International Business

With nearly 500 million people speaking 23 languages in 27 member states, the European Union is home to a broad array of corporations and industries, including some of the world's leading multinational companies. Allianz, the largest financial service company in the world by revenue, Airbus, which produces about half of the world's airplanes, Air France-KLM, the world's largest airline, Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's biggest beer company, beauty products company L'Oreal Group, mobile phone maker Nokia Corp, and Royal Dutch Shell all call the EU home. Industries as varied as agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, health care, construction, and finance are strong drivers of the EU's diverse economy.

With the variety and complexity inherent in an economy as large as the EU's, keeping up with news, current events, and upcoming meetings can be a daunting task. Promoting an event to these diverse constituencies can be equally intimidating. On any given day, in Brussels and throughout the EU and the world, multiple meetings, conferences, seminars, hearings and networking events that could affect you and your business are taking place. With regulatory agencies, NGOs, government agencies, and corporate entities all sponsoring and attending events, something is bound to slip past your radar. And in this increasingly difficult and competitive business environment, attending relevant meetings and publicising your event to appropriate audiences is key to getting ahead.

There are many solutions to this problem. You could spend hours every day reading newspapers, magazines, trade publications and NGO's websites. And if you have your own event to publicize, you could spend hours and scarce resources producing marketing materials, sending emails, and making phone calls. Fortunately, there is a quick, innovative solution to this problem. There are several websites out there that allow you track upcoming EU events and contain all the information you'll need to register for them.

These sites allow you to create a customized profile and will alert you when upcoming events match your interests. This saves you the time and effort of scanning dozens of websites, newspapers and magazines to find out what events are happening in the EU and around the world. And the site doesn't just keep you up-to-date on upcoming events, it also provides all the information you need to attend any event - nearby hotels, maps and driving directions, nearby airports and transportation hubs, and it can automatically translate listings to many major EU languages. These sites can also be the solution to promoting your conference or meeting - registered users can often post an event quickly and easily for no cost.

Students who've completed a foreign policy or international business program of study might be eager to begin working in a foreign country. Perhaps they might be a bit ambivalent or scared, too. After all, the business practices of various nations in Africa, Europe, Asia - and even, North America - can differ vastly from American business customs and etiquette.

Several Asian nations, notably China, Japan, and India, have the potential to dramatically shape the world economy over the next decade. Across Asia, workers highly skilled in computers, engineering, manufacturing, and biological sciences are revolutionizing global methods of innovation, business, and production. It will become more likely over the next decade that a business college graduate will work with professionals from one or more of these Asian nations - especially if that graduate pursues a career path with many international opportunities.

Developing cultural sensitivity and awareness is very important for cross-cultural exchanges. This article will explore some common business basics among people of several different Asian nations, while offering little-known, fun tips and facts.

Building relationships: Chinese, Japanese, and Indian international business

Asian cultures tend to be much more collectivist than Western counterparts. In business decision-making, the group as a whole chooses a course of action. An individual worker's identity is strongly shaped by the group for which he or she works. In American business, conversely, one is much less likely to see collaborative strategies - though the newest generation of American office workers is beginning to change this. International business program graduates who work in China, Japan, or India might wish to develop their group work skills further before heading abroad.

Greeting individuals with a handshake, a slight bow of the head, and eye contact is polite. The firm, authoritative American handshake can be overkill overseas. Touching other professionals is taboo in Asia. Personal space is important; it is not considered polite to stand very close to someone. It is always best to observe the behaviors of your professional associates, and act appropriately.

Expect business to be conducted in a slow, deliberate fashion, and rushed business deals to be regarded as highly suspect. Speak slowly and clearly, and present new ideas cautiously. Aggressive proposals or overly showy body movements will not be interpreted well. Being on time is also essential. Asia is a continent of punctual business professionals, and it makes good sense to be early -- or, at the very least, on time -- to each new business meeting or collaborative opportunity. It also helps to be willing and able to gently negotiate and compromise. Consensus-building trumps maverick ideas in Asian countries.

Building strong business relationships is absolutely paramount in Asian countries, too. American workers abroad are at a disadvantage in this regard, because they will need to overcome cultural barriers to build trust and respect. They will also need to demonstrate their business skills in an honest, but not boastful fashion. Talking less and listening more are always wise moves when meeting a new business colleague. Status and rank are of greater importance in Asia than they are in mostly-egalitarian America, so pay attention to who's who in a company - but, of course, get to know everyone with whom you will be doing business.

Customs for Asian countries

Of course, Asian business cultures will vary in their customs. In Japan, for example, gift-giving is much more acceptable than it is in China - although gift-giving can be an appreciated token if done correctly. Each Asian culture also tends to prefer some ways of greeting professionals over others. Typically, using the last name and the person's professional title (such as 'Dr.') indicates respect. Asian business dress is sometimes more formal than standard American business dress, especially since jeans and t-shirts have become more acceptable in the American post-dot-com age. Navy, black, or grey business suits with conservative ties for men; and dark dress suits or formal, conservative sheath dresses and jackets for women will work well. Business shoes should be dark, polished, and as conservative as possible.

The presentation and reception of business cards is also important in Asia. It is most polite to have your business card printed double-sided, with the Asian language on one side and English on the other. You should offer your business card with the Asian language side facing up. When accepting other business cards, treat them as valuable: Study them carefully to memorize names and information, and never stuff them into your pocket. For your business cards, you might want to consider purchasing a hard case that snaps shut, and which can be tucked discreetly into a briefcase or purse after the card exchange has occurred.

Working abroad can be great fun. Americans can learn much from their Asian professional counterparts, and, by following some simple etiquette guidelines, can enjoy a most enriching cross-cultural experience.

If some of you think that this organic fertilizer business is a small business, we can say that you are incorrect and you may miss an opportunity to create a big fortune.

Why should you think of organic fertilizers as your grand business?

Firstly, food is the main needs of human being and the food industries can never be a sunset industry unless all of us do not eat food anymore. There is an unique situation that if the plants production area is at volcano coverage region and the soil is mostly rich with natural nutrition, then the agricultural producers may not need any fertilizers for their crops. Other than the volcano regions, majority of the agricultural producers require fertilizer to cultivate their crops. Therefore, natural fertilizer always has business opportunity.

Furthermore, the basic food industry is resistant to economy fluctuations because no matter how poor of the world economy, the people still need food to sustain. With such inelastic demands of food, the organic fertilizers will yet indirectly be benefited.

The application or supply of chemical fertilizers is slowly restricted and controlled by the authorities of all countries and this will be a grand business opportunity for bio organic fertilizer.

Please note that the use of chemical fertilizer destroys the soil particles and this will make the soil getting dense and unable to hold moisture and nutrients. As a result, the soil will get harder and harder and this is unavoidably a deterioration of soil quality. In other words, this will be a green issue. The green environmental awareness and protection nowadays is much powerful and some of these groups of environmental advocators also support bio natural fertilizer as a substitution of chemical fertilizer. With such movements, they indirectly help the agriculture world to produce a grand marketplace for organic fertilizer.

As I mentioned in my former article, whatsoever chemical elements that soaked up by the plants, will unavoidably pass into the bodies of beings. Please note that the chemical materials are in fact toxin. With this fact, we are taking toxin food indirectly everyday, do you, inclusive of your family members, want to eat chemical food daily? Bio organic fertilizer is healthy for plants as well as for the human being. Do you like to have good health for the rest of your lives? However, I have to caution you that not all the bio organic fertilizers are effective and healthy. Thus, a wise selection of bio-natural fertilizer is most significant.

In general, consumers have impressions that bio organic food is pricey and the people are adversely to purchase bio organic food due to its price. Yes, I agree in certain viewpoint because the agricultural producers might have use costly and ineffective bio-organic fertilizer in their plantation and the cost of pricey fertilizers will unavoidably be imposed into the price of food, that is, the additional cost of fertilizing will be conveyed to the final victims, the consumers. As a matter of fact, the agricultural producers can actually have lower cost of production and the end users can enjoy healthy organic food with reasonable and/or cheaper prices, PROVIDED the farm producers can select a good natural fertilizer.

