International Business

Over the years, much has been said about the advantages of learning a second language. It appears that more and more people today are eager to learn how to speak French, Spanish, Italian, or any other language because of the obvious benefits. As the world becomes a more competitive place, it is far more important to realize that the success battle is not just limited to those living in the same city. The battle has now expanded outward to those in a similar city way across the Atlantic Ocean. If you're an engineer in the U.S., you are undoubtedly competing with another engineer in China. As for those who own and operate a business, competition is far more fierce now than at any other time in business history. If you want a leg up on your competitors, then you should seriously consider learning a second language. The benefits are immeasurable.

You Have a Larger Marketplace
Your market isn't limited to those who speak and understand your native language, but is open to those who speak your second language. This means more business, which of course translates into more profits. As more people enter the marketplace, there will be far more business to conduct in both languages. Another, added bonus is that there is less competition. Not every businessperson will speak two languages. Therefore, you will be able to corner more of the market than your competitors.

You Can Reach More Customers
A second language in business means more customers. People generally feel far comfortable doing business with someone who can speak their language than with someone who can't. If you can demonstrate that you are capable of providing caring service to consumers in their language; you will not only have more repeat customers, but will gain far more referrals as well.

You Can Increase Your Revenue and Earnings
The no-brainer is that a larger market equals more consumers, which then translates into more repeat business and referrals, and then more revenue. If you were to open a business in Canada are could speak both French and English fluently, your profits would measure far higher than someone who were to open a similar business in the same location, but could only speak either French or English.

You Have More Travel Opportunities
If you like to travel, having a second language proficiency would be the perfect excuse to go abroad. You could go overseas to conduct international business trade in your second language, and the best part is that as a businessperson, you could write it off as a business expense on your corporate taxes. You may even get invitations to attend meetings or conferences overseas by business colleagues and other professionals, simply because you speak a second language.

You Have Contact With a Greater Number of Colleagues
You can develop far greater business contacts if you can speak a second language. This is something that might not happen if you could only speak your native language. More business colleagues could very possibly open more doors allowing you to expand your business in other territories; even if they are abroad. You could even become an expert in international business trade, which could ultimately lead to opportunities in public speaking or teaching international business courses overseas in your second language.