The term ‘Expat Entrepreneur’ is having a bit of a moment right now. And rightly so. It’s a power term used by those who find themselves in a foreign country (usually at the behest of their partner’s career) and start their own business because they want to create something that’s theirs, still contribute financially, and not feel stripped of their purpose. Move over ‘Trailing Spouse’, you were patronizing and despised anyway, and hello ‘Expat Entrepreneur’: powerful, energized and proactive!
I am a trailing spouse turned expat entrepreneur…and I use the term ‘entrepreneur’ lightly because I have as many started and abandoned businesses as I do shoes in my closet. New country, new business idea, that’s how I roll. From designer camera bags in Vietnam…think fake Guccis complete with home made padded lens compartments (everyone wanted one!)…to exporting mosquito rackets from Thailand to South Africa…I called it The Mozzinator (get it, get it?)…from an online design shop in South Africa to freelance writer in The Netherlands…too many ideas, too little time. ‘Just pick ONE and stick to it’ says everyone, ever.
Anyway, I digress…Expat Entrepreneur. Sounds good right? Sounds like something you might like to be. But how? You may have worked for a company your whole life and going it alone has never occurred to you, maybe you’ve placed yourself in the ‘don’t possess a mind for business’ category, or you literally don’t know where to start. Maybe you have this notion that entrepreneurs are wheelers and dealers, business whizz-kids who possess an uncanny genius for spotting a gap in the market. Sure, some are. But that’s not the only incarnation.
What if I told you that just by living (surviving) and thriving (muddling through) abroad you were already using the traits of an entrepreneur?
I recently attended a panel discussion on entrepreneurship at the Families in Global Transition Conference in The Netherlands. On the panel were four women who have successfully made the transition from trailing spouse to expat entrepreneur. Amel Derragui from Tandem Nomads, Stephanie Ward from Firefly Coaching, Gina Dunn from iGina and Lisa Ferland from Lisa Ferland Consulting and they answered questions from the audience about how they started their businesses, best practices and advice for budding entrepreneurs. They are all successful business women now, but they all admit to not always knowing the next step, or how things would turn out. Strategy and consistency are also a major part of becoming an expat entrepreneur but it’s OK not to have everything perfected before you start.
So, I got to thinking about all the aspects of being a Trailing Spouse that I can leverage into becoming an Expat Entrepreneur, and it turns out Expat and Entrepreneur are not so different after all!
1. You take a calculated risk
When you start a business, you conduct market research to find out if your idea has been done before, who your competitors are, you get to know your market inside and out so that you have as much information at your disposal as possible before turning your idea into reality.
The same can be said for moving abroad. You don’t want to move ‘blind’ so you spend hours researching your new country, posting on Facebook groups, doing virtual tours of schools and neighbourhoods, and asking for real-time information from people on the ground. Other peoples’ opinions are important but its facts you are after, you’re in information gathering mode so you can do a full assessment and make an informed decision for yourself.
No matter how thoroughly you do your research however, there is always an element of risk involved. You do your research then take the plunge.
2. You create something from scratch
Virgin Records started in a damp garage, Facebook in a college dorm, consumer goods giant Unilever started with a bar of soap and a block of margarine, my friend Lauren started her thriving jewellery business selling five necklaces at her local hairdresser. My point is that everything starts with an idea, and grows from there.
Life abroad starts in much the same way. We envision a life for ourselves, something daring and ambitious that will not be easy to come by, something that takes a lot of hard work to create. We need tenacity, resilience and perseverance to succeed. We get knocked down repeatedly, are pushed to the limit, almost give up a thousand times, but somehow dig deep and keep going. People see us struggling and say, ‘why put yourself through this? Just give up, come home’ but we have faith in our decision, we know deep down that we’re doing the right thing and so we push against the norm, think outside the box and make our idea a reality.
3. You’re cold calling everyday
Living abroad is like cold calling. Everyday holds many unknowns. As an newly arrived expat you have an objective for the day, lets say taking public transport for the first time, figuring out how to register your car in a language you don’t speak, or calling the international school to plead your case for places for your kids. And so, like a cold caller who dials a number and hopes for the best, you set out into your foreign world, and hope for the best. You employ all the strategies you know: be polite, friendly, apologise for taking up someone’s precious time, say whatever you have to, to get the job done.
After a while you stop fearing ‘no’. It’s just a word, and in many countries and situations is not the final answer. Every no is one step closer to a yes. Living abroad taught me that, and I put it to good use when I started my online business.
4. A mentor makes all the difference
When you start a business you read books about successful entrepreneurs, you want to know their attributes and how they got to where they are. You may also search for mentors you can meet in real life. The path to business success is well trodden, there are many who have come before you and it’s good to know the successes and failures others have had along the way so your own journey can be wiser.
