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Navigating the Global Market - Challenges and Opportunities for Finnish Companies As many of you know, Finnish companies are renowned for their innovation and quality products, but taking that success to the global stage isn't always straightforward. In my own experience, expanding into international markets has presented both unique challenges and incredible opportunities. 🌎 I'd love to hear from all of you—what have been the biggest hurdles you've faced when taking your business abroad? 🌎 How did you navigate those challenges? 🌎 What advantages do you think Finnish companies bring to the global marketplace? Let's share our insights, strategies, and perhaps even some "war stories" to help each other succeed on the international stage. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and learning from your experiences! #GlobalExpansion #FinnishBusiness #NordicInnovation #Innovation

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Young businesses succeed in international markets through trial and error – success does not always have to be based on careful planning, goal setting or large resources.   As the growth of large companies fades and there are not enough successful medium-sized companies in Finland, attention is turning to young Finnish companies that are looking to international markets for growth from the start. However, the challenge of internationalisation for these companies is their newness, small size, and unfamiliarity with international markets. Overcoming these challenges has usually required considerable resources and skills that young companies lack. – Creating new markets, collaborative marketing programmes with partners and building an emotional connection with customers in international markets proved to be particularly important, says Peter Gabrielsson, Professor of International Marketing. ➡ Read more: https://lnkd.in/dQ7X9PZw #univaasa #business #companies #international #marketing #research

Not taking much out of the Norwegian explanation, I focused on the English slides, and the sentence "The success trap may lead to disruption" reminded me of Kodak and BlackBerry's story of success trap. Trying to find more examples in the Norwegian market I could not help but wonder, could challenges of adapting to diversity be why Norwegian businesses are not that successful when it comes to international growth and competitiveness? Is innovation one of the missing keys to Norway's business success? Has Norway recognized the importance of innovation but overlooked how deeply it is connected to embracing diversity? Thanks to Atle Sivertsen for the presentation. #innovation #norway #internationalisation #diversity #successtrap

Impact requires reach. This is notably true in innovative industries, such as Cleantech. 🌐 🌎 Scale-up is an essential factor in the cleantech equation. 🏭 📈 However, this scale-up necessitates planning, analysis and considerations. 🔍 📑 Here are key factors to take into account when expanding your sales abroad. 💻 LET’S INTERCONNECT EUROPE 🌍 ♻ ➡ luxurioustranslate.com Follow #LetsInterconnectEurope #LuxuriousTranslate #Localization #RenewableEnergy #Sustainableenergy #Sustainablebusiness #Agency #businessgrowth #France

Reunion in Bucharest and the Potential for Central and Eastern European IT Companies to Enter the Japanese Market On the final leg of my business trip, I reunited with Octavian, the Founder & CEO of the Romanian software company Dyver (https://dyver.app/), in Bucharest after six years. I first met him during my time at OceanBridge at a trade show, where we exchanged business cards. At that time, he was the CEO of a company called CustomSoft, which he has since passed on to a successor. Now, he has founded Dyver, an eCommerce content management platform, and is working hard to establish it in the market. Octavian, like many Hungarian companies, is eager to enter the Japanese market and has already found a partner to assist in this endeavor. I expressed my willingness to support him in any way I can as he moves forward with this initiative. While there are certainly challenges to entering the Japanese market—such as language barriers and differences in business practices—Japan's shrinking domestic market makes it crucial for Japanese companies to actively seek partnerships with overseas firms. Central and Eastern European IT companies, in particular, have shown a strong interest in the Japanese market. I believe that deepening relationships with these companies presents a significant opportunity for Japanese businesses to expand into international markets. Throughout this trip, I was consistently impressed by the humility of everyone I met, and their focus on building long-term relationships and achieving mutual success. What touched me most was how many of them resonated with the "Life is Taketombo" philosophy. The fact that these Central and Eastern European partners are not just focused on business success, but on sharing joy and building meaningful connections, is a value that I deeply admire. https://lnkd.in/gUmsaSpb #TeamTaketombo #LifeIsTaketombo #DoingBusinessInJapan #JapanMarketEntry #CzechRepublic #Hungary #Romania #CentralEasternEurope #BusinessExpansion #MarketEntrySupport #InternationalBusiness #GlobalPartnerships #V4Plus

