WARNING: Globalization is a Factor in Your Business So Play Big

Look at how much the world has changed in 10 years. From a business perspective, we are moving at light speed and I often wonder if U.S.-based small and medium businesses really get it. Globalization has impacted every continent on the planet and it is impacting your business too:

• Most large companies with big customer service operations have call centers in India, Mexico or the Caribbean. Just call your service provider after hours and listen to the accent of the person answering the phone.
• I get regular solicitation emails from web designers, app developers and other IT professionals--all of whom are from India and China. The U.S. is a delicious market for them because they have a desirable value proposition: do the same work just as well as a U.S. firm for less.
• Need T-shirts or giveaways? Go to www something and order personalized gifts from the guy who has a store 10 miles away or the factory that is an ocean away.
• And why is it that a tsunami in another country slows production in the U.S.? It is because we need the parts they make for so many things, ranging from automobiles to electronics.

The world is getting smaller, more competitive, more connected and more agile, which presents a great opportunity and challenge for entrepreneurs, marketers, and employees alike.  We are now global players and world citizens. Open markets, advances in technology, growing economies and the pursuit of profits have pushed the doors of the world open.

Your challenge is to see your opportunities beyond this country and understand how to plan, compete, and win. Because of logistics, language barriers, tariffs, marketing, nationalism and a bunch of other factors, figuring out your place in the world’s business ecosystem may not be easy but when you do the potential is unimaginable. If you decide to play beyond city, state, and country borders, you could be the next Mark Zuckerberg ( Facebook ), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Carlos Slim Helu (Telmex), Lisa Price (Carol’s Daughter) or Oprah (OWN television and O Magazine).

Play big because the world is at your finger tips.