The world is shrinking. With globalization and the spread of the Internet, you can just as easily communicate with someone in a different country as easy as you would with someone in your own city. Add social networking to the equation and you have the recipe for a global network.

I advise any entrepreneur to reach out to others that are located in foreign countries. This is especially true if you plan on selling your product or service in another country. You not only gain a friend, but you are also developing a valuable resource and potential partner in the host country.

Here is a little bit of advice when beginning. As an entrepreneur, it is instinctive to want to tell your story and immediately try to capitalize upon opportunity. Please remember, these people are from other countries and, as such, they may operate by a different set of standards. Also, you may be the person they see as a representative of your own country. Take the time to genuinely learn about the person, their family, friends, culture, and environment. Naturally they will engage in questioning you as well. Answer their questions, but make sure they know the emphasis is on them. You will begin to build a solid rapport and start to understand their customs and mannerisms. The converse will also happen. They will learn about your customs and mannerisms.

After you get a general rapport built, then begin to explore their economy and the opportunities. All countries have the basic needs for food, clothing, utilities, housing, education, communication, and transportation. But, countries develop at different paces and down different paths. By collaborating, you may be able to start something brand new in your own country that is standard practice in the host country of your contact. If this is the case, they can easily provide you with a wealth of knowledge of how to implement, market, and sell the product or service. The same can be true in exchange. You may learn of a great need in your contact’s country that you can help them to capitalize on due to the fact that it is common place in your own country.

If you are fortunate enough to develop an opportunity with your contact, you already have a native of the host country on the ground. I have started and operated businesses in other countries and having a native of the host country on your side is practically priceless. They can help you navigate all the bureaucratic red tape. Some countries require that the business be owned, at least in part, by a native. Your contact can easily fit the bill.

In this ever shrinking world, I am simply suggesting that you reach out to other corners of the world and begin to build relationships. At the minimum, you broaden your cultural horizons. At best, you build a relationship into a rewarding friendship and make each other some money along the way.

At this time, I would like to introduce two individuals from other countries that have made positive impacts on my life and expanded my own cultural horizons. Reach out to them and introduce yourselves. They are both very pleasant individuals.

Cristian Dorobantescu is from Romanina and operates the blog, Small Business Entrepreneur blog.

Henrik Edberg is from Sweden and operates the blog, The Positivity Blog.

As I said, they are both dynamic, positive, and pleasant individuals and they are an asset to know. I also invite anyone to reach out and introduce yourself to me, regardless of country, language, or background. I am always on the look out for positive, vibrant people who can add value to my own life. And I will return the favor. Now get out there and globalize.





I recently read an article in a financial magazine that told a story about a clothing company. The owner quoted a rule from a book called, “The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene.” The quote stated law number thirteen. Law number thirteen states, “When asking for help, appeal to people’s self interest, never their mercy or gratitude.” When I first read that statement, the voice in my head told me how cynical the quote seemed. However, as I pondered law number thirteen and began to examine the world around me, I realized that it actually had truth and resonance in the business world.

One thing that immediately came to mind was ANWR, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. There has been debate on whether to explore and drill for oil in this area. The conservationist do not want any drilling in the refuge and the supporters want to explore and drill in a small portion of the refuge. Whether the conservationist are being unreasonable or the supporters are lying about their full intentions is not my purpose in this post. However, neither side is using mercy or gratitude as an argument. The conservationist are not using the destruction of animal homes and pristine forests as an example. The supporters are not pushing energy independence from the rest of the world as a reason to drill. Both have discussed those individual points. But the one that receives the most attention, GAS PRICES! That’s right, GAS PRICES! Both sides are trying to appeal the the self-interest of the individual in hopes that their argument will sway people because the sting at the pump is to painful. Self-interest before mercy and gratitude.

The particular article I was reading, about the clothing company, was discussing the fact that they were 100% sweat shop free. They advertised it and made it their main advertising focus. The company did well with this tactic. This approach appealed to people’s mercy and gratitude. The company did well, but the growth was not stratospheric. The owner switched tactics and began to use handsome and beautiful people modeling the clothes and dressed very seductively. Their sales skyrocketed and growth was stratospheric. This approach appealed to people’s self-interest. The potential client could see themselves in those clothes and this generated images that they too were handsome or beautiful. The owner used employees to model the clothes. So naturally the employees told their friends and family members to look at the advertisements and tremendous word of mouth started because of a little self-interested vanity.

Please do not misinterpret my point. I believe in helping my fellow man. I am philanthropic when I can be and I enjoy helping others. But I have personally noticed that I truly enjoy creating symbiotic relationships. Symbiotic, or mutually beneficial, relationships help both sides. I offer to help many people and companies. My original conscience thought and reasoning is a selfless one. Over time I realized that when I helped others, the favor was returned many times over. Now, as a product of my experiences, I still begin selfless. But as the relationships grow, mutual benefits begin to surface and my conscience thoughts begin to migrate towards, “How can I create relationships that help everyone involved, including me.” At first I thought this to be selfish. If you are thinking the same thought at this point, my only advice to you is STOP! As I began to analyze what was transpiring, I realized something. I am still trying to help others. It is not a prerequisite that they help me in return. But if I can benefit (self-interest) from the relationship and it helps me to grow as a person, advances one or more of my companies, or aids in increasing my wealth, I am more able to help. As I become more able to help and I create more mutually beneficial relationships, I help more and more people. Helping people and gaining while doing is not wrong.

So my point is this, when you go about your day to day affairs and you want to build a new relationship, increase product sales, do better at selling your services, or gain favor from a person or entity, figure out how to appeal to their self interest and it will propel you further than simply pandering to their gratitude and mercy. As much as people would like to believe they exist, there are no selfless acts. The person performing said act is satisfying, at minimum, some self-fulfilling need and gaining satisfaction from the act. So even the selfless saint has a self-interest that can be satisfied. You are doing no wrong in creating true symbiotic relationships. Find and appeal to people’s self-interest effectively and watch your life flourish.