Business Beyond Borders

It looks as though Brexit is nearly upon us … and there are still loads of unanswered questions and lots of uncertainty.

I checked in with our London-based Senior Advisor, Michael Barron, to get his take on what’s likely to happen next and what it will mean for the UK and for companies looking to do business in Britain.

What do you do when you uncover fraud at your workplace? Do you speak up, or brush it under the carpet and hope it will go away?

That was the question that faced Sylvain Mansotte, the day he uncovered one of Australia’s largest-ever corporate frauds.

Sylvain didn’t hide what he knew and went on to found Whispli, a platform that enables anonymous trusted conversations.

A few years on and Whispli is in markets around the world, especially in places where there is whistleblowing legislation.

Join me to find out:

• The catalyst behind Sylvain’s decision to set up Whispli
• How Whispli won international clients within six months of opening
• Sylvain’s thoughts on the best time to take a company global
• The challenges Whsipli faced as it went to new countries
• How being a ‘Fraussie’ has influenced Sylvain’s approach to international business.

I really enjoyed recording this episode with Sylvan and I hope you enjoy it too!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re probably aware that the US and China are locked in a bitter trade battle.

Over the past year, the world’s two largest economies have imposed tariffs on billions of dollars worth of one another’s goods.

US President Donald Trump has long accused China of unfair trading practices and intellectual property theft.

In China, there is a perception that the US is trying to curb its rise.

Negotiations are continuing but have proven difficult, and the two sides remain far apart on issues including how to roll back tariffs and enforce a deal.

So what does it mean for Australia? Is this a crisis or an opportunity? Follow the link in the comments to read my latest thoughts on the conflict.

Brexit is getting weirder by the day … so what are the causes and what is the likely impact on businesses selling to Britain, or using the UK as using as a springboard to Europe?

Join my colleague, Gary Garner and I as we chat about the latest Brexit developments, the Northern Ireland backstop, what sorts of opportunities Brexit is likely to generate … and what it might mean for your business.

How would it be if you could jump online, find a business partner and launch a global business - just like that! …..

Well, that’s what my guest today did. Wayne Richard is the Director of Global Operations at Bean Ninjas, a company that provides Xero bookkeeping, financial reporting, and training for digital entrepreneurs and online businesses.

He spent most of his career as a corporate accountant and worked at Hewlett Packard. But when he found out that he and his wife were expecting triplets, Wayne quite the corporate world and became a freelance accountant… and then something little wild happened. We’ll talk about that today.

Today, Wayne is on a mission to lead his distributed team to create time,
location & financial freedom for coaches, consultants, and owners of e-commerce businesses.

Tune it to find out:

• How Wayne struck an international partnership without meeting his business partner in person.
• How bean ninjas grew from two solopreneurs working in different countries to a global firm.
• How Bean Ninjas acquired its global clients.
• The key levers that companies need to pull to grow globally.
• How Bean Ninjas has built and empowered its global team.

After 14 consecutive weeks of civil unrest, Hong Kong is in a state of turmoil - if you believe the mainstream media.

But what’s it actually like on the ground? And what do the ongoing protests mean for international businesses operating in Hong Kong, or considering opening there?

In Episode 36 of Business Beyond Borders, I talk to our Associate, Callan Anderson, Executive Director at Hong Kong Corporate Services Group. Callan helps foreign companies to enter Hong Kong, China and other markets in Asia and we chat about how the situation in Hong Kong is affecting day-to-day life and local and foreign businesses.

Join us to get a local perspective on what’s really happening in Hong Kong this week!

Your business is successful at home, so is there really any reason to consider going global? Why expose yourself to all that risk?

In this episode, I highlight three global trends that are reshaping the global business landscape, and why there’s never been a better time to look to internationally for growth opportunities.

Tune in to find out:

• Why even micro-business are playing in global markets.
• How global value chains have created international opportunities.
• Why Earth’s 3-4 billion new consumers pose a threat, as well as an opportunity.

Got a question about the episode? Connect with Cynthia on LinkedIn to get the answer.

For most companies ‘going global’, geopolitics is just background noise - it doesn’t affect how international business plays out day-to-day.

But occasionally, big things happen on the international stage and companies have to take notice.

