With the calendar flipped over to 2016, is your brand thinking this is the year to expand globally?

Taking your business outside the United States can come with both potential benefits and risks.

For starters, you need to have a true feel for the market/markets you are thinking of taking flight in.

Know the Economic and Political Conditions

Take note of everything from current economic conditions to the political mood (especially if things are deteriorating).

Without a true lay of the land, you run the risk of entering an area or areas of the world that could prove detrimental to your brand and ultimately your financial health.

Secondly, are you going to be entering an area or areas of the world where the demographics can support your brand for a long period of time, be it a market such as http://brasilinsight.com/ or another locale around the world?

It is nothing short of critical that your entrance to one or more foreign markets prove to be locations where the long-term outlook is positive for your brand to succeed. To take the time and effort to expand to a location or locations where there is much uncertainty about long-term success simply doesn’t make sense for you on several fronts.

For example, going into locations of the world where populations are dwindling (especially for your given product/s or service/s) would be nothing short of foolish.

You want to find markets where there is room for growth, a need for your brand, and solid economic resources available for consumers to purchase what you have to offer.

Another consideration to take into account with potential expansion outside the United States is the current and projected political climates in those respective areas.

For instance, are politics dominating the news in one or more of the countries outside the U.S. where you are thinking of expanding to?

Yes, there is oftentimes lots of political talk in the U.S. and abroad, but there is a clear line between good political discussion/events and trouble brewing on the horizon. If the country or countries you are thinking of expanding to are in fact in the latter group, think twice about how best served you would be entering such a market or markets.

Finally, going into new markets bring with it some uncertainty, but the bigger question is do you have the will and financial means to stomach some challenges that may arise?

There could very well be some rough roads ahead when you enter new markets, so make sure you have the financial backing to weather such times.

You also can’t just enter a market and then bail if things get dicey.

This is all the more reason why proper analysis and planning of any foreign market you are considering entering is crucial to your long-term success, allowing you to bypass myriad of mistakes.

There are foreign markets out there for your brand to thrive in; finding the right ones to enter is your challenge in 2016 and beyond.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business and marketing topics on the web.

It’s the season of crashing and burning on new year’s resolutions. Left and right people are falling off the wagon and going back to whatever they vowed against.

Sometimes what we need is a commitment to the commitment. Instead of committing to eating better, maybe we need to commit to the commitment of eating better. That way, when we fail once, we don’t fall off the wagon and end our resolution in January, we instead try to eat better again at the next meal. We all mess up, but those who don’t quit on their commitment are the ones who create sustainable change.

It’s like marriage, you make a commitment to your spouse for life. When things get weird or hard or you have a fight, you don’t peace out. You’re committed. And so it should be with all the things you’re trying to improve.

But there’s something bigger amiss here. We know we can stay committed to something and do it half-way for a while. But why can’t we create sustainable momentum on what we resolve to do? It’s because we can’t create sustainable change by trying to change a behavior. We can create sustainable change only when we deal with the beliefs that drive our behaviors.

Do we fear that there won’t be enough? Do we stress about the future of our businesses? Do we worry about all the things? We need to ask ourselves why we do what we do.

Here are some questions to consider:

• What drives my stress/fear/behavior?
• Are my worries/beliefs founded?
• What can I do to change things?
• Does the worry help?

Our well-intentioned resolutions aren’t just for us, right? Maybe you want to be healthy to ensure you get to walk your daughter down the aisle someday. Maybe you want to restrain your spending so you’re able to give more to others. Or maybe you want to streamline your workflow so that you can better serve your clients. We should seek to do the hard work of dealing with what drives us, not just for us, but so that others’ lives are better as well.

Imagine if we committed to learning about and dealing with what drives us. Then, instead of making a bunch of small commitments (like eating better, stressing less, etc.), we would consistently be improving due to our singular commitment to dealing with all the worries and beliefs that drive us.

We all long to create sustainable change in our lives, our relationships and our businesses. Committing to the process and dealing with what drives us can make a huge difference in our lives and the lives of those around us.

Cover image info: Original, royalty-free image by Roman Pohorecki.

About the author: Lindsey Tolino comes alongside artisans, craftsman and people monetizing their passions to help them create healthy businesses. She shares her heart at ToBusinessOwners.com. Follow her on Twitter @LindseyTolino.