Top Ten Tips for Entrepreneurs Going Global

1. Culture impacts all of your interactions. Don't discount the impact of culture on your communication style, business plan or marketing materials.

2. Don't make assumptions. Just because a strategy worked well in the US, doesn't mean that it will in another country. Explore how people buy your product or service in the cultures where you want to expand business before making strategic decisions about how to market and sell in those cultures.

3. Always customize your marketing materials and website by tailoring them to the local culture. Just translating your US website sends the message that you either don't know about the local market or don't care. Also, don't use your US employees to do the translating. Language is highly localized and changes constantly. Using incorrect terminology can have disastrous results.

4. Be diligent about your use of color. Colors mean different things, and can have very strong significance, in other cultures. Find out what specific colors mean in an international market before making important choices on product design and marketing.

5. Find a local company to partner with. This company can serve as your cultural guide while saving you time, minimizing mistakes and maximizing profit. In most cultures, introductions from a local person will be critical to booking business meetings and to being successful.

6. Do your due diligence on local cultural issues. Hire a cross-cultural consultant, read books, meet with local community members of the country where you are expanding. Also, take a research trip to the country or region as part of your market research.

7. Be aware of your own cultural communication style and how it is different than the predominant communication style of the culture you are expanding into. The US, as a general rule, has a very direct communication style. Americans tend to "tell it like it is." Most of the rest of the world is more indirect. Be sensitive to this and pay attention to the nonverbal communication clues as well. This is particularly true in Asia where the nonverbal cues can dramatically alter the meaning of what is being said.

8. Be sensitive to people speaking English when it is not their native language. Speak slowly; don't use acronyms, proverbs or idioms without explaining them. Don't presume that people understand everything you say - so put as much as possible in writing. Translate your business cards.

9. Be patient. Americans tend to have a short-term focus and look for immediate results. Other cultures look to develop relationships, and position themselves for long-term success. Be willing to invest in numerous trips and endless cups of tea before making a deal. Impatience when negotiating is a sign that you are not investing in the long-term relationship, this will make a negative impression and it can be used against you.

10. Have fun! It is an exciting adventure to take your business overseas. You will learn things that you never dreamed of, and eat things that you probably wish you had never known about. Have a sense of humor about it, and yourself, and be willing to apologize if something goes awry!

Link to articles page