It’s the same when you move abroad. There is always that one person who is invaluable to you. She’s someone who has lived through the settling in phase and can impart vital local wisdom such as where to get a parking card, which day is market day, or where to get the best coffee. She can be a source of inspiration when the going gets tough, the success story you hold on to when you want to give up. You call her when you feel out of your depth, or when you feel crippled by impostor syndrome because you’re so tired of ‘fake it til you make it’, and she’ll respond with steady, encouraging words that assure you the ups and downs are normal.
5. Your tribe will get you through
Starting your own business doesn’t have to be a lonely pursuit. Yes, you want to beat the competition, but sometimes hanging out with the competition is just as good for business. Building a tribe of like-minded business colleagues who may or may not be in the same industry as you is a good idea. You’ll motivate each other, help each other, and learn from each other. Collaboration is a great way to grow your business.
Life abroad is not meant to be lived in isolation. There are so many knowledgeable, well-travelled, wise people around you if you’re open to them. Next to your attitude, your tribe is the most important element of living abroad. Once you’ve found your crew, life makes a little more sense and the unknowns become easier to navigate. Surround yourself with like-minded, wise, inclusive people who give great advice and take constructive criticism and your life abroad will be richer and deeper for it.
6. The importance of a good elevator pitch
Every business needs a good elevator pitch, a brief, punchy sentence that succinctly describes what your business does and what it believes in. Its purpose is to create interest without embarking on a lengthy back-story, to reel people in rather than bore them to tears.
When you live abroad and attend any social gathering, the same questions come up time and time again: Where are you from? (a loaded question for many of us), How long have you lived here? Do you have kids? What does your husband do? You’ll repeat the answers so many times you begin to bore yourself to tears. We are so much more than parents, trailing spouses and expats so why don’t we speak of ourselves in a way that’s more? What do you feel strongly about? Are you a feminist, animal rights activist, or earth warrior? What excites you, where does your passion lie? Are you a marathon runner or history buff? What sets you apart? Create a good personal elevator pitch and you’ll never answer mundane questions with a fake smile whist dying inside again.
7. It takes time to turn a profit
You may have to reinvest in your business for years before it finally yields a profit. You put in so much hard work but see only incremental progress. But you show up day after day, implement new strategies, keep things fresh until one day you’ve built up enough steam, enough awareness, enough trust and your business takes off.
Making friends abroad doesn’t take that long, expat friendships tend to burn fast and bright, but it may take some time before you truly find your tribe. You’ll say yes to things you don’t want to say yes to, attend coffee mornings and drinks and movie nights to make your presence known. You’ll network and do favours for friends, show up and invest in your life abroad until the critical mass has been achieved and it takes off on its own. If you lay a good groundwork the rest will take care of itself.
8. Its all about the hustle
Your business, like your life abroad is what you make of it. If you keep at it, keep showing up, remain committed even though you fear failure you’ll create something to be proud of. Keep hustling. Start writing, volunteer, go out more, learn a language, immerse yourself in your new culture. Your life will flourish…and your business will too.
You’ve got the tools! And what you don’t know you’ll learn. There are amazing people out there dedicated to helping Trailing Spouses become Expat Entrepreneurs. Need some pointers?
An edited version of this piece first appeared in The Huffington Post.
Can we retire the term, “Trailing spouse” once and for all? I’m all for it! Had I known that embracing live in another country would mean entrepreneurship, I might’ve approached it with a bit more research. Instead, I jumped into the deep end and didn’t realize it until much later that creating my own business would be the key to my happiness and fulfillment.
Entrepreneurship is admittedly not for everyone, but the alternative—getting a local job—is not always possible depending on the country you live in, languages you know, your skills, the frequency with which you change locations, etc., So…it’s either entrepreneurship, unemployment, or constant reinvention, right? By that perspective, entrepreneurship doesn’t feel as scary as it once did but then again, I’m in the middle of it 🙂
Let’s hammer the nail into the coffin one by one! No more trailing spouse! I hear what you’re saying Lisa, but I think sometimes jumping in at the deep end is the best way to go…and kind of necessary when nothing is certain and locations are temporary. You’ve certainly learned to swim beautifully! xx
What an insightful and in-depth post about the entrepreneurial journey! Many thanks for the shout out and your important question to the panel.
Thank you my lovely. And you’re welcome xx
I love this.
For 10years I lived in two different countries because of my husband’s job.
Without legal working permit, only ‘spouse visa’.
In the Philippines I worked with a NGO, teached Spanish, made a Facebook group for local and expats…
Then in the Dominican Republic I studied, interior design, interior decor.
Now I have to go back to my country and have not one, but 3 projects in my head (let’s face it, after 10y without a “normal” job and almost hitting my forties let’s say nobody will fight for hiring me).
But I am embracing the change, we are strong.
We are strong Marisa! You sound like you have a deep range of interests and abilities, have wonderful international experience, and are not afraid to try new things…that’s what international life does to us! Good luck with your projects going forward. Thanks so much for your comment.
Not easy to take that step into entrepreneurship. I remember when I started my own business, I had a friend to show me the ropes. Having a mentor will definitely help A LOT.
Thanks John, yes having a mentor is vital.