When people think about home businesses, they don’t often think about going global. (Unless, y’know, they’re really ambitious and possibly thinking a little too far ahead!) This isn’t necessarily because it’s impossible to go global; it’s more that it can seem that way. After all, a home-based business is usually not a very big one. You’re generally dealing almost exclusively with local customers and suppliers.
But, of course, we’re living in a time where it’s much more feasible to go global, even if your business isn’t some corporate giant. Businesses that deal in trading, legal advice, retail and commerce, and even crafts can begin taking a more global approach to things. After all, if you’re only willing to take a local approach, then you’re shutting yourself off to a bunch of great markets!
Here’s a quick look at the sort of things you should be thinking about if you’re interested in this approach.
Doing the proper research
How much demand for your service would there be in another country? And how easy would it be to transfer your skills and products to that place? There are some easy ones – if you do freelance writing in Britain, for example, then you could offer the same service to American customers and any other country that predominantly speaks English! If your service is a little more unique, then you could have a harder time finding other territories with a demand for it… but you could also be tapping into a thus-far unexploited goldmine of opportunity. Research foreign markets carefully.
Facilitating communication
You’re going to want to start building connections in other countries if you want to take this route. Potential clients, customers, partners, and investors all need to be reached out to. Social media is great for this, of course. But if you need to go into more detail and enjoy a less rigid communication format, then phone conversations are the best way to go. This, of course, can come with the problem of exorbitant costs. That is, unless you look into VoIP solutions that prevent you having to use traditional landlines to call other countries. You can find out more about this over at Unitel.
Updating your website
If you’re looking to provide a service or a product to another country, then you’re going to want to get rid of as many language barriers as possible. It should be clear on your website that you offer an international service. Not only this, but it should be easy for customers to switch the language that the website is in. You can use translation technology such as Bablic, a plugin that allows you to switch the language with the press of a button. However, to ensure that the translation is as accurate as possible, you may want to consider hiring a Technical French to English Translation service to get the text looking right.
Understanding the pros and cons
When people think about going global, they often think that this can only mean great success. But there are numerous problems you’re going to have to think about if you want to ensure that this is a successful endeavor. Chron has a good list of pros and cons for you.
If you get any value from this post be free to comment or share. Also feel free to connect with me on Facebook or Twitter!
text me: +385/9193-55474
email: hrvojeh75@gmail.com
skype: hrvojeh75