International Business

Over the years, the United States and Australia have been very closely allied. At times that relationship has gone under severe stress. For instance in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan Australia has participated in NATO exercises and endured that sacrifice. This has been tough on their population which doesn't like the war, what society does? This isn't the only challenge on the home front as China is also spreading out its tentacles, and putting in small satellite military installations at maritime choke points near Australia.

Much of Australia's good fortune and economy belongs to its relationship in trade with China. Whereas most nations have a trade deficit, at times Australia has had a rather nice surplus. This is because Australia sells China raw materials, of which Australia has plenty. China is in need of all sorts of things such as food, timber, and fuel. Australia is rich in resources, and they've enjoyed exporting all of their excess to China and digging up more at breakneck speed. But that's not all China wants to buy, they also like the military technology that Australia has, a good bit of it they have due to their relationship with NATO and the United States.

Australia is also building its own high-tech submarines, ships, and military hardware. NASA has satellite and space base station technologies in Australia. China wants to borrow infrastructure and information there in Australia to help track its own satellites, and the US isn't so sure it wants to have all that technology, dual use technology, shared with the Chinese. Not that the Chinese haven't stolen or rather borrowed that intellectual proprietary information from our defense contractors already. But in this case the system is already set up there, and China would like to use it, and learn all they can of course, lots of scary implications there, considering the proprietary information theft, hacking, and spying of the past couple of decades.

In World Affairs, November-December Issue there was an interesting article titled; "A Tilt Toward China? Australia Reconsiders Its American Ties," by John Lee. In this article he makes a number of astute comments, and the United States must realize that China is a powerful economy, and Australia needs China to continue their solid GDP growth. Australia doesn't want to cut off the hand that feeds them, but it also realizes it needs the US backing as well. Because of where Australia is located, they would be fools not to participate with China in economic trade.

The United States is wondering at what cost, especially as it has cost the United States a number of very solid industries, and a huge trade deficit, causing us to rack up huge debt. How long before China uses all that money they've acquired in trade deficit to buy our nation piece by piece? Likewise, when will Australia say "no, you can't have that, or we won't sell it to you, or that is proprietary and secret information?"

Does Australia dare play that card too often with the Chinese for fear that the Chinese might go elsewhere to get resources, leaving Australia's economy in the dumps, today China has no choice, but tomorrow it certainly will, all the while China continues to grow into a superpower? Please consider all this and think on it.

Are you wondering who Ardyss International is and what they do? They are a company that started in Mexico in 1989 and later moved into the network marketing space in 2007. Their main product line focuses around wellness and health. Their flagship shapewear product Body Magic is an undergarment you wear to improve the outward appearance of your body. It also has a number of other related health benefits. Along with this they sell the Levive super beverage. It's an antioxidant beverage created with Goji, Acai Berry, Pomegranate,Noni and Mangosteen juices. They also have a line of cosmetics manufactured by the same concern that Estee Lauder and MAC are created by.

Is It Possible To Make Money With Ardyss International?
Of course it is. In fact I would go as far to say that every networking marketing opportunity out there today has the potential to make money and create an alternative stream of income. The biggest issue confronting most that get started with this (i.e. you included) is that they don't have the requisite recruiting, lead generation, marketing or sale skills to make it work consistently. This becomes their major obstacle to success when it comes to trying to sell the Ardyss line of products.

The Solution
Ask yourself how are you reading this article right now? That's right over the Internet. If used correctly the Internet can be the BIG EQUALIZER. In fact it could be said that a majority of the big earners are big earners because of the influence of the Internet on their business.

Why is that you ask? It really comes down to two reasons. First, because of the amount of traffic you can potentially get exposed to online you have the opportunity to grow your business a lot faster then with traditional means. Finally, because of lead qualifying tools you can use online your offer will be targeted to only the most qualified prospects. So this means you can stop trying to sell friends and family and cold calling inherently bad leads now. Your success with all of this is staring you in the face.

For every story of success, there are perhaps a thousand stories of failure. This article is not meant to deter anyone from trying to enter the foreign trade market, but rather to give a better insight as to what one should expect.

From the outside (and to many on the inside), foreign trade is simply finding a product for a very low cost and marking it up a bit finding a buyer. Sounds simple. This is why so many try it.

Finding a product at a very low price is easy. Finding an honest supplier is very time consuming and is often a matter of trial and error. Quality is another issue you must be concerned with. Regulations concerning imports and exports is an area which you must become familiar with. Finding customers is not always as easy as you think.

Let's look closely at each area - Let's use Costume Jewelry as our target product-

1) "Finding a product at a very low price is easy." Simple, search keywords such as 'costume jewelry suppliers' Look what Google search found -
- Results 1 - 10 of about 2,300,000 for costume jewelry suppliers.

Look what Yahoo search found -
- 29,700,141 results for costume jewelry suppliers.

Ok, we found the price we like.