The above are about eatable food. How about the non-edible food, such as grasses, flowers, trees and others? These are large marketplaces too! With an appropriate selection of bio-organic fertilizer, the cost of soil maintenance as mentioned above will be dropped and unavoidably gives the farm producers greater yield and profits. Your target purchasing markets for the organic fertilizers may comprise the home users, government departments such as town landscaping and agricultural divisions, multilevel marketing (MLM) companies, private farm companies, agriculture or farm association, online internet marketers and others.

Do you see the great business opportunities above?

To conclude: never disregard this natural fertilizer business and we should seriously study this bio-organic fertilizer industry.

According to the recent Ipsos/Reuters survey conducted in 24 countries around the world, there is considerable disagreement about business dress codes. That's not to say workplace attire is an international hot potato with daily conference calls between Brussels and Singapore thrashing out the pros and cons of polo shirts. But, the very fact that Ispos, one of the world's leading market research firms, organized this survey speaks volumes about the magnitude of dress code issues.

I'm not surprised. I deal with matters related to business-appropriate apparel on a daily basis. Perhaps more to the point is that this took so long to surface. Some of the survey results were startling, to put it mildly, but I'll get to them later. The report, officially entitled "Ipsos Global @dvisory: Proper Attire in the Workplace," explores what people around the world are wearing to work and rates the acceptance level, or inappropriateness, of specific garments. As I scanned the various polls that comprise the survey, it occurred to me that at its absolute core, Casual Friday could be the demon behind the current confusion, in Canada and in the United States.

Europeans, I have always believed, are upstanding, solid citizens in matters related to collars and ties. They wrote the book when it comes to professional demeanor. Same goes for South America and Asia. On the other hand, we know back in the 80's, Silicone Valley's dotcom lifestyle created a khaki-culture workplace, ultimately resulting in North America's widespread observance of Casual Friday. But who knew the rest of the world shared a taste for laid-back clothing? It seems to me that the very existence of this study points to an easing up of dress codes - everywhere!

We can't, however, place all the blame on those early dotcomers. Around here, summertime seems to be the real culprit when it comes to ultra-casual clothing. I'm not so certain that the seasonal infractions routinely filling my inbox are confined to Fridays. For example, décolleté, despite often Arctic-like A/C, probably tops the list of women's offences. Yet without a doubt, the most widespread complaints during hot weather months - for both men and women - are shorts and flip-flops. These beach buddies are the real burning issues.

Imagine my surprise when they both showed up on the Ipsos report. This is exactly what I mean about a universal dress code direction verging on non-existent. I'm not suggesting, on any level, that the poll results conclusively support abandoning traditional business apparel. I'm simply reading between the lines and pointing out that the very appearance of shorts and flip-flops on a business-attire survey tells the real story. Everyone everywhere wants to relax. Or do they?

Let's get down to the report's nitty-gritty. When it comes to interpretation, the shorts data presents a particularly interesting challenge. It makes sense that almost half the Australians polled judged shorts in the workplace appropriate. After all, it's hot Down Under. But Indonesia, only a hop, skip and a short plane ride away from Oz, is even hotter and yet only 5% of this survey group approved of shorts. Let's explore the stats a little further. It's coolish up in the land of fjords and midnight sun but the Swedes showed the same level of approval for shorts, as the Aussies. Hungary was the real surprise as the world's greatest supporter of short pants at work!

I can't say with any certainty that the citizens of Budapest represented the 46% short-support-group, but I can hazard a guess that it was these same folks who gave flip-flops wide approval. Over 50% of Hungarians polled endorsed flip-flops for business. And once again, Indonesia trailed at the bottom of the pack. You won't find either shorts or flip-flops in the boardrooms of the archipelago.

Here at home, Canadians and Americans, although polled separately, were in general agreement with about 30% in favour of shorts but fewer than 20% for flip-flops. (As a sidebar to this footwear phenomenon, I guess the old "socks with sandals" faux pas no longer poses a threat.) Ultimately, when the results from all 24 countries were tallied, both the flip-flops and shorts categories received an almost 25% approval rating.

But here comes a curveball. When these very same people - all employed adults - were asked if their most casually dressed co-workers qualified for promotion to senior management, almost 40% ticked the "No" box. It's as though they're saying; "Sure, go ahead. Wear whatever you want but don't expect to move up the ladder!"

A spin-off of this is the fact that two-thirds of the over 12,000 people participating in the survey agreed that: "Senior Managers/People That Run An Organization Should Always be More Dressed Up Than Their Employees." Clearly, this points to an expectation that both aspiring and existing leaders have a responsibility to maintain high standards when it comes to personal appearance.

Here comes another curve ball. The majority of participants approved "Bikinis/Speedos" for work-sponsored beach outings. Once again, it was the Hungarians by a mile, with almost 90% in favour of scanty beach wear. Not surprisingly, Argentina trailed closely behind but those surfing Aussies weighed in at only 60%. Here, on the home front, a comparative sense of modesty rules. Only about a third of the Canadians approved this minimalist approach.

Ultimately, what intrigued me was the diversity and magnitude of the report. I know we've come a hundred miles from the dark days when Casual Friday was in its infancy and some folks confused "dressing down" with sloppy carelessness. There's no question that business casual is constantly evolving but I for one, am greatly relieved to feel a touch of fall in the air. All those troublesome shorts and flip-flops will soon be tucked away.

Your company is expanding into international markets. Congratulations! This is a time for celebration. You are preparing to take your business to the next level, but before you throw the company a party there are a lot of logistics to work out. Legal matters galore need to be taken care of and everything from contracts to advertisements will need to be translated into a language that you don't speak or know anything about.

There are several ways to ensure that you obtain accurate translations.

1. Person versus Machine: Your business is too important to leave to the hands of a machine. Yes technology is great and we should use it to our advantage but online translations just can't capture cultural innuendo or even the natural flow of language. For example take the simple sentence, "I am twenty years old" and run it twice through an online translator from English to Spanish and back again. Here's what you end up with.

I am twenty years old.

Tengo veinte años de edad.

I have twenty years of age.

You can still understand the gist of the sentence but a native English speaker will pause to think about the funny phrasing. This distracts from the message you are trying to convey. Some thoughts simply don't translate, a human can adjust with such situations, a computer can't.

2. Native language: A good translator will speak the target language natively. You want someone with a full handle on both the language and culture to take care of you. This can help you avoid potentially expensive mistakes.

3. Writing Skills: Hire someone who can write well in both the source and target languages. Grammar, sentence structure, and paragraph flow all contribute to better communication.

4. Specialization: Hire someone with firsthand knowledge of your business. If you are in the car business, hire a translator that understands cars. Think of it your company as being a third language. Quality translators will speak source language, target language, and business language.

5. Deadlines: Deadlines are important to you and they should be important to your translator. Choose someone who will stick to your time scale.

6. Proofreading: The final stage in any written document is proof reading. The best translators will have a means of proofreading their work. The proofreader should be a second translator who is also native in the target language.

Good language translation is a must in international business, so make sure you check credentials and portfolio's before hiring someone. When hiring you can either hire a free lance translator through an agency or you can hire a translation service. Translation services provide the translator, the proofreader, and are very strict with deadlines. Both options can give you good results, as long as you do your homework and hire the right person or company.

So, going global is probably pretty intimidating, but relax, take one step at a time and get ready to celebrate, all that hard work is paying off and you just might be the next big success.

When one talks about international business, it simply connotes business dealings between two countries. Transactions would include a country's resources; whether it be the goods exported, the skills of people and/or financial assets that will benefit either the construction industry, finance, banking and other services.

Nowadays, our society is considered global in terms of business, technology and communication despite the many issues and debates going around it.

Pursuing an international business career can be quite a challenge for many. Unlike the local trade, one needs to understand the different cultures of other countries to be successful. Other than it gives the opportunity to travel, one gets to learn other language and study their different principles and beliefs. You should have a deep interest to be successful in this career.