In this episode, I talk to Gary Garner, our Senior China Advisor at Dearin about how to decide which geopolitical events to pay attention to and what the ongoing civil unrest in Hong Kong means for companies operating there.

In this episode of Business Beyond Borders I chat to Dai Williams, Chief Growth Officer at SiteMinder.

Siteminder started as a two-person operation working out of a rental home on Sydney’s northern beaches. Just over a decade later it employs more than 800 people and services more than 35,000 hotels around the world.

Today, SiteMinder generates more than AU$100 million in annual recurring revenue and is considered one of the 20 greatest pioneering technology companies to come out of Australia and New Zealand.

Dai is responsible for SiteMinder’s entry into new markets, and the growth and diversification of the disruptive Software-as-a-Service model that has made SiteMinder a technology pioneer.

Tune in to find out:
• How to know when to ‘go global’
• The best way for software companies to choose an international market
• Why knowing the size of your Total Addressable Market is key to international scale-up success
• Strategies that Siteminder has used to overcome cross-cultural challenges in global markets
• Why a defined go-to-market strategy and processes is central to understanding how your international expansion is tracking

Dai has loads of great insights and practical tips for founders of software companies ‘going global’, so you’ll definitely want to be taking notes on this episode.

If you’d like to learn more about SiteMinder's journey of growth, visit www.siteminder.com.

Lee Hackett is CEO of BluprintX, a company which helps CMOs, CROs and CEOs of mid-to-large-sized businesses to grow revenue by using data and technology. Lee set up the firm in the UK 2013 and has expanded its footprint to four countries.
Before Bluprint X, Lee played a leading role in creating and scaling seven startups in four continents over the last decade. Several of these startups became market leaders within 1-3 years, and were sold to FTSE 200 organisations and global companies.
But Lee hasn’t always been an entrepreneur and before he got into business, he was a professional footballer with Wigan Athletic FC, in the UK.
In this episode, Lee and I are chat about Brexit, his transition from football to business, the creation of BluprintX and how Lee took it global.
Tune in to find out:
Why every company needs to think about ‘going global’
How Lee made the transition from athlete to entrepreneur
What football taught Lee about leading a company
Top tips on dealing with the distraction created by global growth
How to build a culture that enables a company to be globally sustainable

Lee’s favourite books include, Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio.You can find it at https://www.principles.com/

Today, we’re doing something a little different. I’m talking to my colleague, Zach Selch, the Global Sales Mentor. Zach is the VP Global Sales for a high tech medical company and has spent his career solving international sales challenges that CEOs can’t fix.

He’s passionate about driving incremental improvement across every inch of the sales process and every nut and bolt in the sales organization. Zach is the person that companies have called in, time and again, when they have tried to grow a market or their international division and simply haven’t been able to get off the ground.

Over the past almost 30 years, Zach has built up the international sales of several companies, from start-ups to publicly traded companies, four times growing sales by more than 1000%, three times bringing in the single largest purchase order in a product’s history; adding hundreds of millions of dollars to the value of mid-market companies by increasing their international footprint.

Zach has sold in more than 135 countries and lived in six. He is an ex-paratrooper, a father of 3 and boxes, he smokes brisket and runs a soup kitchen when he isn’t on the road. Zach was in Germany when the wall went down, in Jordan when peace with Israel was signed, has had breakfast with the Dalai Lama, and has been in the right place for a surprising number of right times.

In this episode, Zach and I trade ideas on the ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ of international business expansion and there’s loads of practical advice and “how-to” tips for founders and CEOs looking to scale up overseas. Tune in to find out:

•Why there’s no better way to raise the value of your company than by expanding your global footprint
•The biggest mistakes that companies make as they try to ‘go global’
•Why getting on a plane can be a smart way to sound out a new international market
•How to trial your product at an international trade show … without getting an exhibition booth
•The most important questions to ask your potential distributor, and
•How to create a sales process that works almost everywhere

And if you’re keen to attend Zach’s upcoming Global Sales course this North American fall, you can check it out at www.globalsalesmentor.com.

In this episode of the Business Beyond Borders podcast, I caught up with Vanessa Garrard who has been ranked in Australia’s Top 30 Female Entrepreneur list every year since 2010.

