We’re living in a technological age and many of us are finding that tech is incorporated into almost everything we do. From work to play, there are endless technological advancements that have allowed us to lead easier and more fulfilling lives. One area that has been particularly positively impacted by various tech developments over the decades is international business.
It’s all good and well selling your products from a brick-and-mortar store in a set location, or even nationally by implementing effective national order fulfilment. However, when you begin to experience demand from overseas territories and countries around the world, you know you’re reaching the stages of significant success! Here are just 3 tech advances that have helped to make this possible, truly changing the world of international business.
By Team Savant
Image: Microsoft 365
Ecommerce
Perhaps the biggest player in the field when it comes to creating access to international businesses is Ecommerce. Rather than having to head into a brick and mortar store to buy goods nowadays, you can simply log on to your chosen brand’s website and take a look at what they have to offer. It doesn’t matter how far away you may be, or whether there are time differences and you want to browse during the store’s opening hours. Instead, if you are a business and you allow for international payments and shipping, you can benefit from selling to a much larger, worldwide audience.
Ecommerce also offers a range of other tech advantages. For example, using AP automation for business accounts. Keeping up with accounts payable can take up valuable time and effort but running an eCommerce store means you can take advantage of automated accounts technology that has no room for errors. What is AP automation? It’s an accounting tool that can be utilised by businesses so you have more free time to spend on other aspects of your eCommerce store.
Sonar
Of course, if you’re going to sell your goods to overseas customers and clients, you’re going to have to actually get the products from the country of manufacture to your buyers’ addresses. This is where international freight comes into play. There are various forms of international freight and if you only sell one or two items internationally each year, you’ll probably simply send it via air mail. But if you have larger shipments, perhaps to overseas stockists or retailers, you will likely transport your goods via sea. The development and use of forward looking sonar allows ships to easily and safely navigate from one port to another, taking your goods in tow. This is a tool that allows sailors to navigate with confidence, significantly reducing the risk of underwater collisions and groundings, which could otherwise go unseen.
Video Calls
Long gone are the days where you’d have no choice but to physically fly to other countries in order to do business. Sure, this is still an option that many people choose to take advantage of, enjoying the opportunity to experience local languages, cultures and cuisines while they strike business deals on a face to face basis. But if you don’t have time in your schedule — or budget available - to allow for flights, transport and more, you can still do business through video calls. Video calls and conferences have come a long way in recent years and we are now able to host meetings, screen share presentations and even record sessions for people to revert back to.
These are just three technological updates that have allowed for more ease and efficiency when it comes to international business. Each is extremely handy and opens a world of opportunity.