2) "Finding an honest supplier is very time consuming and is often a matter of trial and error. " Do you realize more than half of the listing which claim to be "manufacturers" are actually very small trading offices run out of peoples homes? Did you do any background checks on the supplier? Did you call them and actually speak to a person? How are they requiring payment?

3) " Quality is another issue you must be concerned with." - Not long ago, a well know retailer recalled millions of dollars in costume jewelry. Was it the fault of the supplier (manufacturer) or the buyer (famous retailer)? ANSWER- BUYER! In this case, the buyer had the resources to ensure the quality of the product leaving the factory was safe but chose to look the other way. The safe product would have cost more thus reducing corporate profits. So it was not an issue until a third party made it public.

4) "Regulations concerning imports and exports is an area which you must become familiar with." Here is where so many get into trouble. You pay a factory $50,000.00 to ship 20,000 electric bikes to the USA. EASY! Contract signed, payment made. Product shipped. Factory has filled their legal obligations. Problem was, the contract did not state what certificates were required. You choose the product and said ship it. They did. Now customs has 20,000 electric bikes that they are not releasing due to lack of documents which you may or may not ever receive.

Keep in mind, you ARE the buyer from the factory. It is your responsibility to set the quality standards and be willing to pay for that extra measure of quality. Sadly, some very big corporations today put public safety behind profits. The factory will sell you a product very very cheap, but this will force them to use very very cheap materials.

As I have been in this business over 20 years, I will never have the lowest price, but quality issues resulting in a safety concern has never happened to us. Don't allow profits to be the master, you reputation and the safety of your customers must always come first.

Internet marketing is truly an international business. As an example, my current customer list has names from Egypt, India, South Africa, Canada, and the USA. In fact, as I started building my customer base, my first two subscribers were from Egypt and India.

It isn't often that a start-up business here in the states will have its first customers from such exotic places. Right out of the box, I can claim that my business is international. That's just one of the great features of an internet business.

Of course, an internet business is limitless when it comes to geography. Information can be sent in an instant to anywhere in the world thanks to the internet.

People on one side of the world routinely contract to do work over the internet for people on the other side of the world. Send out an assignment one day, and when you get up the next day, the completed work is waiting for you.

Can you imagine what your grand parents or great grand parents would think of the internet? It's still a marvel to me, and I saw it from the beginning. Imagine the awe of someone who never even heard of computers and the internet.

This is truly a great time to be alive. The technological advances are nothing short of amazing, breath-taking, and world-altering.

Of course, our ancestors thought the same about what they saw happening over their life times, but the pace of change and the world-shrinking nature of them is incredible.

Having an international business is just a small part of the wonder of it all.

If you've ever toured Costa Rica, you know it is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, and I cannot think of a more fun place to cruise a motorcycle all around Costa Rica. Luckily, it is a lot safer than it has been in prior decades. Now many Americans are discovering this country, and are now moving there to retire. With all these Americans coming in and bringing their money, there have been significant gains in the country's GDP and employment rates, and that is a good thing.

So, good in fact it brings me to my next comment. And that is a US Based franchise concept there could do well and since the labor is less expensive and there are far fewer regulations it would really be easy to do and a nice place to do business. As a former Franchisor Founder, indeed, I have looked into it before, but I am retired now. Still, the value of doing business there and riding up on the increasing tide of prosperity has opportunity written all over it.

There are many "franchise concepts" that would do well there and probably a lot better than most emerging markets with similar demographics, and with the incredible growth in GDP it really makes sense now. Indeed, I have a few franchise business models in mind that could kick butt in Costa Rica. But one doesn't have to search very far in online franchise directories to note all the possible types of businesses that would be a no-brainer in Costa Rica right now.

Because with the increased American Population so too comes American consumer taste, and that is where franchisors have a huge advantage, and thus, it is something you might wish to think about, so please consider this.

Reliv International was set up in 1988 with the aim of improving the lives of the people by catering to them different health and nutritional products. The founder of this network marketing company was Robert Montgomery. The company promises to give a new lease of life to the people with their top-quality products. Reliv International which has already established its credibility also provides a business opportunity. People can enter into a business relationship with the respective company as distributors of Reliv International's products and services for the overall development of the company and to earn a potential income.

A wide market

It's been twenty years since Reliv International has stepped into the business domain. The business has flourished and the company has its main office in USA. The business has expanded globally and has a host of corporate offices in Canada, Australia, Mexico, Germany, UK and other places.

The array of products

The very popular products of Reliv International are the Reliv Classic and Reliv Now Series. The range of products that the company offers is chiefly health and wellness products. The health related issues can be kept at a safe distance with the help of these products. The health and wellness products act as a shield protecting the heart, joints, ensuring proper blood sugar regulation and reducing the effects of aging. Reliv International has also spared a thought about the specific needs of women and children, and they have high-quality products for them. The ingredients that the products contain ensure that the nutrients are well absorbed by the human body. The company ensures that the products must always be of top quality.