Other than that, it is also a requirement that you have a background and skills in Math, communication and the most important one's creativity and uniqueness. You cannot simply expect to use the same method in dealing with one group of people to another. You must instead learn to adapt each time or you will be left behind.

Modern technology in communication does not hold any barrier in dealing in any business dealings because of easy access. Take the Internet for example. Because of it, business can be conducted within minutes despite the distance of the different contracting parties.

Information is easily passed from one country to another because of Internet access and all the fast abilities it presents to people. This makes collaboration between other countries easy when it comes to sales, marketing, manufacturing and even outsourcing of tasks. Whatever problems you face may it be financial or technical, it can be easily addressed.

It is not surprising that many are considering pursuing an international business career as it is one potential profession. To be successful, you need to understand how business is done based on the different cultures of every country. Once you achieve this, you can establish a strong business relationship with colleagues from other nations.

Always be prepared by researching about your clients before you venture out to talk business with them. An open mind is essential for you to be able to deal with the differences of culture, language and political system. Without thinking that way, I am afraid you will always struggle with fulling getting the concept of international business and all the positives it can bring to the table.

Technology has converted the world into a global village. Like other things, it has benefited the business as well. Gone are the days, when the business was restricted to a specific place and geographical boundaries were hurdle in expansion of business. Trend of business expansion across the boundaries is on the rise and a lot of competition has been seen in international business.

As international business is a bigger perspective therefore more professionalism, efficiency and skills are required to fulfill its requirement, as compared to domestic business. MBA in International Business has been specially devised to train professionals to meet the challenging demands of international business.

Aim

This MBA degree is focused upon multinational business needs and designed to produce a lot of professionals which can understand the sensitivity of worldwide relations and multicultural concerns.
Every business company wants to expand itself as much as they can. After success at domestic level, next goal is to start global trade, for which they need experts who can handle the business at that higher level. Therefore, to meet the demand of international professionals in the market, this significant master's degree has been started.

Facts

After successful completion of the degree program, the graduate has to complete initial interim ship in some renowned company in order to gain working experience. This can be a paid or unpaid interim ship. After having requisite experience one can apply for the job in various organizations. As the level is high therefore salaries are also better than domestic business employees.

Career

Although it is a demanding and tough job but the reward it pays back is so high that one is always ready and motivated to work harder. With such a good degree like MBA in International Business in hand, one can get job in banks, manufacturing companies, government agencies, aviation services, shipping and import export firms.

The profits are high when a call center is successfully outsourced but disaster looms when this transition is done incorrectly. Shipping jobs overseas has become a favored form of money saving for corporations. This type of business is set up to deal with both telemarketing as well as offering technical or other support to your customers. When done right, all communications with customers will be handled by this center.

Dealing with complaints or customer questions can be costly and time consuming to any business. This is why call center outsourcing has become so valued. The company one hires to handle these calls is very important to the success or failure of your business. Losing customers or having unhappy customers will not be profitable for any business, so much care must be taken when selecting a company. The best way to ensure that you ship the jobs to the right country is to have a handle on international business culture and to understand what different countries can offer you.

Time zones can play an important role in selecting a company. While companies in Asia have become popular, American customers are often utilizing them at odd hours as the time difference is great. This can result in under-performance on the part of the call center and less than satisfactory results. Be certain and choose a company that can operate within the business hours you need them to.

The quality of language spoken is probably the most important factor to consider. Many people resent being forced to discuss problems or receive technical information from someone who is not fluent in their native language. Be certain to choose a company that has speakers who are fluent in the language of your customers. Accents are no problem as long as they are not so strong that callers can not understand them. One way of ensuring quality control is to only work with companies that agree to record calls so that you can occasionally review them. In this way, you can ship the job overseas and rest assured that it will earn your company money rather than cost it money.

Most if us know that when you go on business anywhere; local or otherwise, it's important that the hotel your staying at offers certain services. For some of us we might be a little less demanding and can stand having a room with 5 channels, no Internet connection, and a twin bed. But for me, and many others, we like to be comfortable and in touch with the outside world whenever we can because business matters is something we have to keep in touch with at all times, and comfort, well that should just be mandatory!

Recently I was thinking about going overseas to meet up with a few companies and businesses that might be interested in my business and then I got to thinking; who offers what, and what makes them really stand out amongst the crowd of all the other hotels and resorts. Little did I know, there are some really cool services and amenities available those of us that own business and do international travel! A few of them have been listed below (business and otherwise):

Pattaya Exhibition And Convention Hall (PEACH) is a world-class multipurpose exhibition and meeting facility of the award-winning Royal Cliff Beach Resort offering complete versatility and flexibility. PEACH has 6-levels and is located along the slopes of the cliff between Jomtien and Pattaya in a stand-alone complex occupying 10 acres. The convention and exhibition hall accommodates up to 8,000 person's theatre-style or 3,640 for banquets. The hall is highly flexible and can be divided into four large soundproof sections or into 10 smaller sections. There are also 18 breakout rooms with various capacities ranging from 25 to 320. This is a pretty incredible feat! I went online and looked up a little bit about the Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall and the pictures alone are amazing!

M.I.C.E is a new form of business services which is the fastest developing arena of the International tourism market. MICE supplies its services to many different business meetings, conferences, and also events and exhibitions. In fact, MICE; Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions is growing so famous and popular it's actually one of the fiercest selections at any hotel and has become essential to that of tourists and tourist destinations such as India, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Dubai and Thailand! One of the most popular destinations for M.I.C.E, however, is India and Thailand, particularly Pattaya.

Its like an all in one service for people that stay in these hotels. The main goal for most places internationally is to have this type of service as being the "bread and butter" of the hotels individuals are staying at. And with the advancement of technology, warm hospitality and individualized services merged with natural beauty and rich heritage this destination doesn't seem to be very far amongst the hotel owners which are incorporating Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions in their businesses.

The great thing about Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions is that it's specifically molded for business men and women and some of these hotels that offer Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions actually have on-ground Expo building that can be utilized by you the business person.

With the Thai Culinary Arts Class you can learn the fine art of Thai cooking, one of the world's most popular cuisines, at the Royal Cliff School of Thai Culinary Arts. Opened in September 2000, the school offers an ideal learning environment with a large open kitchen area for practical instruction, a small lobby and reception area, a locker room and a typically-Thai dining room with wooden furnishings and floor seating. Regularly scheduled classes are three hours long and in addition to cooking lessons, participants receive a number of complimentary gift items.

There are also special classes conducted for children. Each 3-hour class includes; Welcome Drink, lunch, Ingredients, Recipes and Menus, Apron and Chef's Hat, Gift Basket with Spices, Herbs and Curry Pastes, A Thai Culinary Arts Certificate. This would be a fantastic way to get away from the business side of things and take a break from work!

Theme Parties Clients have the opportunity to choose from a number of predetermined themes (a few of them listed below) or to customize one to their own liking. Whatever the case may be, a theme dinner or party at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort is guaranteed to be one of the highlights of your event. Themes include things such as; Ancient Sukhothai Theme, Black and Gold Theme, Dine Around Asia Theme dinner, Fiesta Latina theme, Fishermen's Theme dinner, Orchid Theme Dinner, and Chinese Emperor Theme Dinner.

Royal Cliff Wine Club is Asia's leading wine club! The Royal Cliff Wine Club was launched on the 28th of April, 2001. It is a by-product of the resorts enthusiasm in promoting wines and hosting wine-related events. Creative backdrops, excellent props and high quality staff service - from bringing in the wines to serving them - are what makes the club so very well-received. Add to that, a very affordable Baht 3,000 annual membership fee.

The Resort's Wine Cellar houses close to 900 of the world's best New and Old-World wine labels ranging in price from 850-450,000 baht a bottle and boasts more than 36,000 wines in its inventory including 10 varieties of the Resort's own label Selection. The wines in this selection are from some of the world's best wine producing regions and exclusively made and bottled for the Royal Cliff Beach Resort. The walk-in cellar houses carefully selected Old and New World wine labels, plus a variety of fine Champagnes and sparkling wines. For your convenience, the wine list comes with a map of wine-growing areas and shows where a specific wine comes from.

