Are you hoping to branch out into foreign markets? Or are you looking for a freelancer with local knowledge? No matter the reason, it's now very common to be seeking business contacts abroad. We live in an increasingly globalised world, aided in large by the internet that knows no geographical borders.
It can be daunting to have to establish business contacts in an unfamiliar location. It can also seem a tricky process if never done before. These tips aim to make your search for contacts easier, and encourage you to network actively.
If you have a budget set aside for your networking, there's no better way to meet people than actually heading over to wherever it is that you're looking to establish contacts. Before heading off, see if there might be any industry-specific events you could attend while there such as trade shows or seminars.
National chambers of commerce are your best port of call to find out about these opportunities. They may also be able to put you in touch with people directly so you are met by someone at the other end, and introduced to others in your industry.
If there's no chamber of commerce for you to get in touch with, turn to the internet. LinkedIn is the world's largest professional social network. Its purpose is to provide users with the opportunity to connect with others around the world. It is as such absolutely acceptable to browse people's profiles and send direct messages. In this case, the more personal your approach and the more detail you can give about why you've gotten in touch, the more likely the person is to respond.
You can also turn to Meetup, another nifty website, on which local volunteers act as group admins and arrange meetings or 'Meetups' for specific interest groups such as freelancers, bloggers, or simply those who share similar hobbies be it hiking or knitting. Meetings are held throughout the world in places such as cafes, pubs or museums. See what's on in the country you're headed to and contact the group's administrator to let them know you're interested in joining.
If you're a confident talker and speak foreign languages, reach for your phone. Do internet and publication-based research into who you might be interested in talking to. If it's a big company, start by phoning the secretary from whom you can obtain the email address or a direct line number for the person you'd be interested in talking to.
For those planning to spend a lot of time chatting to contacts in foreign countries, an international call plan is a good idea. In our globalised world it's easy to find companies offering services for making cheap calls to Thailand, other countries in Asia, and elsewhere in the world. It's a small but significant tip as it could save you lots of precious pennies in the long run, which is vital to any business' success.
Harvey McEwan writes to offer information on a variety of areas, from business networking to cheap call services. View Harvey's other articles to find out more.
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