The month of May was all about #internationalization and it was a pleasure, to accompany some companies on their internationalization journey and provide concrete help.   I was particularly pleased, that some companies used my 8+2 guide for successful international expansion. That is why I am sharing my article below again in the hope of inspiring additional companies, too. https://lnkd.in/dZATBf6m Nevertheless, my experience is, that collecting market data and developing a “logical” Go-to-Market strategy from it, is not necessarily the biggest challenge. The most difficult task is to make strategy fly and execute it.     And here – when it comes to internationalization - two parameters are very important, that can make a decisive difference:   1.     Action 2.     People, who know the market very well – the local culture and the unspoken rules of the local business world #Action: It is crucial to plan and implement the concrete activities required for conquering a new market. And to show perseverance even when facing setbacks. Learn from the setbacks, adapt the approach and implement further, modified actions in order to win the first customers in a new market and thus gain references and create trust in this new market. Connecting #people to the organization, who know the local culture and business world: Because they have worked and lived in that particular market themselves, they can make market entry significantly easier and help to develop much more effective activities right from the start. They use the market information of an industry and combine it with cultural know-how and local business world practice to show ways of successfully convincing decision-makers. And also provide valuable feedback on what products and/or services as well as working methods need to be adapted in order to expand successfully. One of the best-practice examples I came across recently, too, is that a company decided to send one of it’s Co-Founders for a couple of months to a new market, they wanted to conquer. In particular, if you cannot run the market entry from the headquarter and your home market, but need to establish a local office, establishing a subsidiary by a leader, who knows your company as well as product-and serviceoffer very well and aims for finding a local solution, can be a successful approach, too.   In case, that you are planning to grow in new markets, let's talk - I would be happy to help you, too! #internationalization #Export #GoToMarketStrategy #StrategyDevelopment #StrategyExecution #internationalisering #eksport #GoToMarketStrategi #Strategiudvikling #Strategieksekvering

🇱🇹Lithuanian companies are much more than just a drop in the ocean.   Despite its small size, Lithuania is home to many innovative businesses that deserve global recognition. However, gaining attention from the international press can be challenging.   We find ways to showcase Lithuania's strengths in many sectors: like tourism, entertainment, fintech, life sciences, or tech by offering unique insights on trends or innovations to make your story more relevant to international media. Journalists want stories, not just products—we highlight company's journey, challenges, and how its solutions address global issues. We recommend to partner with agencies that have international media connections to ensure your message appeals across different markets. We are looking to share companies’ growth metrics, successful case studies, and partnerships to build credibility.    The global stage is competitive, but with innovation, talent, and drive, Lithuanian companies can rise to the top.

🌍 When I first came to Finland at 18, I couldn't have imagined that I'd help generate over 3M EUR in exports for this country and make it my new home. But that's the power of bridging cultures and markets. 💫 Finland is famous with high-quality products, advanced high tech, booming SW industry and honest, trust-based business culture (from my experience). When I travel abroad, I often can’t help but notice the market gaps where I could place a product or solution from Finland, be it in grocery stores, restaurants, supermarkets, or national banks, power grids and public transport. That is also partly the reason why I advocate for Finnish quality and its promotion to the World. It's part of my mission to work with high-quality, advanced and exciting suppliers to deliver that excellence to global markets. The world is hungry for Finnish quality because: 🔵 Finnish engineering excellence commands premium products 🔵 Finnish technological sophistication opens doors 🔵 Finnish reputation for reliability gives credibility 🔵 Finnish business culture of transparency builds lasting partnerships But here's what's holding us back: While we excel at making world-class products, we often struggle to tell our story to global markets. The key to international growth isn't just in product excellence – but also in open-minded prospective and deep understanding of foreign markets, business cultures and communication principles. That’s where I believe lays a lot of value in multi-cultural and multi-lingual professionals like me and many others out there. My strongest expertise is in building bridges and connecting international teams to create and enter new projects together, as a result facilitating growth for all parties involved. What’s in it for Finnish manufacturers? Well, in short, international talent brings: 1️⃣ Existing networks in target markets 2️⃣ Native understanding of business cultures and customs 3️⃣ Natural ability to identify market opportunities 4️⃣ Multilingual capabilities that build trust with potential clients 👉 To international professionals in Finland: Your most valuable asset isn't just your skills – it's your unique ability to connect Finland to your home market. You're not just employees; you're ambassadors of Finnish quality to your home country or your global network. 🌍 I've seen firsthand how this approach transforms businesses. Every new market entry becomes smoother, every cultural barrier more manageable, every relationship more authentic. 🤝 This isn't just about business growth. It's about strengthening Finland's economy through smart internationalization. When we bring Finnish innovation to global markets, we create sustainable growth that benefits everyone. Let's build these bridges together. 🇫🇮 What are your favorite Finnish products worth exporting? Mine are telecom, SW, online banking systems, chocolate and coffee 🤎 #FinnishExports #InternationalBusiness #BusinessDevelopment #Finland

When expanding into new markets it's important to decide whether your core operations will be concentrated in the company’s home country or also located overseas in the other markets you want to serve. This article outlines the differences between transnational and international strategies, and advantages to each one. I highly recommend reading it if you're in a position to take your company global. More info here: https://bit.ly/3IoQvWL #GoGobal #Globalization #Localization