Ultimately I was just going to list off business service like the first two but really don't people that are away on business deserve to relax too? I mean that's what MICE and PEACH are all about after all, a business service but something that also allows you to soak in the atmosphere and scenery around you. To be able to have conference and meeting halls available to you but to also be able to kick back and relax and enjoy the beautiful place you are! Another thing you should look into, wherever it might be that your staying is sight seeing because you get to see impressive things round the country including wildlife in parks, the expansive ocean, mountainous passes and tremendous deserts. You can check out what services your resort or hotel offers beforehand by visiting their website or calling them and just asking the concierge!

No one can deny that the Olympic Games bring nations together, and help humans understand that we aren't all that different, and that we all very much care about doing our best, our country, and competition. Recently, some scholars have gotten together and noted that the Olympic Games have not stopped humans from having wars, and while that may be true, we don't know for sure how many wars have been prevented due to the mutual benefit and coming together of humans across the planet in these Olympic Games over the years.

Now then, let me ask you a question; "do the Olympic Games also help international business cooperation, free and fair trade, and working together to help economic development and our global economy?" I believe the answer is yes, and I have noted in discussing with my international business acquaintances about the Olympic Games, and I have congratulated them on one of their athletes or teams in winning a gold medal or competing quite handedly in Olympic competition. Indeed, I have also noted the topic being brought up by them to me.

If anything else, this becomes an icebreaker, a celebration of humanity and human competition across the planet. We are much better off if we can compete in sports competition rather than in wars. Perhaps this is what the International Olympic Committee had considered around the turn of the 1900s. In hindsight, and we can mathematically point to these issues, there have been more wars, not fewer, and more people killed in wars as well. Of course we can't blame this on the Olympic Games, nor should we pretend that the Olympics could stop all human conflict.

Nevertheless, it has helped in so many other ways such as; international trade and negotiations, and in international business. More deals are made across borders when we are better able to understand the person on the other side of the phone or across an ocean. Therefore, it would be very hard to debate that the Olympics haven't been good for international business and trade, the evidence is indeed clearly there, and I can attest to that from direct experience and observation, as can a number of other business owners, and corporate multinational conglomerate executives.

I would say that is a good thing, and it's just too bad that the Olympics only come around every four years. Perhaps it would be nice if they could come twice as often, which is another concept altogether. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it, let's unite the world.

Coming in free form and inherently non-structural, social software is banking on the idea of collaboration. With this feature strength, it allows anyone in an enterprise to interact in ways that seem highly appropriate. Also regarded as a component of Enterprise 2.0 - a network of technologies that enable organizations to streamline their business systems and enhance collaboration - enterprise social software (ESS) takes the concept of intranet to a higher level.

Pointing to the enterprise landscape, a recent study by Gartner.com reveals that until 2015, 25% of enterprises will utilize social network analysis as part of their business and software strategies in an effort to improve business productivity and employee performance. In this regard, the research company recommends for the installation of easy-to-use ESS. Such tool that does not require rigid structures on users is deemed more helpful, coupled by visible, as well as strong, managerial support.

Gartner also cites the significance, for organizations, to develop long-term business and software strategies to provision and consume a set of social software and collaboration services. The development of governing policies that control and monitor the utilization of consumer services for business purposes is also necessary. To achieve these goals, organizations can solicit ideas and information from the business community regarding the most helpful ESS form.

Enterprise social software eases communication among employees, while doubling as an alternative source of information. Adopted as part of business and software strategies, it provides opportunities for modern employees to carry on with their business tasks instead of being in a physical office for eight working hours. Essentially, business social software supports the recent trend of sociability - meaning workers and customers want to be "social" - which leads to the implementation of internal network software.

An ESS system in place also allows multi-site organizations and companies to make employees collaborate more efficiently, and substantially improve their international business marketing efforts. Enterprise social tools make it possible for an enterprise to achieve, on the employee level, better collaboration on projects, as well as efficient sharing of experience and knowledge by cutting through corporate structures and flattening out some unnecessary bureaucracy.

Enterprise social software also makes genuine engagement possible, be it with respect to communication in corporate social networks or online communities. Moreover, better accessibility to information also results from integrating enterprise social software with business and software strategies. With this concept implemented and applicable functionality obtained, timesaving is realized.

While the lack of structure in social software is its strong point, it can also be a weakness for organizations that replace their traditional processes and systems. In order to successfully implement it, the social enterprise software works by making it concurrently exist with structured platforms (its processes and systems). In essence, the enterprise social software should augment - rather than replace - the systems in place in an organization. When designed to work in conjunction with existing systems, enterprise social software can pave the way for more effective and practical operations.

The name of this company speaks for itself. Wowgreen International, LLC is an MLM company that promotes green products. Wowgreen manufactures mainly cleansing products. The difference between their cleansing products and the others in the market is that; Wowgreen products are made mainly from Enzymes. Enzymes are naturally found in the body whose job is to break down complex compounds. Their product will allegedly clean without leaving a toxic residue. Wowgreen International, LLC states that their desire is to free the world from toxic materials. I would think that is a big dream, which is very achievable. So far, everything about Wowgreen is good.

A factor that we consider when we are reviewing a company is their leadership and management team. For Wowgreen International, their main leaders are Dave Deal, Rick Birndorf, Owen Stern, and Allie T. Mallad. All these gentlemen have very good impressive resumes. Their successes are also documented. One simple truth though that you must take a note of is that; they are business men. They are in to make money. If you decided to partner with Wowgreen in your business venture, you should understand that it is a business and it is your job to make money.

With Wowgreen International, you get paid in 5 different ways. You will get paid up to twenty percent of the retail price of their products. This is usually the difference between the retail price and wholesale price. You will also get paid anything between $20 - $100 bonuses for all your new representatives that you personally brought into the business. Other ways that you can get paid are Executive matching bonuses on green starter packs and Awards, Binary Bonus, Incentives and accolades (like car allowance and trips).

Many MLM companies and distributors out there still do not understand that you can build your MLM business faster by leveraging the internet. There is nothing wrong with the traditional way of building your business. But you should understand that the traditional techniques work for only 1% of the MLM professionals out there. Wowgreen is primarily teaching the Old School ways. However they are acknowledging the internet revolution also. You can build your Wowgreen business relatively quickly if you leverage the internet.

Should you join the Wowgreen business opportunity? Well, that depends on one major factor. Are you influential enough? If not, are you ready to do whatever it takes to be influential? People will join you and do business with you only if they think that you are a leader that can lead them to the promise land. This truth is the same for both online and offline methods. How many people are you impacting on a daily basis in a positive way? You need to learn that concept called branding. You need to brand yourself.

International Business Organization

Export/International business can take on many challenges as it unfolds. Goal should be to construct the company's strategic building blocks, using it's assets to support international opportunities. The outline is formatted from a more basic approach, increasing through stages of complexity. There will be points below that overlap and dovetail. Some corporations may have already touched on many of these points. The examples below are geared toward the food/protein industries. Nevertheless, the concepts are transferable to many others. Below are organizational ideas for consideration:

I. International Business Unit Establishment- Create P&L.
A. Budget to encompass 3-5 key trade shows and conferences that support the geographic strategy.

- Restaurant Chain Shows (Subway, McDonalds, etc.)- Important shows that demonstrate a company's willingness to globally expand with the chains.

- Distributor Shows.

- Trade organization conferences. Provide key insights to new emerging markets and trends i.e., USMEF, USDEC, etc.

B. Forecasting- By product category and market to determine business profitability.

C. Expenses- Identify expenses against the business. Be fiscally prudent.

II. Geography- Are the most immediate markets being efficiently addressed by export? Begin with the immediate opportunities i.e., target nearest or import friendly international geographic markets.

