3 Keys To A Smooth Relocation

Posted on 19. Feb, 2010 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Relocation
0 comments

There’s a interesting discussion going on in one of the LinkedIn expat groups I belong to – Rishi Ghai put out the following question to the expat community:

When you first moved to a new country, what were the top 3 things that helped you the most to settle down and adapt to your new life?

Most of the answers given by LinkedIn users revolved around 3 themes:

- The practical stuff: utilities, paperwork, finding a permanent place to live
- Doing your homework: getting the lay of the land and learning about your new country
- Making new friends, and finding people you can learn from

My Top 3 would be:

1. Getting my bearings as soon as possible
2. Exploring the city on foot
3. Learning where / how the locals socialize… and joining them!

What about you?
If you had to move on to a new country tomorrow, what would be most useful for you to do or know about?

Please share your own Top 3 in the comments!

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Emmanuelle

Images by NickPiggott (top) and johnbullas (bottom), via Flickr Creative Commons

Starting A Business Abroad: How To Create A Solid Contingency Plan

Posted on 13. Jan, 2010 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Working Abroad
1 comment

We’ve already talked about contingency plans when discussing why you’re going to succeed and how to choose the right business structure. Today we’re going to go into further detail, so that by the end of this post, you’ll be able to easily create your own plan and never have to worry about it anymore.

Simply put, your contingency plan tells you what to do when things go wrong. It’s not about preventing things from going wrong – it’s about coming up with a strategy to deal with big bumps in the road, as efficiently and as painlessly as possible.

What to plan for

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Starting A Business Abroad: Why You Need An Exit Strategy

Posted on 11. Jan, 2010 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Working Abroad
0 comments

You’re busy getting your business set up, and planning your exit strategy is probably the last thing on your mind. You haven’t even fully started yet, why on earth would you be thinking of getting out of your business?

Figuring out what to do with your company when you no longer can or want to work in it is a key piece of your strategic planning. It’s also one of the most easily overlooked.

Put your mind at ease (more…)

How Do I Find A Job In Vancouver, BC?

Posted on 06. Jan, 2010 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Working Abroad
0 comments

Unless you’re being sent here by your employer (you lucky duck!), your main preoccupation will probably be to find a job.

You’re eager to get a head start on your job search before moving to Vancouver, but you’re not sure how to go about it. Is it even doable to look for a job when you’re not in the country? Argh – so overwhelming!

You may not be able to get a firm job offer before leaving, but if you follow this two-part strategy, you’ll be much closer to landing the position of your dreams soon after you get here.

Before you move (more…)

Thinking Of Moving To Vancouver, BC? Here’s What You Need To Know

Posted on 04. Jan, 2010 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Relocation
0 comments

With the Winter Olympics fast approaching, and British Columbia under the spotlight, I’ve been getting more and more inquiries about relocating to Vancouver.

Since other expats (you, maybe?) may have similar questions, I have decided to compile a little FAQ over a few posts, and to put said posts up permanently somewhere on the website for easy reference.

All right – let’s rock and roll! For starters, here are a few things you need to know about Vancouver.

Is Vancouver really such a great place to live? (more…)

Starting A Business Abroad: What Is Your Brand?

Posted on 01. Jan, 2010 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Entrepreneurs, Expat Life
0 comments

The first thing that comes to mind when you think about a brand is “logo”. That’s just a tiny part of your overall brand, though.

What is a brand, really? (more…)

Setting Up A Bilingual Business Website

Posted on 30. Dec, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Entrepreneurs, Expat Life
1 comment

Do you speak another language? Do you want to do business with both your native country and your adopted country? Then you’re going to need a bilingual, if not multilingual, website.

That’s a great asset, obviously – it means that you can reach a wider target market than your monolingual competitors. However, it’s not just a matter of translating your content word for word, and voilà, a bilingual website!

Finding the right tone (more…)

Starting A Business Abroad: The Ugly Truth About Your Logo

Posted on 28. Dec, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Entrepreneurs, Expat Life
0 comments

OK, this is going to be controversial (there’s never a dull moment on this blog, is there?), but I have to say it: your logo really isn’t all that important.

No, seriously – when was the last time you hired a translator or an accountant because of their logo? Exactly. So if it’s not going to bring in more sales, don’t spend tonnes of money and time on it.

When a logo does matter

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Starting A Business Abroad: Design Considerations

Posted on 25. Dec, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Entrepreneurs, Expat Life
0 comments

As soon as you have your company name, you will want to get business cards and start building your website.

Whether you’re doing it yourself or working with a designer, take the time to get very clear on the image you want to project through your design.

6 design questions to ask yourself

1. What do you want to be known for? Do you want to be the colourful copywriter, the accountant with a sense of humour, or the no-nonsense feng shui expert? What should the look and feel of your design say about you?

2. How do you want people to feel? When they see your card or see your website, should they feel… energised? Confident? Comforted? Appeased?

3. Think of the results you promise to your clients; how can you translate these benefits into a design?

4. What design elements best match the feel you want? Think text fonts, colours, shapes (organic, abstract, angular, soft…), and layout (rich and stimulating, or minimalist and serene?)

5. Put together an inspiration board, or bookmark other websites that catch your eye. What do you like about them? Use as your personal design guidelines, or forward to your designer to illustrate what you want.

6. Is your design in step with local sensibilities? Have you checked what meanings your chosen colours and images have in your host country?

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Emmanuelle

Images by Mike Rohde (top) and Lana Stewart (bottom), both via Flickr Creative Commons

Starting A Business Abroad: 5 Tips To Choose A Good Company Name

Posted on 23. Dec, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Entrepreneurs, Expat Life
3 comments

5 tips to choose a good company name

1. Make sure your company name is easy to pronounce and spell in the local language. Make doubly sure that it has no unintended or embarrassing meaning. If you’re planning to sell internationally, ask expats from different backgrounds if the name you’ve chosen has any unfortunate connotations in their mother tongues.

2. You want a name that’s short, and easy to remember. Metaphors and analogies can be effective, but avoid “clever” puns and weird spellings – they can be confusing, and they will make it harder for your clients to find you online.

3. Remember that you’re going to need a website, and that your domain name should ideally be Yourcompanyname.com. Do a search on a domain name registrar as you come up with possible names, and eliminate those that are already taken.

4. If you’re not familiar with the basic principles of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), take some time to learn about it before you pick a name. Having a well-optimised name will make it easier to rank well on Google and other search engines.

5. Your name must be distinctive. If it’s too close to other company names on the market, you will not only confuse clients, but also indirectly remind them of your better-known competitor with a similar name. Don’t give your competition free advertising.

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Emmanuelle

Images by Ben Terrett (top) and vividBreeze (bottom), both via Flickr Creative Commons