Are you thinking of going international with your company? Remember that going international will present your firm to new environments, entirely new ways of doing business and, not to forget; a host of new problems.

The problems have a wide range. They can consist of strategic consideration, such as service delivery and compliance with government regulations. Your firm needs to determine its preparedness for internationalization by assessing its internal strengths and weaknesses. This preparedness has to be evaluated in the context of the globalization of the industry within which the firm operates, since the context will affect the competitive position and strategic opinions available to the firm.


In addition, your firm has to focus on start-up issues, such as how to find and effectively communicate with customers and operational matters, such as information flows and the mechanics of carrying out an international business transaction. This involves a variety of new documents, including commercial invoices, bills of lading, consular invoices, inspection certificates, and shipper’s export declarations. The paper work is necessary to comply with various domestic, international, or foreign regulations. The regulations may be designed to control international business activities, to streamline the individual transaction, or, as in the case of the shipper’s export declaration, to compile trade statistics.


As you see there’s a lot to have in mind. But nothing is impossible! Even if the regulations sometimes seem to have been invented by some very incompetent people, remember that those regulations are there to protect you! And if you really believe that your business would benefit from being established abroad, don’t hesitate! You’re never too old to experience something new.