Globalisation requires startups to be global from day one. This does not mean that you need to have sales offices, distribution networks and advertising to all corners of the earth. It means that your startup’s culture must pursue a global market, which means that your startup must continually think about scale. Being able to scale from a small to a large business is one of the most important aspects of entrepreneurship. By thinking big, you can start developing your sales systems, your operations, your human resources to ensure that as you grow, the administrative burden does not grow faster than your business.

The obvious advantage of thinking global is that you are not limited to your immediate local market. Many people, especially in Australia, bemoan the fact that we have a relatively small and low-density population – and ideas do not succeed because of this fact. I do not buy this argument and neither do the hundreds of entrepreneurs who have taken their business globally after starting in small market. We are a lucky country with great entrepreneurs trying to make a difference. Going global also increases the perceived (I say perceived because real value comes from successfully building a business, not PR spin) valuation, which can help attract investors, licensees and potential suitors to your company.

Going global from day one is hard. It requires a lot of planning, research, foresight, risk and, most importantly, excellent execution. My investments, judging business plan competitions, and my own work in startups have always evaluated business opportunities whether it can efficiently serve a global market.

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