The gap in terms of the services a small business can offer its customers when compared to a large company is bigger than it ever has been before. This is making the transition from a company to a corporation almost impossible.

However, due to technological developments, the chances of making the transition for small companies are on the rise. There are plenty of companies that are able to give the impression that they are bigger than they are. This is increasing the amount of business the company is generating both domestically and internationally.

Here, we will explore how a small business can expand into the international market with the help of some carefully chosen technology including telephone systems for small business and VoIP for Business.

A Website

This may seem like an obvious feature, but there are still millions of small companies all over the world that are not online, which would make international expansion next to impossible. Even a very simple website will open up your market internationally.

A more advanced e-commerce website with full SEO could allow you to be successful overseas without too much effort. On the other hand, if you already have a website, you need to ensure that it is “friendly” to international visitors. That means if you are targeting the Spanish market, your website has to be available in Spanish.

Virtual Assistant

Small businesses do not have the capital to invest in an office and staff overseas. However, not having the resources to stay open during international trading hours all but eliminates your chances of expanding to this destination. A virtual assistant is a cost-effective way of ensuring that somebody is available to answer questions about your service or products to people from different countries.

You can hire an international assistant on a pay per post/project basis for hardly anything, yet their service could be invaluable. The best way to use their services is to have a live chat feature on your website that you (or a member of your team) monitors in the day and your virtual assistant handles when you are not in the office.

Telephone Systems for Small Business

Having the right telephone system in place can make or break a companies chance of expanding into the international market. Telephone systems for small business are cost effective, which is always a benefit for small businesses. Implementing an interactive voice response (IVR) into your company may allow your international callers to obtain all the information they require.

This service will also start to build up your reputation internationally because this service will paint a picture that your company is large.

Having the finances in place to make and receive phone calls is pivotal for international expansion. However, there are not many small companies that can afford to have long landline to landline international calls. Fortunately, VoIP for business (like Skype) has become so common that this issue is now nonexistent.

If you correctly implement just one of the above services to your own small business, your company has a much better chance of being successful overseas. VoIP for business and telephone systems for small business are a personal recommendation because they are inexpensive.

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James Harper writes on behalf of Maintel, a global provider of telecommunications for businesses both big and small.