6 Steps to Successfully Run Your Business From Abroad

August 11, 2020 4 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

It is no secret that being an entrepreneur in a globalized world means you need to be flexible when it comes to change. Whether you are proactively looking forward to experiencing life abroad or you find yourself needing to relocate to another country, leaving your business behind can be quite daunting.

However, all you need to do is prepare yourself for the change, mentally and logistically, and you can continue growing your business no matter where you are. Here are six steps you can take to make sure you run your business successfully from another country.

Related: Use These 24 Tools to Run Your Business From Anywhere in the World

Hire self-motivated team members

Not only will hiring self-motivated individuals ensure success in your business, it will also free up your time, as you won’t need to be on top of every little detail. This is something you need to look out for the moment an application process begins.

Take the time to get to know each new applicant to ensure they have that drive you’re looking for. This can mean having them do a two-minute video about themselves, writing a short essay or simply establishing a good conversation after the main interview is over.

When your team members are self-motivated, they are more likely to open up and share valuable contributions to improve performance and productivity. This also ensures you have a team that thinks outside the box and can work together to find solutions and achieve goals.

Delegate

Once you have hired the right people, the next step is to learn to delegate and let go. Accepting that you can’t do everything yourself is the first step, and having a team you can trust and depend on just makes the process easier.

In addition to finding yourself with more freedom to enjoy your time abroad, you will help your team grow and develop, which will also allow your business to thrive. 

Establish effective communication channels

Whether this means having a chat group or using virtual confernece platforms, always make sure your team has a way to reach you.

Additionally, investing time and energy into actively looking for ways to communicate with them will rapidly build trust among your team, leading to a happier and more productive work environment.

Prepare your team

Now that you know you have an amazing team ready to run things in your absence, you need to make sure you leave them with all the tools necessary to succeed. This includes setting up expectations of what needs to be done, creating backup plans in case things don’t go as planned and overall ensuring they are fully aware of the standards and values to be kept.

Your transparency will give your team peace of mind knowing that they have your full trust, and it will empower them to make key decisions as well.

Stay connected

Once again, communication is always a key factor for success. While this can be more difficult in some places than others, ensure you have done your research to make yourself available for your team as much as possible. This could mean having to buy a local SIM card or locating the nearest cafe with free Wi-Fi while you settle into your new place. Make it a priority to stay connected no matter what.

Good technology is vital when it comes to traveling and managing your business from abroad. Make sure to invest in quality equipment, which will be your ally wherever you go. There is nothing more frustrating than running into technological problems when traveling.

Ensure your equipment is up-to-date with the necessary software and, if possible, have a technician run a routine checkup before you leave. After all, without functioning equipment, communication can quickly become impossible.

Related: 5 Ways to Build Team Culture in a Remote World

Finally, a bonus tip: Expect things to go wrong, or just not the way you hoped. While the unexpected can be stressful and complicated, if you expect it, dealing with unexpected scenarios will not shake you. Your hard work will pay off, allowing you to enjoy an exciting new phase of your life and have the confidence that no matter what part of the globe you’re in, you have empowered your team to succeed.