In order to satisfy the potential consumers with the best services, Reliv International has walked an extra mile and has established a Scientific Advisory Board in 1992. The board was set up to carry out the research of the ingredients used in manufacturing the products. The members of the Advisory Board probed deep into the constituents of the products, gave important suggestions and advices to enhance the quality of products.

The compensation plan

The compensation plan provides for paying the distributor in five different ways like retail profits, wholesale income, cash bonuses, ambassador bonuses and overrides. You have to join the company as a distributor by paying the start-up cost. Then as an active distributor, it becomes your duty to maintain an autoship order of products on a monthly basis. There are perks and allowances for top producers as they are provided with the opportunity to go for luxurious trips.

The way to be successful

You have to generate leads online as there is no alternative way to taste success. You have to put in your best efforts t to reach out to people who are looking for a good home-based business opportunity on the net. You have to absorb in the marketing strategies and qualities so that you can help your business to flourish. With time and experience combined with the accelerated rate at which you generate leads, you can perceive a steady growth in your business.

Despite the ravages of nearly two decades of war and Communist Bloc domination after that, Vietnam has become a very dynamic consumer market. Danang, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City are now extremely cosmopolitan cities that are thriving by virtue of a variety of businesses and the tourism industry. Consumer demand and an array of industrial production venues are being fueled by three critical factors:

- An excellent demographic profile
- Rapid population growth
- Stabilization of society

In many ways, Vietnam appears to be emulating China. It has progressed from what was once a planned economy that failed due to corruption and inefficiencies existing within state programs, poor quality of manufactured goods, and the underproduction (as well as restrictions) of a wide array of economic activities.

Current Consumer Market

When you look at the country today, over 30 years after the end of the Vietnam War, it has become a market economy that which is creating opportunities by engaging in international business. US exporters and investors see Vietnam as an emerging, viable market, resplendent with excellent business opportunities and an economic growth rate that continues to be one of the highest in the world.

After 1986 and the demise of the Communist Bloc, significant economic reforms targeting renovation of the economy came into play, and by the 1990's, Vietnam had experienced an GDP growth of 8% annually. Additionally, industrial production has been expanding, growing at an annual rate of between 14% and 15%. As a result of this economic growth, numerous US firms are taking advantage of these profitable business and industrial opportunities.

Future Market Considerations

In January of 2007, Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) to enhance further economic growth on a global scale. The government began implementing several administrative, economic, and regulatory changes geared towards continually enhancing what is becoming an increasingly favorable market environment for US companies. These positive changes will be ongoing through 2015 and will continue to provide the US and other countries around the world with tremendous investment opportunities.

Vietnam is currently the 13th most populous country in the world with a population in excess of 86 million people, as well as an economic growth average of 7% annually for the last several years. Additionally, the trading of two-way goods between the US and Vietnam business now exceeds $10 billion annually and from 2005-06, this segment of the economy experienced a 23% growth factor.

This article examines how the environment affects and creates conditions for either the success or failure of business organizations and how it operates to demand effective strategic thinking on the part of decision-makers if businesses are to survive and thrive.

Take the classic example of Mark & Spencer PLC, which began in 1894 as a single high street store owned by two men, selling all items said to be costing no more than a penny to the customer. Over the years it conquered the retail sector with branches in prime locations all over the UK, and in overseas territories, totalling more than 885 stores. Not only did Marks & Spencer evolve into the giant corporation which it is today by reading the changes in the environment well, and meeting the growing needs of more and more affluent consumers, it also influenced the shopping habits of its clients. The business firm is not a faceless entity; at best, it can be an icon of social and economic progress, and at worst become vanquished by its inability to read the environment, Woolworths and MFI being two recent examples of such failure.

How the environment impacts on the fortunes of the business firm is nowhere more evident than in the collapse of many business enterprises including financial institutions (e.g.banks) in the current worldwide economic downturn. Even starker is the effect of continuing bad weather either in the form of floods or snow on the viability of a whole range of firms in the UK. Had the environment represented by the UK government not provided a lifeline to some of the major banks in the form of taxpayer subsidies, or buy-outs, they would not have survived. Different political ideologies at different times affect the business enterprise in different ways. The collapse of communism and the breaking down of the Berlin wall in 1989, coupled with the Internet phenomenon resulted in the abolition of legislation preventing global communication and industrialisation. Since then there has been a plethora of international mergers, acquisitions and alliances which saw transnational corporations (TNCs) grow in size and economic power as never seen before. Denning (1993) has identified the interaction between ownership advantage (OA) brought by the TNC and the location advantage (LA) of the countries where TNCs seek to invest. Researchera identified synergies sought by TNCs in foreign direct investment (FDI) as being motivated by strategies for market seeking (MA), efficiency seeking (ES), and knowledge seeking (KS) respectively, depending on their reading of the business environment.

