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And I….where do I start?

We begin this section of the Nextport Blog and the first thing that comes to mind is the comment of a businessman who the other day at the launch meeting of his Internationalisation project told me this very thing: Antonio, where do we start? It’s very easy, because of the Strategy.

Defining a good internationalisation strategy for companies is not easy. Strategy is about visualising the future, having a magic ball that tells you “what the music is going to sound like” in the coming months, or even years, and being able to make the right decisions and prioritise the actions needed to make it happen. I don’t know anyone who can guarantee the success of a business strategy, but I do know many people who have succeeded with their priorities.

The recipe? From my point of view it is experience; experience in successes and, above all, failures, which is where you really learn. And, fundamentally, to be a good listener. Listening to many people, from all the fields and sectors with which we interact. Who listens and learns from others has elements of decision making.

Accessing international markets is not easy. There are many elements that can cause our internationalisation project to fail. From political or regulatory aspects to logistics, transport or customs issues, even the trade name of a product can be interpreted negatively in the country of destination and can derail a project that initially seemed successful.

A good strategy is one that, in its sources, has had elements of participatory consultation at all levels and from all possible spheres; from the production department to the administration department and from administrative bodies to specialised consultants.

Knowing how to choose your travel companions is fundamental. Because if defining the strategy is complicated, its implementation is even more so.

Keys to a successful internationalisation project in the next post.

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