Most business opportunities are somewhere else, not in your town, state or even country! Metro Phoenix, for instance, represents less than 0.3 percent of global business activity. More than 85 percent of new business opportunities are outside the U.S. And yet fewer than 1 percent of companies are going after that 85 percent, because fewer than 1 percent of companies export and, of those, more than half export to only one country.
So, 99 out of 100 companies are going after only 15 percent of opportunities. Does that make sense? It’s a good question. It can be a lot easier to sell next door. We get that. Doing business in another metro in your own country or in another metro in another country can be tricky. You need to know more — logistics, legal, banking, marketing, plus partners and customers.
How do you best reach them? How can you trust that you’ll find new customers in new markets, and get paid? That’s the fun of cross-metro, cross-border and global business. Yes, I said fun. It’s fun when you’ve got a team that understands different cultures, regulations and situations, so you can prioritize markets, reach them and sell to them.
That’s why we’re here — to help you grow within your country to other metro areas, and across borders to other metros. Global Chamber® is the only organization in the world with hundreds of locations and a mission to help executives grow their business from anywhere to everywhere, while collaborating with organizations in every metro area. We’ve created our global growth tribe for you. Reach out for warm connections to bridge the gap between metros.
Those of you reading this in the global tribe understand — you wouldn’t have it any other way. And you’re smart enough to know that you need help. No one should go global alone. But you need bridges to partners, clients and resources, to optimize your success. That’s what we do.
You know that if you can successfully sell to different markets your risk is actually reduced because your business will benefit from the portfolio effect. As one market slows, another speeds up, and you’re now insulated from the impact of the economy of one metro, region or country. Most SMEs, though, don’t have the resources needed to go after foreign markets without more than a little risk. That’s a big issue. So, we bridge the gaps to reduce the risk.
The world has never been so attractive, despite the noise you might hear from politicians and populists. Global markets keep growing. If you and your company don’t participate, someone else’s will. So, what does an SME do? Better get going global, quick. Chances are, you’re under-invested globally. Don’t wait, and don’t listen to the noise. Global Chamber helps you grow your business.
Doug Bruhnke is CEO and Founder of Global Chamber®