Before going any deeper, it is necessary to take stock of what is meant by the business firm, and what its objectives are, and proceed to analyse the process and effects of this rapid globalisation. A business firm is a legal entity. Unlike a sole trader, or partnership, it is required to be incorporated with rules and objectives that are documented. It may be capitalised with borrowings or by shareholder contributions. While the shareholders own the enterprise and have claims to sharing the profits, it may be managed day-to-day by paid employees. The objective of the firm is 'to maximise its value to its shareholders' (Van Horne, 1974). Historically, 'maximisation of profits is regarded as the proper objective of the firm, but it is not as inclusive a goal as that of maximising shareholder wealth' (op. cit.). There are difficulties even in this conceptualization where 'maximising market price per share' is preferred by some to 'maximisation of earnings per share' (op. cit.).

A business firm currently in the news is Blacks Leisure, which was on the verge of bankruptcy, when the current adverse weather conditions improved its fortunes by providing a market for its thermal wear products. Now it is planning to expand further. Meanwhile the adverse economic environment has encouraged Poundland offering cheap goods to fill the gap left by Woolworth's demise. The British salt manufacturing firm Ineos Enterprises chose to cancel a 12, 000 ton shipment of industrial salt promised to Germany, diverting the stock to local authorities in the UK in dire need of supplies to grit roads covered by snow. It is a good example of the environment influencing decision makers of private firms to act in a socially responsible manner. This upholds Van Horne's (1974) assertion that even at the risk of not maximising shareholder wealth in the short term, management of business firms ought not to ignore the need for 'social responsibility' which brings long term benefits although perhaps not immediately apparent.

As related to business firms, social responsibility concerns such things as protecting the consumer, paying fair wages to employees, maintaining fair hiring practices, supporting education, and becoming actively involved in environmental issues like clean air and water... However, the criteria for social responsibility are not clearly defined, making formulation of a consistent objective function difficult' (op. cit.).

It is now generally understood that a business does not, and cannot function in a vacuum. It has to react to events occurring outside its factory and office walls. The very first concern should be a close awareness of competitors' strengths and weaknesses vis-a-vis its products and services. Additionally, most analysts require awareness of the environment in terms of political, social, economic and technological factors which impinge on the business firm.

Other analysts have expanded these to: Political - how changes in government policy could affect decision making in the firm. For example, the UK government's concern over clean energy has resulted in a decision to invite foreign firms to bid for the supply of offshore windmills over the next several years. Not only do the windmill suppliers but also a host of firms required to supply ancillary products and services could take advantage of this decision. Social - how consumers beliefs and interests change over time. An example is the changing demography of many more senior citizens being present in the population and concerns over their health. Economic - how taxation, (e.g. tax holidays), interest rates, exchange rates, and the 'credit crunch' affect individual firms. Technological - how product innovations, and new technology like the proliferation of mobile phones, (iPads), change consumer preferences. Legal - how changes in law, enforcing of minimum wages, and regulating working hours, affect business. Last, but not least are the Ethical concerns that underpin social responsibility issues. An example is the refusal to trade with regimes known to contravene human rights legislation. All these factors influence to change markets which businesses need to take into account and respond to, if they are not to lose market share and jeopardise their long term viability.

A business firm, although incorporated by law as an entity is by no means monolithic. More than its shareholders, it has other stakeholders with different, if not competing objectives and interests within its ambit. Starting with the managers, there are other employees who may, or may not be trades union members, along with the community where it is situated, and which it serves, having to take into account local authority strictures on waste disposal and other similar regulations.

Discussing foreign direct investment (FDI) of transnational corporations, Robert Pearce defines the global business environment as 'the environment in different sovereign countries, with factors exogenous to the home environment of the organization, influencing decision making in resource use and capabilities. This includes social, political, economic, regulatory, tax, cultural, legal and technological environments'. Pearce accepts that business firms do not have any direct control over this environment, but that their success depends on how well they adapt to this environment. As seen earlier in the case of Blacks Leisure and Poundland, a firm's 'ability to design and adjust its internal variables to take advantage of opportunities offered by the external environment, and its ability to control threats posed by the same environment determine its success' (op. cit.).

Firms also take advantage of savings offered by outsourcing. Careful consideration of the variables of communication networks, cultural compatibility and reliability, needs to be addressed. There are offshore development centres which offer call centre provision and other web related customised professional services with appropriate infrastructure support.

How an American firm adapted to cultural diversity in France is discussed by Daniel Workman (2008). He says that the Euro Disneyland, a 'transplanted American theme park' near Paris had lost $34 million over the first six months since it opened in April 1992. Even before it opened there was strong local opposition that it threatened French cultural sensitivities. A strict employee dress code and the outlawing of wine in the park, among other things, angered the Parisians. Eisner, the CEO of the parent company in Florida commented: "What we have created in France is the biggest private investment in a foreign country by an American company ever. And it's going to pay off". Workman avers that 'Eisner has since learned to recognize French cultural traditions and quality of life, rather than focus exclusively on American business interests, revenues and earnings at the expense of the underlying French culture'(op. cit.).

