The Digital Age has dawned and it represents the biggest paradigm shift the world has ever seen. It may also well represent the largest transfer of wealth we will ever see in our lives.

Quietly fortunes are being made globally from home. Digital technology, the Internet, direct and referral marketing are proving to be a recipe for building wealth and enjoying freedom.

A global business is a multinational venture that allows a business from one country to operate in one or more other countries. This worldwide saturation creates the ability to allow a business to grow rapidly while accessing an enormous amount of capital.

Global expansion allows for such access to capital and technology and is key. New innovations and fresh business activities that come from across national borders open a business to unimaginable opportunities.

The benefits of being a global entrepreneur are so numerous it is impossible to mention them all. Benefits such as opening new sales offices across the globe, exporting goods and acquiring fresh new ventures allow the global entrepreneur to reach business goals rapidly and effectively.

Here is an example of how being a global entrepreneur can do wonders for your business. There is a woman from Kentucky who is of Native American decent. She takes her cultural knowledge and begins making traditional beaded jewelry and handbags as a way to make money with her beloved hobby. People begin to purchase this woman’s products and the products begin to be transferred to other states and other countries through the customer’s hands. The woman hears how her products are becoming requested in other locations. She begins to build a global network and her products become well loved leading her part time hobby into a world wide online business.

This example is but only one business that has bloomed overnight due to becoming a global business. It is easily run from home and can be done with many forms of online business. Successful businesses are created and running successfully each day. Such businesses include those from online e-stores to homemade crafts and edible delicacies and much more.

The rapid rise in popularity and the steady growth of technology has made it possible for today’s dreamer to become tomorrow’s entrepreneur millionaire. Going global is critical in today’s business market. Taking your company worldwide allows you to put yourself at a competitive advantage. That is after all what the business world is all about. Competition. Who can make it faster, do it better, and provide products at the lowest price?

Going global with a product or service first of all gets your company name out to the consumer. If they don’t know you they can’t use you. Once people have seen your company name it’s all a matter of time before they become a customer. Look at Coca Cola and McDonald’s. There are other soda companies and burger restaurants, but these two companies are in countries around the globe. Going global can be the difference from being the struggling small business to becoming a leader of the pack in today’s busy online business industry.

Okay so you’re on the web and you’re building your business. You’re building a global business now…or are you?

Hopping online to find out the definition of global, I came upon 26.8 million entries and all of them basically said the same thing. The definition of “Global” means “involving the entire earth; not limited or provincial in scope; international”.

So if you as a professional are offering various services and are purporting yourself to be International, then are you reaching out to your entire audience and connecting with them.

I’ve had a ‘pet peeve’ for a little while because I see a lot of online businesses that state there are international or global and yet, people outside of their region cannot get access to them or their products without spending thousands of dollars.

Here are 5 tips to truly promote yourself as a truly international business:

(1) Teleseminars are easy ways to market your products or services, but quite a few international persons cannot access your live calls without paying hundreds of dollars. There are some places in the world that charge over $2 per minute to call certain countries in the world!

Make it easy for your clients or prospects.

Some marketers are now using webinars or InstantTeleseminar.com, both of which allow people to listen via the web.

(2) Review your website. Does it make it easy for ALL visitors to contact you?

Are you using a live chat feature?

Do you have any Skype contact information so international persons can use free Skype-to-Skype calling to purchase your products?

Do you have a contact form on your site so visitors can contact you NOW rather than going into their email program and creating a new message to you?

(3) Promoting your events way too late is a ‘no-no’.

This is particularly upsetting when your favorite marketer is putting on a grand live event or program and has been ‘seeding’ it in their ezine for a while. Then you’ve been away from your email for a while and realize that you missed a deadline to get a great discount or the event or program actually starts next week!

Yikes!

You must remember that all your customers are not online 24-hrs per day to instantly take advantage of your promotions right away.

If you truly are an international business and not a national or regional one, then you need to give your customers time to sign up for your fabulous programs by promoting them way in advance.

Of course this advance period will depend on if it’s a live one (we recommend 6 months for a live event) or at least 4-6 weeks for a program.

(4) Do you have a currency converter on your site or a link to one?

Most of the world automatically assume that any number after the dollar sign ($) is United States Dollars. The USD is in fact a globally recognized currency and persons around the world do seem to know their country’s exchange rate to the USD.

However, it sends a strong psychological message to your buyers that YES, they too are important enough to include a currency converter on the site.

(5) Do you have downloadable information products or e-products for purchase?

It is a great idea to offer 2 options for every product (if you can and if it makes sense). One option is an instant download version and the other is a shippable version.

International customers LOVE downloadable products because they are quick to consume; they don’t have to deal with Customs in their country which means additional money to actually get the product in their hands and they are cheaper to purchase.

I hope you’ve gotten some great ideas and will implement a few of them to expand your business to a more global network.

Going global means playing a bigger game.

Since you launched your small company last year, you have been faced with stressful days, sleepless nights, and multiple challenges everyday. Your business is surviving the tough and unstable economy, yet you wish for it to thrive and prosper even more. You turn to books and magazines for help. You talk to other business owners for advice, guidance, and support. You welcome every opportunity that could help enhance your business. Yet, you have failed to seriously consider looking into international management consulting. You think that this type of investment is only apt for businesses on a larger scale than yours. However, you must know that such an investment can significantly affect yours as well. These consulting firm tap on marketing, sales, and management tactics as part of their global business strategy consulting strategies. This kind of support can prove to be extremely beneficial for your company’s success.

When a business owner decides to invest in a global business strategy consulting firm, you make available to you the relevant intervention of a third party who is able to see the bigger picture, thus being able to better advise you on various aspects relating to your company. International management consulting can help you in setting short and long term goals for your company, formulating strategies, and employing smart and efficient tactics to ensure the achievement of your goals.

As mentioned above, investing in international management consulting firms will make available to you much sound advise about various marketing strategies that can be employed in order to most effectively tap your business’ target market. Consulting firms are knowledgeable about various market trends, business approaches, plans, and tactics that could help you in attaining your goals as efficiently as possible. Global business strategy consulting firms will put much effort into ensuring that your company will become an active and aggressive market player in no time. Hand in hand, you can work towards success, longevity, progress, and growth.

International management consulting firms can also be depended on to formulate admirable plans and schemes that will address one of the most important factors in your business – the workforce. At the forefront of your business are your staff and employees. Thus, apt care and attention is due them, especially if you are keen on employing and maintaining the most dynamic, dependable, and skilled people. Global business strategy consulting firms can keep you abreast with the latest trends and practices in recruitment, compensations, benefits, perks, and other related information. Acquiring this kind of know-how will give you better chances of attracting a commendable and loyal work force.

Business owners now have competent, dependable, and efficient business partner in the form of international management consulting. This type of investment will surely reap you benefits which you otherwise would not be able to enjoy. Your global business strategy consulting partner can be depended on to keep your business’ interests at heart. Together, you can work towards a brighter, more stable future for your company.