June 29, 2014
Discover New Business Opportunities
In today’s increasingly competitive world, to sustain and grow your business, it is essential that you discover new business opportunities. Whether you are an experienced businessman or a rookie entrepreneur, it is important that you understand international competition. It is only then that you could withstand economic down turns in your countries and grow your business. It is important that you expand into new countries and overcome any challenges that you face in order to sustain and grow your business in an increasingly competitive international market.
About a year and a half ago, I was travelling in India and I realized that there are new business opportunities there that Canadians can benefit from. However, as a foreigner, it was not easy to get things done in India. I needed programmers and infrastructure specialists. I had no idea where to start or who to contact. Therefore, it became important that I get to know people in India who could help me find the resources I need. But, how do I start networking with all these experts in an unknown land. Sure there are social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, but they are impersonal. They would require me to browse through numerous profiles, before I can select a few and start reaching out to them. Even then, I may not be able to assess my candidates well. Face-to-Face meetings always produce better results. They help to break down barriers and build trust. As an entrepreneur, I could better assess my potential business associates. I required a more personal relationship to get things done quickly. After all, business culture differs greatly from India to North America. The business culture in India is not cut and dry or direct, but rather diplomatic. Indians value inter-personal relationships more than North American do. You have to establish a rapport with them, before you can move in their circles. In the end, you will have to understand their culture in order to expand in India.
I have an advantage. My friend is from Calcutta and he resides there now. He understands the ins and outs of Indian business etiquette. Therefore, I was able to tap into his network and make his contacts mine. Through this network, I met the programmers and systems specialists that I was looking for and chose the ones that best fit my needs. I also continue to keep in touch with others. The whole process was efficient, quick and in a short time span, I hired the most qualified engineers who required minimal supervision despite the challenges posed by Indian bureaucracy and red tape.
In addition to understanding Indian business etiquette, there are other issues such as logistics that an average North American takes for granted which are challenge in India. For instance, to meet a potential customer in Vancouver, all my travel arrangements can be booked online. I can pick up the rental car at the airport and drive straight to the client. This is pretty straight forward in Canada. You can do the same if you are travelling to India. However, upon arrival you may be surprised to see how difficult it is to drive on the opposite side of the road, in a crowded city with different traffic rules. It can be daunting. When I arrived in India, my friend met me at the airport. His driver took us to my friend’s house. As a North American, I did not anticipate how difficult it would be to travel in India until I landed in Calcutta and left the airport. During my stay, the driver took us everywhere. Having a designated driver was a great advantage when I had to meet with potential business partners.
Having a contact in India who knows the intricacies of the country enabled me to do business in an effective and efficient manner, in a country where efficiency is unheard of. It helped me to hire programmers who go above and beyond expectations, think on their own and propose new ideas. In order to hire these professionals, you need to personally connect with them and get a sense of who they are and what they are able to offer. It is this advantage I want every entrepreneur to have. In order for others to have the same experience, my partners and I created BizBoon.com. Here you are able to connect with businesses and entrepreneurs worldwide in a standard social media setting, while having access to the personalized services such as assistance with Company setup, Accounting, HR, Legal counsel and IT infrastructure. These services will help you assess your potential business partners, add to your international network and expand your business in India and other countries with little effort. It will minimize the cultural gap and possible misunderstandings. All you have to do is contact us at bizboon.com. From picking you up at the airport to introducing you to our service partners, we will facilitate a smooth transition into Indian commerce. Join BizBoon and discover new business opportunities in order to stay ahead of the curve in this increasingly competitive world.
Emmanuel Ilangko BizBoon.com
Bringing Businesses Together!
BizBoon is a business networking site that specializes in building global business networks. BizBoon helps small businesses become big by helping them discover new business opportunities and new markets.