Disney found that the first American CEO of Euro Disneyland even with the capacity to speak fluent French, with a French wife, and a recipient of awards from the French government was still unable to make it a going concern. It was only after Disney replaced him and 23 American-born senior managers with local staff, that Euro Disneyland began to make profits.

Banning wine in a country which believes that 'a meal without wine is like a day without sunshine', made Euro Disneyland an unwelcome proposition even before it started. American-style hot dog carts were not attractive to a populace famed for its culinary and gastronomic sophistication. Later deciding to use French language rather than English, was also a more than reasonable accommodation made by Disney. It was one of the essential components of its later success.

Cultural encoding also requires that the Americans respect the more feminine French culture's dominant need for a friendly atmosphere, cooperation, low stress levels and group decision-making instead of focusing exclusively on money and materialistic success (Workman, 2008).

Another aspect of business life is the support (or its absence) from the state as an unavoidable component of the business environment. Like most developed countries, Canada provides government funding to business firms seeking to expand into international markets. The government body responsible is the Small Business Finance Centre (SBFC). The funding is in the form of grants and loans which could be between $1500 and $10 million. Success stories abound. A $34,500 grant enabled a Winnipeg firm, K9 Storm Limited to export body armour for police dogs to 12 countries, in North America and Europe. Another Winnipeg company, Airport Technologies received $12, 500 to develop a snow plough called 'Snow Mauler' now being exported to the USA. The most successful has been the Garrison Guitar Works of St. John's, Newfoundland, which received a grant of $250,000 to develop five guitar prototypes, and now, as a multi-million dollar company exports 20,000 guitars a year to 29 countries. They also own 350 retail stores in North America.

An interest free loan of $8700 enabled Keith Longmire (Nova Scotia) to develop his hand-painted birdhouses enterprise to establish itself in the US marketplace, while Domaine Pinnacle (Quebec) received a $300,000 loan to fund equipment to ferment high-quality apple cider and achieve sales of over $1 million a year. Meanwhile, Agribiotics of Cambridge, Ontario, was awarded a $44,570 loan to develop a vaccine to protect corn from pests and win a contract from the University of Wisconsin. The Canadian government also helps individual firms with their business plans as a precursor to obtaining a grant or loan (Workman, 2008).

In an earlier paragraph this essay introduced the idea of foreign direct investment (FDI). This stood at $14 billion in 1970 'but increased over 140 times to almost $2,000 billion by 2007. A large part of the upsurge in global FDI has been due to mergers and acquisitions (M&As). It is these cross-border mergers and acquisitions which have deepened the economic integration of developing Asia with the global economy. Researchers investigating the increasing M&A activity in this region decided that financial variables in terms of liquidity in the source country and the perception of risk (environment) influenced the level of cross-border transactions. They also conclude that the ongoing global financial crisis is likely to sharply curtail the extent of cross-border M&A transactions although this is not entirely proven.

Analysts hypothesised five 'waves' of M&A activity in the past. These waves occurred during periods of economic downturn. Currently, a 'sixth wave' is recognised with China, India and Brazil emerging as global players in trade and industry. One of the main reasons for M&A activity to be at its height in a recession could be the rapid drop in the stock value of target companies. A major factor in the increase in global outward foreign direct investment (FDI) stock increasing from $150 million in the early 1990s to $1200 million in 2000 may have been due to the above factor. However, it is not possible to generalise when one saw the attempts at a hostile takeover of the UK firm Cadburys by the US firm Krafts and its final, more amicable outcome. Cadburys was far from being a struggling firm. Its share price was holding up and its asset value had not in any way decreased before the takeover attempt.

A recent United Nations Conference on Trade and Industry (UNCTAD) report stated that 29 of the world's largest economic giants are transnational corporations (TNCs). The annual value-added business performance of the 100 biggest TNCs exceeded that of some nation states. How the rise of TNCs transformed world trade over the last 30 years can be seen from the following statistics. In 1970 there were about 7000 non-financial TNCs investing directly in other developed or developing countries. By 1992 there were 37,000 with 170,000 foreign affiliates. The latter accounted for $11 trillion worth of output. Against this, the total world trade amounted to only $7 trillion.

An important variable in the success of transnational corporations, mergers and acquisitions is the facility with which managers, employees and customers with differing linguistic backgrounds communicate with each other. The total number of languages spoken around the world has been estimated at 6913. This is the reality of the language environment. However, there are two ways by which the language problem has been addressed. One can establish a common language for business, the most widely spoken international language being English. Although numerically more people in the world speak Chinese (Mandarin), it is confined to the People's Republic of China whereas English is used in countries as far apart as New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, USA, Canada, UK and almost all Commonwealth countries.

Increasingly however, there are language intermediaries who could be engaged to conduct business in the local language. The volume of the global language service industry is estimated to be somewhere around $12 billion and handling around 500 million pages of translation and localization every year. An example of a language services provider of this type is Lionbridge with '50 offices, $375 million revenue and about 4000 people on its payroll'. Specialised software products such as 'recycling the translators' knowledge-base (called translation memory)' are among many new developments in the language translation industry (op. cit.).