Vanessa’s entrepreneurial journey started by selling lollies and sweets at the ripe old age of 12 to now establishing Adventure Operations, a group consisting of 17 companies providing consumer products to retailers all over the globe.

Currently, 1 in 2 Australians own a product that Vanessa’s company has produced and her group continues to expand its global footprint with offices in Australia, China and the US.

Her experience has led her to share her journey to inspire other women in business to scale up, build confidence and think bigger.

As a result of her passion for business, she has also received countless awards and is internationally recognised for her entrepreneurial achievements.

Tune in to my interview with Vanessa to hear her share:

• Her experience as a woman in business
• The things to look out for when ‘going global’
• The importance of having a solid network to bounce ideas off
• Why you should consider international expansion

Vanessa also speaks about the importance of understanding the market you are entering, the need for innovation and what it takes to succeed when ‘going global’.

A truly inspiring story and an episode I would highly recommend you take the time to tune in to!

Expand Your Vision on May 23, 2019 Registration Page -https://www.internationalbusinessaccelerator.com/may-2019-eyv-ofx-direct-invites/

This week Cynthia Interviews Angus Raine, leading real estate commentator and fourth generation member of the family that created the Raine & Horne Group.

After starting his career outside the company Angus came back, joined the family business and has been instrumental in expanding the company’s vision and taking it overseas.

At 135 years old, Raine & Horne is one of the oldest privately-held companies in the Southern Hemisphere, and now has over 12 offices throughout Australia, Malaysia, The UAE, India, Fiji and Vietnam.

Tune in and find out:

• Why being part of a family-held company is an advantage in Asian markets

• Why having the right team is key to ‘going global’
Raine & Horne’s strategies for choosing new international markets

• How Raine & Horne maintains its culture across international offices.

• How Angus uses his ‘brains trust’ to solve tough challenges.

Angus shares his thoughts on what it takes to make it when going global with your business, with an emphasis on the importance of building and nurturing relationships, and the need for developing a solid team when bringing your vision to life.

It’s all too easy to get carried away with new ideas and menial tasks when building your international business. We see it all the time with our clients.

In the second part of a series dedicated to Time Excellence, Cynthia talks about the three things you need to do to get the most out of your time, improve your productivity and start getting results:

1. Prioritise
2. Delegate
3. Organise

With clear direction on how to implement these steps, this episode is full of useful hints and tips dedicated to giving you the time to focus on what’s most important when going global.

In this week’s episode of Business Beyond Borders, Cynthia talks about Time Excellence, an area that many business owners and entrepreneurs struggle with as they start to take on international expansion.

Having the skill to use time to your advantage and maximise your productivity is key to running a successful international business.

In the first of a number of episodes around Time Excellence and utilising this precious resource, Cynthia introduces 3 simple yet effective hacks that will allow you to make the most of your time and accelerate your results.

Check out this episode if you want to:

• Learn how to invest your time effectively
• Accelerate your results when going international
• Reclaim more time during your days
• Increase the time you have to focus on what’s important

So if you really want to take back control of your time, have a listen then get out there and make it happen!

In this episode of the Business Beyond Borders podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Tim Hughes, Founder of Digital Leadership Associates.

In a previous life, Tim was a corporate star who was responsible for adding $100 million value to Oracle.

Seeing the potential of talking to customers and building relationships through social media, he wrote his first book, Social Selling as a practical handbook to implementing social media into marketing and sales strategy. Soon after, he left the fast track to launch his own business, which he took international within two years.

Tune in to my interview with Tim to find out:

•How Tim made the switch from employee to entrepreneur
•How sales and marketing has evolved in the digital age
•How social media can increase your inbound leads for next to nothing
•Why you need to build authority to succeed in your industry

Tim is a master at creating inbound leads and if you are serious about increasing your online presence, connecting with new customers through social media and improving your sales and marketing strategy, this episode is for you.

If you’re looking for an easy-to-follow, practical guide to implementing social media in your business, check out Tim’s best-selling books Social Selling and Smarketing.

If you’re considering social media as a way to reach more people or want to find out more about Digital Leadership Associates, visit https://www.social-experts.net/.

TIM’S FAVOURITE BOOKS:

Stop Selling, Start Leading - Deb Calvert
The Perfect Close - James Muir
Be More Pirate - Sam Conniff Allende

It’s that time of year where people get excited about making resolutions and have high hopes for the year to come.

