It takes a village to grow globally. You need partners, customers, employees and functional professionals in logistics, operations, international tax law, intellectual property and more. The bar is a little higher for selling internationally than selling down the street.
For our hundreds of speakers over the years, we’ve heard two quotes over and over:
“Why did we wait 10 years to go global and export? We could have done it much sooner.”
and
“If we knew then what we know now, we’d have done in five years what took 15 years.”
All of us who are part of the international business tribe can relate to these frustrations. We waited too long to jump in because we had easier things to do. We chose and trusted a regional partner and stuck with him or her too long. We hadn’t done the proper due diligence and didn’t see, or ignored, the signs that things were falling apart.
You can benefit from staying engaged with the latest tips and tricks of the international trade. The Global Chamber® is here to help share the information and resources you need to optimize success. We’re here to help and are dedicated to help members.
Don’t wait! The opportunity is now. For U.S. companies, the fourth quarter will likely be an all-time record for exporting. As a country, the U.S. has gone from 5 percent of GDP being exports in the 1950s to 14 percent today. But countries like China, Germany, the U.K. and many others outperform the U.S. by this measure.
Jump in! The biggest challenge is that company leaders like you are either not getting engaged with global business or are doing it sub-optimally. It takes perseverance, cleverness and flexibility — and staying engaged with resources that are doing it every day helps invaluably. Engage with our global business tribe, and then stay engaged!
It takes a village to grow globally. Pull up a chair and join the Global Chamber.
Doug Bruhnke is the founder and CEO of Global Chamber®.
