent and pronunciation of words – it doesn’t matter, you’re still trying, and that’s what will win everybody over.
So as you can see, you have quite a lot of information that you will need to keep in mind when planning for your trip. But just make sure that before you dash out of the country and be driven by excitement – think about the decision properly, and then think about it again, and then speak to your family and friends, and then think about it some more. Once you’re sure, essentially, the world is your oyster.
Founder Dinis Guarda
IntelligentHQ Your New Business Network.
IntelligentHQ is a Business network and an expert source for finance, capital markets and intelligence for thousands of global business professionals, startups, and companies.
We exist at the point of intersection between technology, social media, finance and innovation.
IntelligentHQ leverages innovation and scale of social digital technology, analytics, news, and distribution to create an unparalleled, full digital medium and social business networks spectrum.
IntelligentHQ is working hard, to become a trusted, and indispensable source of business news and analytics, within financial services and its associated supply chains and ecosystems