It has often been said that the world is a global village. This has never been truer than in the current age, when national boundaries, cultural barriers and even political ideologies can do little to stop the tide of globalization

I guess this is the most exciting time to be in business. The vast array of tools available make it easier than ever and the ability to do business outside the confines of your local geographic area make it really unique and special. You can do things today that business people could only dream of even a generation ago. Today, going global is the ultimate goal of companies.

Without any doubt internet has made the world smaller. It has also created a lot of opportunity for businesses to expand globally. However, any business that hopes to go global needs to be aware of cultural sensibilities. Local cultures, behavior and even languages vary greatly across the world and being aware of exactly what applies in the destination country is critical to starting off on the right foot. A successful business is keen to replicate its success model. Things, however, do not work the same way worldwide. We need a plan, but we should also be able and willing to accommodate local modes of operation. With all this businesses also need local resources. We do not yet live in a single global market and we should not try to pretend that we do. It pays to invest in senior local talent but it comes with existing connections, will provide your growing business with a familiar face that will go a long way in consolidating your overseas presence. Further, this person will also be well aware of all local formalities which will be invaluable to a new business in the initial stages.

The greater trend in 2011 will be companies trying to sell into the rapidly growing foreign economies but to achieve globalization and to establish the company in foreign land we need a foundation of solid research and ground work since there cannot be any shortcuts to reaching the hearts of millions.