I want to set up a business abroad. What skills do I need?
Expat entrepreneurs share many character traits – namely perseverance, determination, lateral thinking and an ability to spot a gap in the market. When you are doing business in a host country, you have more obstacles to overcome than someone launching a start-up in their own country. There are two good books on the market worth reading. When Culture Collide: leading across cultures by Richard D. Lewis is an excellent guide to culture clash and how to overcome it and is a must-read for anyone thinking of starting their own business abroad. The Expat Entrpreneur by Jo Parfitt includes interviews with expat entrepreneurs throughout the world who are successful running business ventures abroad. It also contains a country-by-country guide.