A. Canada-

B. Mexico-

C. Caribbean-

D. Domestic Exporters-

III. Export Product Portfolio- Product's export potential? What are the popular US items sold? Using meat products as an example:

A. Pork- More than likely highest export potential.

B. Poultry- Certain drawbacks (Avian viruses), but often has the necessary price points for market entry.

C. Beef- Still questionable into many overseas markets (BSE). Slowly improving.

D. Other- Veal and lamb offer the specialty items often sought in many of the smaller boutique markets i.e., Caribbean. Should be a high margin opportunity?

IV. Utilize and maximize current customer base. Grow internationally with domestic customers.

A. Chains- What chains are currently being serviced (i.e., McDonalds)? What are the int'l springboard applications of those chains?

B. Distributors- GFS,US :: GFS, Canada; Sysco, US :: Sysco, Canada...Sysco, Export
C. Schools- Offer products supplied to the US to Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Guam have same requirements.

D. Retail.

V. Expand Geography- Be first in emerging markets. Chains, trade organizations and trade shows will assist in breaking into new venues.

A. Australia, open to US pork imports. US plants must be Australian approved.

B. Brazil and Argentina- as economies improve, so should pork imports.

C. Middle East- Israel.

D. Asia- SE Asia, Latin America.

VI. Product adaptation-

A. A commitment to international product customization. Overcome import non-tariff barriers through product modification.

B. As point "A" is evaluated, determine volumes and pricing with the customer completing the value proposition.

C. New protein introduction- Growing US Hispanic community looking to satisfy traditional diets i.e., goat. US ranchers begin to emerge from their traditional ranching habits to fill a consumer need. Shift creates new export opportunities.

D. Profit Margin/Revenue Growth- Theoretically, there is no competition for custom production and margins should reflect business value.

VII. Resource utilization-

A. R&D efforts to meet a qualified opportunity. Example, a 51% breaded product can be exported to Canada vs. a product with less than 50% breading.

B. Account Managers- Joint calls on corporate to further support the chains international expansions.

Distributor Managers- Joint calls in evaluating immediate opportunities extending across borders.
C. School Managers- Joint calls in US territories to expand and maximize product presence.

VIII. International Partnership Arrangements. Partnering/Joint Ventures with like businesses overseas. Some ideal targets are Japan, Australia, Mexico, China. Key defining terms...product novelty, business profitability, uniqueness, pricing, product demand, market distribution, language understanding, product understanding. If there is a commitment from an overseas manufacturer who understands the product/species, but lacks certain manufacturing capabilities, a partnership should be suggested.

A. Responsibility considerations :

o Raw Material Hedge

o Currency Hedge

o Brokerage Agreement

o Time lines

o Production Capacity

o Legal contract/Export Insurance

B. Partner's Responsibilities:

o Volume Projections

o Co-Pack Agreement

o QA Plant Approval

o End User Presentations

o Stand-by Letter of Credit/Purchasing Contract

o Exclusivity

o Currency Hedge

o Other product opportunities

Notice currency hedge may fall under both and is open for negotiation. It depends on relationship's strength. Many times it should be for the account of the partner. An exception may be made to consummate the deal, or as a long term service insuring a yearly contract renewal.

IX. Licensing- Often used as a barometer in evaluating potential opportunities and minimizing immediate risks.

A. Brand Licensing- What is the true value of a certain brand in an international market? Would be determined by the partner company in that country.

Example. What was the value of the Parkay brand in Canada? Became the second best Canadian margarine brand. Produced by Parmalat in Canada. Brand was licensed by ConAgra US.

B. Technology- Minimizes capital overseas investment, while transferring US production technology.

X. Mergers and Acquisitions- Up to this point a corporation may be supplying and evaluating their export potential. Simultaneously, it should be considering the business worthiness of certain key markets. Ultimately, it may consider investment in those markets.

A. Partnership/JV company may be ripe for buy-out.

B. Margin potential internationally warrants an acquisition for corporate diversification purposes.
C. Many similarities i.e., language, business culture, profitability, increased product demand from growing middle class, business supporting political environment.

D. Overcome stringent food import barriers i.e., EEC. Example- Companies have improved international exposure, opening manufacturing plants within the EEC. An example has been the recent purchase of Sara Lee European brands by Smithfield.

XI. Summary- These idea compilations are based on 20 years of international business experiences with four major corporations and an MA in International Business. No one size fits all. The outline can be used to build new profitable opportunities that may not otherwise have been realized or fully exploited.

An international business company or international business corporation (IBC) can be regarded as an offshore company that has been formed under the laws of specific jurisdictions as a tax-free company which does not have the permission to engage in business within the jurisdiction it is incorporated.

The characteristics of International Business Company do vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. However, some common characteristics of International Business Companies are:

• The International Business Companies are exempted from local corporate taxation and stamp duty, with the condition that, it should not engage into any local business. However, the fees for the annual agent and registration taxes are not included in the exemption.
• They help in reserving the confidentiality of the beneficial owner
• The International Business Companies do have corporate powers to engage in different businesses and activities
• The International Companies can issue shares. That can be either in the registered or bearer form.
• They have a provisional place for a local registered agent
• It can abrogate the requirement to demonstrate corporate benefit or appoint local directors or officers.

The process of an International Company Formation involves the following steps:

Approval of company name

The approval of the name is the first step in the setting up of an International Company. The Registrar of the Companies only approves the proposed name when it is not identical or almost identical to the name of any company that is already existing. When it comes to the name, the words like bank, insurance, and group are used only if the company has a special requirement for that or functions in particular sector/sectors related to those.

If any existing has any problem with the name of a new company, it can object the same, however, within a span of six months.

Registered office

Another integral requisite is the address of the company. The address which is recorded in the Companies Registration Office is the registered office of the International Company. This is a very important part of company formation as the official mails or correspondences need to be sent to the address which is recorded as the registered office. Please note that the registered office address can be different from the trading office address.

Shareholders

In the International Company Formation, the shareholders and stockholders play a very important part as they invest into and hold shares in the assets of the company. They have also specific rights like voting at general meetings of the company.

If the company is making considerable profit, they have the right to be awarded a considerable dividend. If it is liquidated, they can also make claims to get back the money they invested. What's more, the shareholders even have the power to remove the Directors of the company.

Authorized and issued share capital

The authorized capital signifies the total numbers of shares that can be issued among. This plays a key-role in the International Company Formation as shares are allotted to different share holders which is known as the issued share capital of the company.

Memorandum and Articles

The objectives are, main and subsidiary, are together referred to as the Memorandum of Association. It describes in a nutshell the name and the limited liability of the members of the company. The internal operations and the management that sets the meetings and the number of directors for a quorum are governed by the Articles of Association.
International company services

Corporation or limited liability Company like Offshore Incorporation is set up outside the country where the particular company is already set. Some examples are the Nevis LLC, British Island, Belize Company and Panama IBC. The owner is given a financial confidentiality like, an offshore bank account, which also aids in providing easier traceability to account holder.

In the current Global Business paradigm outsourcing and purchasing from international vendors is the norm in Corporate America. Even small and medium sized businesses must be thinking here to trim costs, remain competitive and survive. With these truths unveiled perhaps I might be so bold as to recommend a very good book, on International Purchasing:

"International Purchasing Handbook" by James M. Ashley - 1998.

There are almost too many traps to consider in international purchasing. This book spends quite a bit of time explaining how global sourcing in the Pacific Rim, must be understood by international purchasing agents if they hope to succeed. Finding experts is paramount and understanding how these suppliers think is too and that is before you even get into language barriers, legal barriers, tariffs and getting payment to them or receiving payment. How to use brokers, clearing houses, freight forwarders and trading companies are clearly defined in this book with case studies, examples and warnings.

Importing on your won, there is a whole chapter on commercial invoice, certificates of insurance, certificates of origin and payments in accordance with importing rules and regulations. There is also a chapter on developing a sourcing plan, finding international sources and making international relationships; empathy, understanding, history, etiquette, friendliness, and how to win and dine. Sub-chapters on Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea, with topics on Southeast Asia, Europe - both East and West. Some discussion on Middle East, Israel, and Latin America too.