Another reason for keeping up to date with changes in the environment is that a business firm's operational effectiveness can be jeopardised by not paying heed to such changes. 'Due to the rapid diffusion of best practice, a productivity barrier is soon reached... Japanese car firms... dominated in the 1970s and 1980s... Lack of a strategic perspective has since held them back while other Japanese businesses like Sony and Cannon flourish (because they) did not sit back with a ready formulated strategy that worked in the past, but revised their strategic thinking taking into account the changing realities of world trade. Obviously, their resource base and mix would have had to alter, and continue to change in the light of changing circumstances.

Writing about mergers and acquisitions Robert Heller contends that buying another business is the easiest task for management in most businesses. However, more things can go wrong in hasty acquisitions as has been proved in the literature. Here too, it is strategy and continuous scanning of the environment and competition which can ensure success. Heller talks of the need to achieve 'superior organic growth' once the merger has been accomplished. His answer to how this is to be achieved is to have a 'visionary' at the helm. Neither the conservative who wants to retain the status quo, nor the pragmatist who wants change but relies only on those tried and tested somewhere else, can succeed. Only the visionary, often battling against the odds, (could) drive the company into the future.

Heller explains why the Silicon Valley companies have enjoyed acquisition success far beyond the norm.The buys, have been slotted into a receptive culture, in which new ideas are the currency and visionaries dominate -led by a visionary chief executive who has delegated all operating duties to others.

The permeability of the firm to the increasingly global business environment has been demonstrated with examples, throughout this essay. Vision and strategic choice determine the ever changing nature of viable and successful enterprises. A final example below should convince even the most sceptical of the truth of the above conclusion.

United Technologies Corporation is America's 20th largest manufacturer and the 43rd largest US Corporation according to Fortune 500 list (2006) with 215,000 employees. UTC makes Otis lifts, Carrier heating and air conditioning, Hamilton Sunstrand aerospace and industrial systems, Sikorsky helicopters, Pratt and Whitney jet engines, and Chubb security systems. UTC has thousands of branch offices throughout the world. Internet and IT is the key to UTC's success. It is obvious that the UTC chief executive's command over the organization's resources around the world accounts for its superior productivity and competitive advantage. But it is equally clear that his control over resources is the result of well-thought out strategic decision-making of someone in close touch with the realities of business in the 21st century.

References
Denning, J. (1993) Multinational Enterprises and the Global Economy. Wokingham, Addison-Wesley.
Van Horne J.C. (1974) Financial Management and Policy. Prentice-Hall.
Workman, D. (2008) Disneyland Resort Paris Lessons; American Management Adapts to Cultural Diversity in France.quoted in 'Boss is the King of Cool' (The Sunday Times, 18th March 2009).

VoIP is Voice-over Internet Protocol, which is a set of rules to enable two telephones communicate with each other through the internet, instead of the regular telephone cables. It is a continuous two way communication where people can interact with each other simultaneously. The VoIP is very cheap option for making international calls and therefore you would need it to connect with your international business counterparts and friends and relatives living abroad. Read more to enable you to understand the features of VoIP facilities.

• Cheapest option: When it comes to international calling, VoIP is considered to be the cheapest option. There are only internet charges applicable and not the international calling charges.

• Why pay for being silent! When we speak, there will be pauses between our sentences and we will remain silent when other person speaks. In normal telephone connection, these silent moments are also charged as meaningful communication is not differentiated. In VoIP calls, charges are applied only for the voice bits transferred in form of packets. The silences are left alone.

• Portability: There are cordless phones that are available for the internet phones, which ensure that the person need not be glued to the phone station throughout the conversation.

• Call back and caller ID: These are vital features to know who is calling you and to avoid unnecessary introduction and conclusions. Moreover, call back is a wonderful option to ensure you return the calls of your potential customers and your kith and kin.

• Conferencing, Forwarding and voice mail: These are the value added services that the voip phones provide for enhanced calling experience.

• Do not disturb: These are very important to avoid unnecessary callers while you are in the middle of important business meetings and over-the-phone family conferences.

We live and wok in a global market, no longer to companies compete for business within the same country and city. A business in Leeds might try to get clients from China or India just the same as an American company may try to gain French or Italian clients, such is the way the business world operates. So how do you compete on this global market? Naturally, having the best service helps and all but what about when communicating? In this article I will look at how you can gain a professional advantage over the competition and improve your international business relations in general.

Think about the correspondence you have with your overseas clients, assuming that one of you speaks both languages you are forcing them to speak a certain language. Now I know that this is common place amongst businesses around the globe but personally I cant help but feel a little rude dragging them away from their mother tongue for the sake of my inability to learn a foreign language (believe me, I tried). So what did I do? I did what you should do and signed up for the services of a language translation company.

