Seeking to Expand Overseas? First Determine If Your Firm’s Ready. Source: http://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIwo9SHqQk
Nearly every week we see another headline about a previously unknown startup that has catapulted to international stardom. Where it once took years — sometimes decades — to go from relative obscurity to market leader, the infinite connectedness of our planet has compressed that timeline into months, if not weeks. Thanks to the virality of the social web, word of new apps, services and gadgets travels fast, and consumers demand instant gratification, creating organic demand for rapid market expansion.
Considering the skyrocketing growth rates in virtually all industries in emerging markets around the world, it’s no surprise the temptation to go international is so strong. In the mobile-app space, for example, Japan is by far the fastest-growing market, generating 560 percent revenue growth in the Apple App Store alone last year. The next three top markets — Russia, China and Taiwan — are all above the 100 percent mark, with additional strong growth in Brazil, Mexico and Turkey. And, in the cloud-technology space (another booming industry), Gartner predicts double-digit growth rates in Indonesia, India, Argentina Mexico and Brazil.