Learn how to negotiate with foreign partners and suppliers. How to negotiate with various cultures and how to document tactics, all key to international purchasing and well defined in this work. The book is filled with contracts and things you need to know when contracting once you have negotiated terms, more importantly how to enforce these contracts and how to consider the costs in every single clause of the contract. There is a chapter on various laws in international business as well as trade quota issues and explanations of International Agreements and Associations:

• GATT
• WTO
• NAFTA
• ASEAN
• APEC
• AFTA
• ATPA
• OECD
• CCET
• CBERA
• CCET
• CBERA
• IBCC

Next, the book describes the important issues of quality when dealing with foreign suppliers and how to manage accounts payable, letters of credit and managing of changing currency exchange rates. This is the best International Purchasing Book that I have ever seen and thus it resides as a reference book on my personal business library shelf. I recommend you go and find the latest printing a pick one up for yourself.

Deciding to expand your product sales or business services into the international arena is a bold and exciting move. It seems so exotic to think of your products being purchased by locals and tourists alike in places like Brazil, Buenos Aires and Santiago, Chile. Shopping bags filled with your unique items flying back from far away cities such as Tokyo, London, Athens and Cairo is enough to have you running to the bank for additional capital to make this dream a reality. However, before you go betting the farm on your new international strategy I would like to share with you insights I have learned during my extensive career in international business and how you can expand your business globally without putting a huge strain on your capital.

Proper preparation which includes a solid understanding of the different markets available and which ones are right for your product or business is crucial. Below are a couple of facts which can give insight into the global retail world:

1. Brazil is the 10th largest economy in the world.  Sao Paulo Brazil is the 19th richest city in the world and poised to move up to 13th by 2020.  Imagine what type of product or service can be generated in this type of market.
2. Buenos Aires is the financial hub of Argentina ann its port is the third busiest in South America.
3. Santiago Chile, with its 6 million plus population, generates 45% of the countries GDP.
4. Chile has the closest model of the department store concept of anywhere in South America and completely understands the Big Box concept.
5. Cairo, Egypt is the largest city in Africa, as well as, the largest Muslim city in the Middle East.

I have a first hand knowledge and understanding of the global retail market so you do not have to.  To get you started I have outlined the seven areas I feel are crucial when doing business abroad.

1. Local culture & customs:  Understanding a countries culture, customs and specific business practices will make the difference between closing the sale and going away empty handed. International business relationships are built over time and based on mutual respect and common interests. The fast paste, multi-tasking approach common in the US will not be as successful in the Middle East or South America. You may walk away empty handed from a business lunch in Saudi Arabia simply because you ate with your left hand.  Saudi's only eat with the right hand as the left is considered dirty. Speaking the local language, knowing when to push, when to eat, when to call it a day, when to relax and when to close are all nuances specific to each country and learned over time.
2. Packaging:  Packaging, product copy, images and displays need to be culturally specific and appropriate to each country. It would be disappointing to build an entire product launch around a female celebrity only to find women on packaging in the Middle East is not accepted as women are held in high regard and are not to expose body parts. Ensuring your packaging is in the correct language and dialect needs to also be a consideration. Packaging in China would not go over well if it were only in Mandarin; it would also need to be in Cantonese. Be sure your graphic designer understands which colors are strong and acceptable for each country and region. In China the color green is associated with "Health, Prosperity and Harmony", however do not market green hats as they are associated with infidelity.
3. Logistics:  Freight forwarders, lead times, port authorities, peak ship times, reverse logistics due to returns, customs and freight rates are just a few of the issues you will have to be an expert at to ensure your products get to market as promised.
4. Regulations & Certifications: Just like UL approval in the US other countries have a multitude of different certifications, approvals, and packaging requirements that need to be planned for and allotted the appropriate amount of time to complete. The loss in revenue caused by the confiscation of an entire shipment by the Saudi government because it didn't have the appropriate SASO approval can be devastating to any company as will finding you shipped your 4^th quarter products to Israel without the appropriate ISI certifications.
5. In country representation: Using in country representation can be a critical part of your products success. An agency who is dialed into the specific retailers you are targeting can give you an even greater understanding, insight and specifics regarding your product and how it is performing. Having someone on the ground in country at all times can also help with training and product promotions to ensure their success.
6. Pricing your products for local retail & wholesale: Pricing your product to be competitive internationally can be tricky. Before committing to any deal you should be aware of the following:  What are the sensitive price points in the countries you are selling into?  What prices will move your product and get you the sell through you and the dealers are looking for?  Have you factored in freight, duty, certifications and import costs into your model?  When using an in country Distribution Partner ensure you factor in the different pricing levels knowing each level needs to make a profit.  Currency variations: Is the country you are selling into having large currency swings or does it have a level balance? Will you sponsor a currency smoothing program or take your chances with the market?
7. Payments & Credits: Once you have mastered the above 6 items and have a deal in the works I am sure you want to get paid. Acceptable credit, terms and payments schedules can vary by country. A "Letter of Credit" with a well known bank is most common; however, this can add expense to your customer who will likely want to recoup it somewhere. International receivable insurance, short shipments, charge backs and credit checks are some other critical areas to consider when looking to get paid in full for your product.

Taking your products and services to the global market is a complicated project that takes experience, connections, expertise and a fearless attitude. As an international business consultant and manager I have been assisting and guiding companies for the last 10 years on how to develop and sustain top sales in a foreign market. I can assist and guide you through the above 7 steps and create a successful marketing plan to take your products global and create exceptional results.

A not-so-new concept, open-source (OS) is the emerging alternative that has been gaining more and more popularity over the years. The open-source business intelligence has extended its breadth, and has become the trend - from financial and office software to Web, desktop utilities and games to practically almost all significant ways of organizing business tasks.

Revolutionizing business and software strategies in a massive way, the open-source movement allows information to be produced, distributed and controlled in the hands of many. This idea, which is exemplified by Linux in the operating system landscape - is, at present, gaining momentum in the marketplace.

A solid example of the success of OS is the emergence of Wikipedia - the open-source encyclopedia founded in 2001 - which in just a matter of years, has made paid encyclopedias virtually obsolete.

Suddenly, the world is seeing that Wikipedia - which is based on cooperation and contribution - can work, it being free and convenient to use, with content that is characterized by real-time updates. People are also seeing how the free flow of information can provide efficiency on a massive scale.

Low book sales typify the scenario of ever-growing OS adaptation. In a related report by The UK Telegraph, low sales have beleaguered the generic books industry in the United Kingdom in 2009 - despite international business marketing efforts- owing not only to the recession but also to technological changes.While books cannot be thought of as dispensable, analysts are projecting that online book sales will soon overtake hardbound publications in terms of revenues.

Focusing on the business arena, research from Gartner Inc. states that in 2012, production deployments of open source business intelligence tools will be five times its scope in 2009. The study notes that adoption of open source differs between the telecommunication and financial sector; and midsize companies, healthcare, the public sector, manufacturing and other similar industries that are more "conscious" about costs. The open-source concept is poised to be a viable approach for the displacement of incumbent vendors.

The utilization of open-source tools, which is becoming part of enterprises' transformed business and software strategies, is embraced in projects as it is deemed to lead to the creation of better and notably more affordable software. Buyers of licensed software for business from major vendors find that complex products that do not allow for control or additional functionality and size-ability options are just too costly.

At present, companies are realizing that by purchasing closed-source software, they are bound by the need to tap their provider for support, which then translates to unplanned overheads. Moreover, tremendous upgrade costs are putting off enterprises.

While the idea of open-source is seen with its benefits, it is far from being perfect. Open-source software also necessitates payment, servicing and licensing- although not requiring as much as big software platforms from leading providers.

Apparently, on the international arena, the international business involves the transactions between two nations. Most of the time economic resources are the primary goods of transactions such as skills, people and capital for several purposes such as finance, construction, banking and services. In the 21st century where technology, corporations and communications are vital, many are claiming that our world is now a global society with plenty of international issues related to business, even causing hot debates and controversies.

