Making the transition from owning a local brand to an international one is never easy. The whole process of setting up your business overseas can be challenging. Learning to adjust to a new way of running a company can be difficult, as well.
Once you start running your business overseas, you will have more responsibilities, too, particularly when you begin building your new team. Additionally, you will have more accountabilities when you get more customers or clients that have a different ethnic background.
Since the path to becoming a global entrepreneur can be rough, you will need all the assistance you can get to traverse it successfully. Undergoing executive coaching prior to the setup stage and while running your first venture can help you in various ways.
With the help of a business coach, you will learn to adapt to a new style of working and running your company overseas. You can do this by taking up a training course on cultural diversity, which will teach you ways to work effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds.
Additionally, a business coach can act as your accountability partner. He or she will help you grow your business in a different country by keeping you on the right track in terms of your vision and goals, regardless of which stage you are in your journey.
Technological Help for Aspiring Global Entrepreneurs
Aside from getting working with an executive coach, you can make the transition from a local entrepreneur to a global one more smoothly and successfully by using certain apps.
With the right mobile apps, you can improve several skills you need to be successful in managing your business across different locations. You will get help with running your venture more efficiently, as well.
According to leading executive coaches, the five apps below are the best tools every budding entrepreneur should have on their mobile device:
1. Google Calendar
Learning to manage your time efficiently is one of the most important things you have to do as a global business owner.
You can get help with managing your time expertly by using Google Calendar.
This app allows you to set goals and reminders, plan events, and input any information you need to have access to. It syncs with Gmail, as well. Because of this, any email you receive that contains an event will appear on the calendar.
For instance, if you receive an email for a client meeting, your Google Calendar app will save the date and give you alerts about it.
Since this app allows you to set reminders, appointments, events, and even your goals, you will avoid getting overwhelmed by your new responsibilities. You will be able to stay on top of your schedule and be productive every day, as well.
2. Wrike
Wrike is a handy app that allows you to create and plan projects, manage workflow, and collaborate with your team. It is one of the most complete work management apps today.
Additionally, this tool can help you with allocating and managing resources and creating and implementing a control system in your new company.
Lastly, Wrike will help you manage all of your work files.
Because of these functions and features, this app will help you stay on top of everything in your business, wherever you are.
3. Evernote
As an entrepreneur, you can’t rely on your memory to remember key information or any idea that you come across or think of. When you have Evernote on your smartphone or tablet, you won’t have to cram all these important details in your head.
With this app, you can jot down any ideas that come to mind or essential information you come across. You can turn these into memos and notes or add them to checklists or to-do lists.
You can also use Evernote for brainstorming, preparing, and executing plans.
Additionally, this app allows you to save and organize documents such as business cards, receipts, and contracts. It supports various formats, including photos, PDF, text, audio, and video.
Lastly, Evernote can be synced across different devices. Because of this, you can have access to all your files and share these with others, as well, thereby allowing you to brainstorm or collaborate with them.
4. TripIt
Since you will be traveling a lot as a global entrepreneur, you need to manage your trips effectively. TripIt is the best tool that will allow you to do this.
With this app, you can properly plan and organize your travel schedule. You can use it to create itineraries and get vital trip reminders and alerts.
You can also save your airline e-tickets or travel confirmation numbers and reservations, and other essential travel documents on this app.
Moreover, this app can be synced with your Google Calendar, thereby allowing you to stay on top of your business trip schedules.
5. LinkedIn
Lastly, networking and building connections is a must if you want to be successful as a global entrepreneur. LinkedIn, a social networking platform, can assist you with this.
By being active in this app, you can connect with like-minded people. You can learn many things from these connections as you start your entrepreneurial journey in a different country.
LinkedIn also allows you to connect with vendors and industry influencers in your target market, people that can potentially lend you and your new business a hand.
This networking platform allows you to create and share articles, post job openings, and contact candidates, as well. As such, it is also an excellent marketing and HR tool.
Supplementing your executive coaching sessions with professional short courses is a strategy that can give you a smoother route to becoming an international entrepreneur. But if you don’t have enough time to take these classes, use the apps mentioned here if you want to realize your dreams of becoming a global business owner now.
AUTHOR BIO:
Salma El-Shurafa is an experienced Executive Coach and founder of The Pathway Project. She is a Professional Certified Coach by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach from The Coaches Training Institute (CTI) and a graduate of CTI’s Co-Active Leadership program.