When we go on vacation in the States we make lots of assumptions about how things will work, regardless of what state we visit.
• We assume ready transportation or car rental service will be right outside the luggage arrival area.
• We assume traffic rules are the same in Maine, Texas and Montana.
• We expect prompt service and immaculate rooms in any hotel.
• If we go to a shop or restaurant, about the only thing we anticipate will be different is regional pricing. We still expect to be able to get exactly what we want when we want it.
When we vacation abroad, we make choices based on those expectations.
• We can decide to stay in a resort that will cater to every whim, or stay in town and experience more local color.
• We go someplace where they speak English – like when I took my sons to Ireland.
• We go on bigger adventures with an experience tour guide or translator.
But it’s a whole new set of expectations when you decide to expatriate. For example:
• Do you like this country/region year round, not just during peak tourist season?
• Can you can overcome the language barrier (for Americans, there’s even a language barrier moving to England)?
• Can you afford to live there with a standard of living you will be comfortable with?
• Can you live on the local diet long term? Or do you need McDonald’s and Whole Foods?
And that list gets both longer and more refined when you decide to earn a living as an expatriate. Entrepreneurship adds another dimension to your destination choice. In order to work and thrive in this new culture, what assumptions do you have? Check on the following for example:
• Will your visa allow you to earn an income?
• Will you have to work as hard as or harder than you did back home?
• Can you earn enough to cover the cost of living in your chosen destination?
• Can you find experts (lawyers, accountants, computer gurus, etc) when you need them?
Being an expat entrepreneur takes preparation, but if you put as much effort into it as you put into your next vacation, you’ll have a good start to expat entrepreneurship.
Tags: assumptions, entrepreneurship, expat, expat entrepreneur, expectations