Imagine the scenario, you're in preliminary discussions with a client overseas and you're just exchanging emails about ideas for a project. You receive your first email in Finnish, how do you reply? Well, there are several options and one is absolutely incorrect. You should never, never use quick and dirty online translators for thinks like emails and documents, let me tell you why. Languages are extremely reliant on tone and context, without those two things languages fail to communicate on a base level and outside of simple questions free online translators struggle to understand what you mean exactly. Put simply there is something lost in translation.

That's where professional language services come in, they hire fluent speakers from across the planet and work tirelessly to understand, translate and keep everything the same across different languages. Everything from the work choice to the tonality are carried across in a professional and efficient way. Now you two are speaking in terms you feel comfortable with and there's no chance of a vital sentence being lost in the great void that is translations.

The question you have to ask yourself is "is this for my business?" and it's my belief that in this globalist market, quality language translation is invaluable to any business.

If you have been trying to make money on the internet for some time now, I am sure you have ran into many products or services that probably say the same thing. You can make money from the comfort of your own home in a couple of minutes but will it really work out like this? You are also reading this article because the global domains international business caught your eye and you want to learn more about it.

The big question is...should you join or not? Now I know this company may sound very good but there is still research that needs to be done. The worst thing you can do is join a company without doing any due diligence on them.

Look, I have seen many companies come and go. Unfortunately I have been with a couple that sunk right after I put my hard earned money into them. Let me tell you this right now; it is very hard to find a stable business that is on the internet because most of them fail very fast. When you lose your money this kind of way, it hurts bad!

But that is besides the point. Will this opportunity be a legitimate contender? I strongly believe so because of the amount of time is has been around. As mentioned earlier is rare to find a couple that is has been around for even 1 year, but gdi has been around for 10.

How is that for numbers? That statistic alone sure got me thinking why people out there are still having trust issues with this company. That is enough proof that they are here to stay unlike this other companies whose sole purpose is to scam their members. That won't happen to you hear though and that is a breath of fresh air for the online marketing community.

Nowadays the introduction of online marketing strategy has made the concept of marketing to go completely global. There are many kinds of advantages that can be obtained due to the sales of the product in the international level.

Some of the well known and highly rewarding types of international business programs include work such as the affiliate marketing programs, multilevel marketing, articles writing services, blogs, website designing and many other works. Reaching out your business to the international audience is a very significant task that requires great level of planning and dedication to achieve success in big level. It is also essential to understand that you should never give up an effort that you are currently pursuing.

Choosing the right path

Since there are large numbers of online business that can be selected in the internet field it is very crucial to select the business that will be best suitable for your purpose. It is required that you analyze your potential that will help you to select the job which closely matches your talent and if you lack any of the skills that are required to achieve success then it is also essential that you quickly learn those skills to become a successful person in this business.

Affiliate marketing is a growing trend in the market which has enabled people to earn a good amount of money. You just have to promote a product that will be produced by other company. They will be talking care of everything ranging from home delivery to money transaction.

The killer tip to succeed in this field is to set personal target for which you have to be working continuously until you achieve it. There are many people who have been able to travel beyond their expectation in this international business and at the same time make a good amount of money.

Information on Doing Business Around the World

Doing international business is more difficult that people perceive it to be. In overseas transactions, you do not only have the distance to worry about. You need to concern yourself with different cultures, code of ethics, standards and rules. Let us look at some of these rules.

Letters Salutations

Across boundaries, international letters salutations change. Most of us are used to simply writing Mr. or Ms. in your business letters; this will work well on transactions in English speaking countries such as the US or UK. However, if you work with Spanish speaking citizens, you will need to change your salutation to Sr. (for Senor) or Sra. (for Senora). For French speaking correspondents, this becomes Monsieur, Madame or Mademoiselle, which is best not abbreviated. For Japanese clients, it is best to put the suffix -Sama after the last name. These are just a few changes that you need to deal with in matters as simple as salutations.

Standard Shipping Charges

Conducting businesses overseas that deal with products or materials that need to be sent via shipping, you need to be aware about shipping rates to various countries. You will need to charge shipping rates accordingly. You would not want to overcharge as this might discourage your potential clients. Naturally, you should not charge less than what should be or you end up at the losing end. The postal service is by far the most cost-efficient shipping service. Before confirming a deal, you must already have informed your client of the postal charges for international shipping. US postal charges for shipping to other countries can be checked through the website. You only need to provide information on the kind of item and packaging to be shipped. Once finished, you will have a more or less accurate estimate so you can inform your client about the shipping cost they need to pay on top of the item cost.

Global Tipping

If international business for you means going on travels abroad, restaurant tipping would be one of your major concerns. You will most likely attend seminars, lunch meetings and dinner gatherings. All these instances will put you in the awkward situation of knowing whether you should tip or not, or how much tip is enough. Generally, restaurant tipping varies greatly from one country to another and from one person to another as well. The main rule is to check your bill first whether or not come form of service charge is included. If it is not included, feel free to lay down about 5 to 10% of your bill. Tipping in America and Asia (except in countries like Japan) is most often unnecessary, but the gesture is highly appreciated. In Europe, most restaurants add a service charge so tipping may not be necessary. In other countries which have stricter standards, it is safest to "do as the locals do." Of course, if you are very satisfied with the food and the service, you can leave a few euros. Be careful though that your act will not be misinterpreted for something else.

