Author Jo Parfitt explains how finding a new career or starting a business venture overseas can be as easy as one, two, three
Many people going to live abroad plan to embark on a new career once they have settled in. This is no pipedream. What you need is solid advice that will help you to avoid the mistakes that will cost you time and money.
Did you know that the traits required by entrepreneurs are the same as those demonstrated by successful expats? If you want a new life abroad then if you have these entrepreneurial traits, you have what it takes to start a new career, too.
You should consider the concept of the portable career: a career that is based on what you most love to do; that is adapted to the local market; and that can move when you do, even if you move to another country or continent.
Step one: find your passion
They say that if you do what you love, the money follows. Doing what you’re passionate about will motivate you to get out of bed every morning, to keep going when things get tough, but more importantly, it allows you to be enthusiastic about your work. If you are enthusiastic, then other people will be compelled to listen to you; they will believe in you and will not only become your clients but will tell all their friends about you too.
Step two: tilt your hat
When I lived in the Middle East I made and sold date chutney and a cookbook called Dates, but when I moved to Norway in 1996 you couldn't buy dates in the shops. No dates meant no customers for my books. I had to tilt my hat and consider what else I could do there. The local market had no outlet for journalists who only wrote in English, so I decided to teach English speakers how to write instead.
Chances are that if you plan to work in your new location, you hope to build on your current strengths, skills and qualifications. Sadly, you may discover that your new country does not understand your qualifications, or that your language skills are not good enough to get a job in the local market. In addition, the work that you used to do back home simply may not be required abroad.
Find out what is needed in your local community. Listen to the other residents. What are they complaining about? What do they say they wish they had there? Often their problems are your opportunities. Ideally you should not have to change your hat completely when you go abroad, just tilt it slightly.
Step three: make it happen
When you run a business it is not enough to create a wonderful product. You have to find customers, handle your administration and accounts, do publicity, advertising, marketing, sales and all the rest. Making it happen takes time. I've lived in five countries and believe it takes two years to get a business off the ground and a third to become successful.
Sometimes I can't afford to wait that long. There are several ways to make things happen sooner and my top must-do is networking. The more people you know, the luckier you become. People like people who are like them.
That means that the more friends you make and the more people who know you, the bigger the boost to your business. So networking is my number one priority. Join local business and social networks, and global ones too. Get involved with social media marketing tools like Ecademy, Facebook and Linked In. Get your name out there. Start a blog and a newsletter: that you will have a website is a given. Once you have a virtual home, it is vital that you stay connected to everyone who drops by. Get them to sign up to something.
If all these tasks seem overwhelming, then another way to make things happen is to create a team. Find someone who can do the things you can't and ask for a skills swap.
As easy as one, two, three
So, if you want to start a business overseas remember the three steps. One, look inside yourself to see what you love to do and what motivates you. Two, look outside yourself to see how you could adapt your skills to the local market. Three, make it happen with networking and teamwork.
Jo Parfitt is the author of several books on finding a career abroad. Find out more at www.joparfitt.com, www.expatentrepreneurs.com or www.career-in-your-suitcase.com