The international business career is entirely different from the domestic trade as it involves the understanding of diverse cultures. From there we can conclude that it is now a desirable skill in the market so it should be your ideal field of study or occupation if travelling, understand foreign cultures, and cultivating new languages are your interest forte. Besides, due to the need to deal with numerous different people, you should be well equipped with some math skills, brilliant communication skills as well as some passionate creative thinking.

Upon the implementation of international business, the current economy contains no strong national boundaries and they are constantly diminishing. It does not come with one primary factor; it is caused by the massive electronic communication, particularly the internet. The great sharing and transfer of immediate knowledge from one corner to another opposite side of the world allows the proliferation of information thus triggering the collaboration of marketing, sales, outsourcing and manufacturing. Besides, the wide networks of most financial institutions have helped in addressing currency problems as aid can be delivered almost instantaneously.

No doubt, the international business career is one potential field to develop. But of course, one who intends to specialize in this area should comprehend will the intricacies of establishing a strong business association with partners from other nations. The difference in culture, political systems, understanding and language is definitely a challenge in the business collaboration. Always perform sufficient research beforehand and carry an open mind to make the deal a success.

When it comes to making profit all over the world one of the best ways to do so is to take advantage of an international business opportunity. This kind of opportunity can be done on the Internet and it can be promoted to all types of people all over the world. This is one of the biggest advantages since you literally do not have any limitations when it comes to marketing your product or service.

Even though you will have to deal with people that do not know your language it will be a huge market for your capture because not only are you going to be successful for getting people in your specific country but also the different countries around the world. When it comes to limitations the only thing that restricts your profit is not being able to promote all over the world and this is why a lot of people who just get involved in local businesses are never able to go to another level in profits.

Dedicating the time to learning about the facts of the international business opportunity will pay off in the long run when you're finally able to start your own international business. It will take some time for you learn and get familiar with the different languages and countries that you will be dealing with but remember that it's worth it in the long run even though it will take some time to investment into it.

There are many different types of international business opportunities available on the Internet so just make sure you take your time when it comes to choosing one. Make sure you're comfortable with the opportunity and that they offer a very valuable service at a very affordable price. This will prove to be a huge help in the long run when people are very satisfied with what you are offering and continue to stick around.

Starting your own business is never easy. If you are planning to start a business that entails international setting such as having it through the internet, then a good international business plan should be involved. If you want to expand your business, then you must exert more effort too.

To have a good international business plan, you need to do the following:

1. Make a feasibility study and start with the nature and scope of the business. You have to include a particular country that will be part of your target market. Study all the requirements needed and study how to get your return of investment faster.

2. Create your business description with the history included. In the history, you have to place the founders, milestones achieved by your business from local settings including all your products, process, technologies and services.

3. Obtain all the requirements needed for your license and all permits to pursue your international business.

4. Create a detailed description of your products to provide information to your clients.

5. Conduct a thorough research on all your possible expenses regarding your overhead cost which includes all your marketing expenses.

6. Study your current market in regards to volume of products purchased, geographical location, social changes that would affect your business.

7. Make a price strategy for all your products. If possible, include promotions and bonuses in your calculations.

8. Include the foreign Market and its Environment in your study plan. You need to be familiarized with it and should know the proper procedure for it.

Making an international business plan is not that easy as you think it is. You have to make sure that you are ready to take another step higher and should be equipped with all the information in regards to legalities. Use this as your guide in making your own plan, and then have your way towards success.

Many firms are interested in investing and seeking finance from foreign sources and exporting goods and services to foreign countries. Overseas involvement of firms is increasing, and this trend is expected to continue. This has been stimulated by a variety of forces. First is the change in the international monetary system from a fairly predictable system of exchange to a flexible and volatile system of exchange. Second is, emergence of new institutions and markets, particularly the Eurocurrency markets, and a greater need for international financial intermediation.

In 1971, the US dollar was unlinked from gold or allowed to "float". This brought about a dramatic change in the international monetary system. The system of fixed exchange rates where devaluations and revaluations occurred only very rarely, gave way to a system of floating exchange rates.

The distinguishing characteristics of international business finance are multiple currencies, differential taxation and barriers to financial flows. Of these, the multiple currency factor and the attendant issue of exchange rates has received considerable attention, particularly in recent years. An exchange rate represents the relationship between two currencies.

The procedure for evaluating a foreign investment in international business finance consists of identification of cash flows, choice of an appropriate discount rate and determination of net present value. Foreign investments generally involve higher risk, which arises from factor like changes in currency value, discriminatory treatment of a foreign company and threat of expropriation. Risk stemming from fluctuations in exchange rate looms constantly on the horizon of foreign investment. In addition, a foreign investment is subject to discriminatory treatment and selective control in various forms motivated mainly by political considerations. Finally, the threat of expropriation without adequate compensation may exist, particularly in countries where radical nationalistic sentiments are strong. In view of the higher risk associated with foreign investment, a firm contemplating foreign investment would naturally expect a higher rate of return.

Arbonne International came into the professional front in Switzerland in the year 1975. Then within a span of five years, in 1980, it moved to America. The company has established itself as a reliable brand earning goodwill for over thirty years now. To increase productivity and sales, Arbonne has independent distributors.

A cost-effective joining process

If you want to be a part of the Arbonne business, then you get started as a consultant spending a paltry $29. You can get the super starter kit at the cost of $65.

A varied range of products

Arbonne offers a varied range of products starting from anti-aging, baby care, cosmetics, and skin care to weight loss, aromatherapy and the like. The skin care products are well accepted by the people because of the constituents and ingredients of the products. The varied products were made in the most natural way based on botanical principles. The hypo-allergenic products became popular because they were environment friendly, safe for the environment.

Retailing products online

In order to get the facility to retail your products online, you need to spend money for buying a retail website from Arbonne International. You need to pay $120 per annum to the company. The company does not confine you within the boundaries of a specific territory unlike its competitor Avon. So you are free to retail your products to prospective consumers and reach your target market in the areas you think it fit. You can increase your local client base also.

The compensation plan

Business is aimed to make profit. The earning potential of this company is two fold. When you sell the products to the potential consumers, it generates your commission. The other option to earn is elucidated by the uni-level structure of the residual compensation plan. This calls for the use of your convincing power to get potential candidates whom you can sponsor. You need to build up a strong line of distributors. The line of distributors or the people you have sponsored can be as many as you want. The incentives that you get are performance based. There are provisions for getting bonus also when you achieve a significant goal.

The scar, though not a deep one

Arbonne International had to face the worst time when the holding company of Arbonne International filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection at the beginning of the year 2010. Without paying much heed to this problem, the representative of the company worked in smooth co-ordination restructuring its financial graph. The reorganization of the structures within the company under a new holding company enabled Arbonne International to be back with a bang on the financial front. Arbonne International could do away with the debts to a large extent and sorted out the financial equation with the former holding company.

Take your own decision

Individual skill, leadership qualities, the determination to do business whole-heartedly has to be there if you want to excel in Arbonne International business. No doubt Arbonne International business provides business opportunities, but whether it would work for your benefit, can be best judged by you.

What are the benefits of international business? All you have to do to find the answer to this question is to see what smart investors do on Wall Street. They develop a portfolio that includes international stocks in order to hedge their losses if prices go down in the U.S., and to bolster their chances of gaining lucrative returns from a variety of sources. If you are a small business owner and have a product or a service that has relevancy outside of the United States you may be able to expand your reach into other markets where the shipping costs and taxes are not exorbitantly high. The question is how does someone living, for example, in Great Britain or Germany find out about you? Here are some tips that you should consider following.

In the first place, you will need to have a website that contains what are called "keywords" or "keyword phrases" that people use when searching for certain items. Having a website online without any of these phrases in your text or domain name will serve you poorly when it comes to driving traffic to your site. You can learn how to use online marketing techniques, however, to greatly enhance your visibility factor online, and to use social media to create a promotional campaign that can eventually garner you untold thousands of dollars in profit.

