CHAPTER 10 SMALL BUSINESSES AS MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES

1. CHAPTER 10 SMALL BUSINESSES AS MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES

2. SMALL BUSINESSES • Europe, N. American, & Japan, over 98% of businesses are small • Employ more than 50% • Produce nearly 50% of the countries' GNPs • Create more than 2/3 of new jobs

3. WHAT IS A SMALL BUSINESS? • UN: less than 500 employees • The popular press: less than 100 employees • U.S. Small business administration: definition varies by industry, sales revenue and the number of people

4. WHAT IS AN ENTREPRENEUR? • Creates new ventures that seek profit and growth • Faces risk and uncertainty of new and untested business • Risk: outcomes are variable • Uncertainty: impossible to predict variable outcomes

5. NEW VENTURES • Enter a new market • Offer a new product or service • Introduce a new method technology, or innovative use of raw materials

6. INTERNATIONALIZATION AND THE SMALL BUSINESS • Two models • small business stage model • global start-up

7. THE SMALL BUSINESS STAGE MODEL • Stage 1--passive exporting • Stage 2--export management • Stage 3--export department • Stage 4--sales branches • Stage 5--production abroad • Stage 6--the transnational

8. GLOBAL START UP • Occurs when firms begin as multinationals • Requires unique conditions and organizations

9. SMALL BUSINESS BARRIERS TO INTERNATIONALIZATION • Liabilities of newness and size • limited financial and personnel resources • lack of sufficient scale to produce goods or services as efficiently as larger companies

10. Barriers to Internationalization, continued • Managers’ limited international experience = • Negative attitudes • belief that venture too risky/not profitable • competition seen as domestic • ignoring of international opportunities

11. THE SOLUTION A Global Culture • Values that view strategic opportunities as global • A common language to describe international operations • Owners have a global mind-set • Thinking globally

12. THE SOLUTION Change Attitudes of Key Decision Makers • Begin close in culture and geography • Overcome skepticism regarding the international markets • Positive attitudes more necessary for global start-ups

13. Exhibit 10.1 Attitudes Concerning Internationalization

14. INTERNATIONALIZATION EFFECTS ON THE CEO • Increased travel and stress from undertaking a new venture • Can adversely affect family life • Takes away from the daily management • Job of CEO may change

15. Exhibit 10.2 Training & Knowledge Needs of Small Firm CEOs

16. SIZE AND SMALL BUSINESS INTERNATIONALIZATION • Larger firms • more likely to export • more resources to absorb risk • Differ primarily in initial internationalization

17. THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVANTAGE • Faster innovation • can change products and internal operations faster • speed can overcome size disadvantages

18. THE FUTURE • Falling barriers to small businesses internationalization • More global start-ups • More government programs • Trade agreements a positive force

19. The future, continued • Increase in the number of small businesses engaged in international activities • makes it easier for other businesses to develop a global culture • More managers gain experience in international business

20. SHOULD A SMALL BUSINESS GO INTERNATIONAL: the questions • Does the company have: • a global product or service? • the managerial, financial, and organizational resources? • the willingness to face the risks of internationalization?

21. The questions, continued • Is there a country in which we feel comfortable doing business? • Is there a profitable market for our product or service? • Which country should we enter?

22. The questions, continued • Do we have a unique product or service that is not easily copied by larger companies or local entrepreneurs? • Do location advantages exist upstream in the value chain? • Can we afford not to go global?

23. Exhibit 10.4 Steps in Picking a Foreign Market • Screen potential markets • target potential countries • assess target markets - key trends, competition, potential problems • Draw conclusions--make the choice

24. PARTICIPATION STRATEGIES • Same participation options as larger firms • Most often exporting

25. FINDING CUSTOMER AND PARTNERS • Trade shows • Catalogue expositions • International advertising agencies and consulting firms • Govt.-sponsored trade missions • Direct contact

26. See exhibit 10.6 for international trade leads on the world wide web!

27. READY TO GO AND CONNECTED • Finding the right overseas partner: the most important step • Find a good wedge to break into a new market

28. ENTRY WEDGE DEFINED ".. A strategic competitive advantage for breaking into the established pattern of commercial activity" (Vesper)

29. TYPES OF ENTRY WEDGES

30. FIRST MOVER ADVANTAGE • Establishes the business before other firms can react • Must be innovative • Must be comprehensive • meet customer expectations in areas such as warranty and expected components

31. FIRST MOVER COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES • Technological • Access natural or social resources • Develop close relationships with research universities • The best locations - raw materials or proximity to customers

32. COPY CAT BUSINESSES • The "me too" strategy • Adopt existing products or services • But-- find a niche or slight innovation to attract customers

33. SUCCESSFUL COPY CAT MOVES • Be the first to a new standard • Go after the toughest customers • Play to different customer needs • Transfer the location

34. Successful copy cat moves, continued • Be a dedicated supplier/distributor • Seek abandoned or ignored markets • Acquire an existing business

35. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS The Small Business • Key factor in the economies of all nations • Provides jobs, economic growth, innovation • Must face the challenges of entering the international marketplace

36. Summary and conclusions, continued • Can go international--through stages or through global start-ups • Have the same multinational and participation strategic options as larger firms • Entering the international market is an entrepreneurial venture