From: EDC-Export Development Canada, November 22, 2019
Build an Export Plan, by Aida Alvarenga Innovation Lead & Product Owner, Knowledge ServicesExport Development Canada
https://www.edc.ca/en/blog/tech-startups-international-expansion.html
If you asked me to state the biggest challenge facing tech startups in selling internationally, I would say it’s recognizing that they are, or soon will be, selling internationally.
That may seem obvious, but many tech startups don’t recognize themselves as exporters because, rather than shipping physical goods across a border, they’re often dealing in intangible assets.
In tech, there’s no limitation on where your customers live. Your very first sale could be from the United States, India, or Colombia. Making a strategic plan for that reality is imperative because startups must aim to go global from Day 1.
Tech startups, uniquely, were made for international trade. The whole premise of being a successful tech startup is to scale up quickly, and the only way you can achieve that kind of growth is by going to new markets. If you compare Canada’s relatively small population of 37.5 million to the world’s 7.7 billion, it’s easy to see how there may be more opportunities coming from beyond our borders.
(Read +)