The benefits of international business are yours for the taking, but only if you create a plan for it. Take some time to learn online marketing and social media techniques, and not only can you expand your reach oversees but you can increase your profits at home.

Are you interested in growing your business internationally? Now, with the internet and social media, it's easier than ever to create an international business. Below are 4 simple steps to follow:

1. Define your Vision and Define your Target Market. Develop a clear vision of what you want to accomplish. If you have a fuzzy vision, you will get fuzzy results. For example, you can ask yourself: What are my ultimate career goals? What do I stand for? What is the purpose of my business? How can I best serve others? You may also want to write down your core values and beliefs. These values and beliefs will guide every action that you take. Incorporate your values into your vision.

When defining your target market, you can ask yourself: Who is my ideal client or customer? What is their demographic? What topics are they interested in? What books or Authors do they like?

Those are just a few of the questions to think about. You want to be very specific when it comes to your vision and target market.

2. Use Social Media to Connect with your Target Market. There are over 200 million Twitter users and over 500 million Facebook users, so no matter who your target market is, they are using social media. You can use social media to connect with "targeted" people from all over the world.

Here are some examples - If you are a weight loss coach, then you probably want to connect with people who want to lose weight. If you are an Author, then you probably want to connect with people who are interested in the topic of your book. If you want more listeners for your radio show, then you want to connect with people who are interested in the topic of your show. If you have a coffee business, then you want to connect with people who love drinking coffee. So, no matter who your Target Market is, you can use social media to connect with them.

With Twitter and Facebook, you can connect with people in your Target Market who are located all over the world. There are Twitter automation tools you can use to target people based on the following: their occupation, topics they tweet about, where they live, the language they speak, and more. You can use these tools to automate the process, so it's quick and easy for you. With Facebook, you can't automate the process, but it can still be done very easily.

3. Create a Genuine Connection with your Target Market. Once you've connected with your target market, you want to provide them with a lot of value. You could provide them with helpful tips and guidance concerning your niche. You could provide them with links to inspirational stories. Inspire them, motivate them - show them that you care. Go to their profile pages, and comment on their posts. Share their posts with your followers. Show them that you support them. Be genuine. Be your authentic self. When you provide people with value, and you show them that you care, they will want to work with you - they will want your services.

A big mistake that a lot of people make with social media is that they promote, promote, promote, all the time. This is the opposite of what you should do. Think about it - do you like to be solicited to all day long? Probably not. People love to buy things, but they don't like to be solicited to.

You could have the best products and services in the world, but.. "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." ~ John C. Maxwell

4. Have a Business Plan. If you don't have a plan, you will experience "information overload". In today's world, there's so much technology and so many options available. Many people become overwhelmed with all of the options and programs out there, and they don't even know where to begin. If you don't have a plan, you'll wind up spending hours and hours on the internet & on your social media sites, but you won't get anything accomplished. You need a results-oriented action plan, a strategy, to achieve the results you want.

You may have heard about GDI, Global Domains International, before but did not fully understand the business. It is time to clear up all the mystery and help you understand why this work from home opportunity is one of the best available today.

Multi-Level Growth Potential is the Key to Income Growth

If someone said you were going to only earn a one dollar commission per month on a sale you'd probably think it was the worst business plan of all time. What if the $1 was every month for years? What if each person who you signed up started inviting other people to join and you earned $1 for each of those people per month? Is it starting to sound more interesting?

This is exactly how the GDI plan works. You are selling a.WS domain name and web hosting for people to use as they wish and you are making $1 for each month they keep paying the low $10 per month fee. Most people rarely change web hosting companies.

With each of these people you sign-up they can start making profits, too. You need to let them know about the income potential and as they sign-up other people for websites you start getting $1 per month for each of them through 5 layers. The income potential is amazing.

Why Sell a.WS Domain Name?

As you may already know good.COM domain names are hard to find today. The.WS domain names are the next logical choice which is being quickly snatched up by companies like Geico Insurance, Choice Hotels, Volvo, 3M, Sherwin Williams, and many other large corporations. You can offer local businesses and individuals an opportunity to get a great domain name with high quality hosting for a low price.

The opportunity for you and the partners who sign up with you is tremendous. People are buying domain names like crazy every day.

Working To Build A Great Income

If you really want your income to explode you will need to get busy and work at it. Start developing a large social network on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to share your story with. Learn to make simple videos for YouTube telling about your business opportunity. Find a good partner to help you with search engine optimization to get your GDI website ranking highly. By taking simple steps every day you can grow a business which quickly replaces a full-time income and much more.

Every business owner that needs to travel overseas for work needs an international SIM card. Apart from the obvious benefits of saving anywhere between 60 and 90% on what you would have spent had you used your home SIM card I outline three less obvious benefits below as to why you need one of these SIM's. They have three less tangible but no less important benefits for you as the end user and international business person. They are a great branding tool, they make it easy for you to keep in contact with family, friends and contacts and they are great for cash flow management.

These SIM cards are great. Here's why:

Good for branding- If you have an international SIM mobile numberon your business card as well as your home mobile number people will see you as a bit of an international jet setter. There will be an aura about you and people will think of you more highly. I mean, who doesn't want a James Bond style aura? I know I do!

Great for keeping in contact- I keep hearing people espousing the benefits of buying a prepaid SIM from whichever country you travel to. I have never heard anything so stupid in my life. I mean, how much time and effort will you have to waste updating people with your new number each time you change country and phone number. Reclaim this time back by getting an International prepaid SIM. People will always be able to contact you on the one number.

Great for cash flow management- In my opinion, this benefit of an International SIM card is one of the greatest benefits. The best value international SIM cards are all prepaid. This means that you know exactly how much money you are spending at all times. You will not need to worry about exorbitant roaming charges when you get home. These have been immense pain for many a business and an international SIM card removes these problems. Even in a country where the savings aren't huge when you compare the costs with your home phone, being prepaid you can still keep better track of how much money you are spending.

You really need to do yourself a favour and get one of these SIM's before you head off back overseas. Don't waste your time and money, make sure you look bigger than you are and make it easy for business colleagues, family and friends to keep in touch with you whilst you are travelling.

If you are one of the companies in the USA that is selling internationally, congratulations, you are part of the minority of only 4% of the US companies that export! If you are already exporting you should nevertheless beware. It is very easy to become complacent or to lose focus on your international sales. It is easy for your international business to become the company's read-headed stepchild. A good company leader must avoid this, and needs to make sure that a serious amount of time and thought is given to international business development. We recommend that you ask the following 10 difficult questions. These will help you challenge the status quo in your export effort and encourage you to put resources into international sales if appropriate.

10 Questions You Should Ask If You Are Already Selling Internationally

1. Are you satisfied with the current sales levels you are achieving in international?

2. Do you believe that you could improve sales at the international level?

3. If so by how much?

4. Do you believe you could be doing better in some countries/continents than others?

5. Are your Distribution Partners successfully selling only some of your products but not the others?

6. Do you have some new products coming down the line for which your current Distribution Partners in some countries may not be the best distribution solution?

7. Does your sales team have long term relationships with some/many of your Distribution Partners that are perhaps " too comfortable"?

8. Are you happy with your international margin structure and that your pricing is maximized?

9. If you, as the leader, initiated a program to focus on and increase sales internationally by 15%-25%, do you believe it could be achieved?

10. If you did initiate such a program, would using external help with more bandwidth increase the likelihood of success or are your current personnel and resources sufficient?

Depending on how you answer these questions you may well find there is an opportunity for growth. The very act of asking these questions will encourage you to take a good look at your export effort. Finding accurate answers to the big international questions is inevitably more difficult that answering similar questions on your domestic business. Too often because it is more difficult, it may be ignored. Or these questions will be put to and answered by the VP of International Sales who may have a different agenda. If appropriate it is recommended that you utilize outside resources to help research the answers to the questions, develop plans and for practical help in the execution of any distribution transitions necessary.