Unfortunately, many business owners don’t realise their dreams, because they set their goals and go on with business as usual, without taking the steps to make them a reality.

In the first episode of 2019, Cynthia speaks about goal-setting, why people get it so wrong and what you can do to achieve your goals this year.

Tune in to this episode to learn how you can:

• Get clear on what you really want and way before you set a goal to achieve
• Get excited about the mastering goal-setting and doing the essentials until you’re great at them
• Work on your goals consistently

With plenty of hot tips to get you started with a bang, you will want to listen to this episode if you are serious about achieving your goals.

In this episode of Business Beyond Borders, Cynthia interviews Lee Featherby, Founder of Powerful Points.

From a Perth boy with hopes to join the family business, to starting his own business helping companies share their message effectively, Lee’s story is a perfect example of how you don’t need to know everything to get started or become an international success.

With a background in marketing and management, Lee understood that getting your message across effectively is a necessity when sharing your product/service with the world.

Now, through the use of creative presentations and training, Powerful Points helps their clients, the likes of McDonalds and The Commonwealth Bank, do just that.

Tune in to this interview to find out:

• How Lee found himself starting his own business
• The story behind Powerful Points
• Tips to penetrate a new international market
• The importance of recognising cultural differences
• Why you need to develop and nurture relationships

Entrepreneurship and international business is not for everyone, but if you are looking to be inspired to pursue your dreams, considering international expansion or want an insight into what it takes to make an international business successful, this episode is for you.

If you are looking to get heard and want results, or just want to find out more about Powerful Points visit: https://powerfulpoints.com.au

In this episode of Business Beyond Borders, Cynthia interviews Chris Jankulovski, Founder of Remote Staff™.

Established in 2007 after a visit to the Philippines, Remote Staff™ provides offshore recruiting solutions to a variety of SME’s and has expanded to a team of 70 in-house staff. The company has placed 8000+ professionals and helped support the growth of more than 2000 businesses all over the world.

Chris’ story is truly inspiring. He struggled with dyslexia throughout his childhood and didn’t learn to read until he was 24. He has survived cancer and multiple major surgeries, and deals with a hereditary condition which makes him prone to recurring tumours. None of this has stopped him.

Realising how short life is, Chris saw no other option but to make every second count and relentlessly chases his dreams, showing no signs of slowing down.

Tune in to this interview to find out:

•How Chris overcame extreme adversity to become a highly successful entrepreneur
•The story and journey behind Remote Staff™
•How to overcome challenges of taking a company global
•The importance of recognising cultural differences
•Why you need to develop and nurture relationships
•How to approach international expansion

Entrepreneurship and international business is not for everyone, but if you are looking to be inspired to pursue your dreams, considering international expansion or want an insight into what it takes to make an international business successful, this episode is for you.

If you are looking for cost effective staffing solutions for your business or just want to find out more about Remote Staff™ visit www.remotestaff.com.au.

In this episode of the Business Beyond Borders podcast, I interview Justin Dry, Founder of Vinomofo.

Justin is an entrepreneur, business owner, mentor, public speaker, and co-founder and joint CEO of Vinomofo, one of Australia’s fastest-growing companies.

Launched in April 2011 from a garage in Adelaide, Vinomofo has expanded quickly and profitably to a run rate of more than $50m revenue, 500,000 plus members, and a team of over 100 employees.

Tune in to my interview with Justin to find out:

• The story and journey behind Vinomofo
• The importance of making short term sacrifices for long term gains
• How to have fun while building your international business
• How seeking advice can save you when times get tough
• Why you should never give up on your vision

This was one of the funniest and most entertaining episodes I’ve ever recorded. Justin has loads of great stories and he isn’t afraid to share the struggles and challenges he’s had along the way, as well as the successes. That kind of candour is a rarity in the business world and it makes for great conversation - and I hope great listening for you. We spoke for more than an hour, but I suspect we could have gone on for much longer …. Especially if we’d had a bottle of great Vinomofo wine at hand.

Justin’s episode will be an inspiration for lots of people, but especially those of you who are just starting out and wondering whether they can really make it in business and on the international scene. I hope you have as much fun listening to it as I had recording it.