Whatever your business is-whether you are involved in retail or not, for instance-you are susceptible to business theft. Sadly, many businessmen (especially those who handle small businesses) only consider retail theft (such as shoplifting) as business theft. But this isn't true at all; business theft can happen through a number of ways, usually when you least expect it. Business theft can cost your business thousands of dollars, and can ultimately cause the demise of your enterprise. No one would want this to happen, obviously, especially not you-so you have to be prepared. Preventing business theft is better than fixing the damages it has caused. While these anti-business theft measure may seem like additional effort or hassle to your already stressful daily regimen, think of it as an insurance for a better business future. After all, you wouldn't want business theft to ruin your livelihood.

Here are some ways you can avoid business theft and business fraud, according to tips and information collected from a number of sources and experts:

1. Screen employees: Employee theft is more common than retail theft, so it is wise to screen your employees; regardless the type of business you handle. It is only logical to know whether your employees can be trusted with money and valuable information. The typical recruitment process does not work here, as this does not dig deep into an applicant's personal history. Professional business theft screening may be advised here, as this can verify personal information, as well as perform criminal checks, credit checks, drug screenings, past cases and claims against past employers, and other similar information. Of course, this business theft screening process can also be done after you hire an employee.

2. Cash should be handled by fewer people. Employees can embezzle company money easily if the cash exchanges hands frequently. Once the proper individuals find out about the missing money, it will be harder to detect who stole it since it reached and was handled by many employees, making the detection more difficult than it is. With only a few people handling the money, you can easily detect at which point the money was embezzled. Also, with fewer hands, you deal with fewer personnel-thus reducing the chances of embezzlement.

3. Practice dual control procedures to prevent business theft. For instance, when one employee handles the money, assign someone else to double check. This prevents collusion, and helps maintain the balance in the company. This also keeps fraudulent employees from even attempting to steal from the company.

4. Conduct periodic audits. A common practice in banks, you can also conduct surprise audits to make sure the ones handling the cash at the end of the day will not steal from you. Make sure the audits are periodic yet unexpected, to keep the employees on their toes. Even though your company does not have a thief within its mist, periodic audits can drive employees to be more careful with handling the money, especially since they know you can check their performance when they least expect it.

In today's international business market, where competition is so fierce, the importance of choosing the best off shore or on shore sourcing agents has occupied the front seat. Owing to the expertise of different countries in different fields such as manufacturing, product building, etc., it has become increasingly difficult to keep up with their pace.

Many business firms irrespective of their sizes are constantly checking and giving utmost importance to the questions like, "Are we getting the best price quotes for the source we are using? Are the sourcing materials and products bought from the best possible source?"

In order to avoid all these potential complications and have a clear picture of the source, most of the International businesses are using the expertise of sourcing agents both at national and international level. Following information throws some light on the importance of role of sourcing agents and how they can help your business develop at both national and international level.

Sourcing Agent

A good sourcing agent must be capable of reducing at least 20% of the overhead on the purchase department. This includes both the hidden costs as well as the standard costs.

Standard Costs: Some of the standard costs that a sourcing agent should be capable of reducing include and are not limited to the cargo, shipping insurance, customs fee, import tax, dock fee, etc.

Hidden Costs: A good sourcing agent should also be able to minimize some of the hidden costs such as contract fees when hiring new supplier, costs of visiting the supplier, fees incurred due to delay in shipping, custom fees accrued due to inappropriate documentation or due to some missing docs, anti-dumping fees, delays at the shipping terminal due to congestion etc.

International Sourcing Agents

Good international agents make international process of sourcing as easy as a domestic one. These global sourcing companies often offer services such as taking care of the entire offshore manufacturing process along with purchases. International business transactions are made easy with global sourcing companies as they are well versed with all such processes.

IB's often do not hesitate to pay a ten to twenty percent extra on top of the agreed price to these agents, because of the following benefits:

International Sourcing Agents Often Represent the Supplier

Provide an immediate access to the best suppliers and trustworthy companies that offer the most relevant expertise in minimum time frames.

Some of the global sourcing companies also offer engineering services and lend a hand in the development of new products.

Keep an eye on the price quotes from various all over the world if found necessary.

International agents apart from managing the international communications also handle the translations and arrange site visits at appropriate times.

Sometimes, they can also turn out to be buying agents or project managers for projects that require multiple overseas suppliers.

The above mentioned are only a few of the benefits that an International Business can enjoy by hiring a good agent. Hence, it might be a good idea for you to try out one of these International or domestic agents on you next project and reap the benefits that come your way.