This thesis explores how small businesses can internationalize successfully with strategic sourcing strategies. Current research covers the areas of small business strategy, internationalization theory, and supply chain, but there is limited discussion that involves all three topics. This thesis seeks to fill that gap. The thesis is composed of a literature review of the previously stated three topics, a review of case studies, and a list of best practices which integrate the findings from research. Best practices include planning adequately and using outside resources, gaining experiential knowledge, understanding the market and industry, establishing key relationships, and evaluating the sourcing situation using a framework before making sourcing decisions.

Seminar paper from the year 2019 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1,7, University of applied sciences Frankfurt a. M., course: Strategic Management, language: English, abstract: This paper focuses on different internationalization strategies for small business. The current term paper should explain the basics by defining the essential terms. Subsequently, reasons and motives for internationalization strategies listed for small business. As a result, conceivable market entry forms are to be set out with their advantages and disadvantages. Based on the strategy forms, the opportunities and risks that could arise for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in an international market entry strategy are then highlighted. Finally, in the last chapter, a conclusion is drawn and daring a look into the future for the small business. Internationalization has undergone a dynamic development in the past three decades. The main driving force were the political changes in the world. This political opening also led to a disproportionate growth in the world trade. These changes also affect small and medium-sized companies and are a current challenge, that should be raised, which is also reflected in the close ties, between the Term middle class and foreign trade shows. The globalization of the economy is forcing medium-sized companies to rethink and restructure their business processes and value chains. However, SMEs lack specific prerequisites for carrying out international business activities. Not just capital and management but also the knowledge of internationalization is a significant success factor. Nevertheless, SMEs can develop opportunities and successfully translate them into an international activity that, especially because of its niche strategy, aims to meet the special needs of international clients that can not satisfied by large companies A niche production or export, however, is not enough to assert oneself against international competitors in the long term. That is why influences like use of technical advances, short product cycles and fast and active presence abroad to internationalize the value chain of the company. For a successful and targeted internationalization strategy for small business, it should be necessary to create a concept that includes motives, market entry forms, possible potentials and conceivable obstacles.

Interest in generally expanding the understanding of small and medium-sized enterprises, especially understanding their strategies and operations to enter international markets, is growing rapidly among researchers and academics globally. Government officials, regional and economic specialists, and international trade advisers are directly involved in assisting small and medium-sized enterprises in developing their international marketing expertise. Motivating SMEs to Cooperate and Internationalize consists of research studies, cases, and experiences obtained by researchers and academics from managers of small and medium-sized enterprises in Northern Europe as they worked closely with managers on issues and problems leading to internationalization of enterprises. This book will map not only the attempts of small and medium-sized enterprises in Northern Europe to enter foreign markets, but also to understand how researchers and academics can help small and medium-sized Northern European enterprisers achieve their objectives. This compilation of approaches, perspectives, and experiences will serve as a resource tool for researchers and academics active in international management training programs worldwide and help illustrate how to close the gap between publishing results of their findings and efforts to disseminate their findings among managers of small and medium-sized enterprises in their domains. This book is the first attempt to integrate results of research studies and practices as an illustration of how knowledge of small and medium-sized enterprises has evolved since the 1980s with the contributions of individual researchers and academics in Northern Europe. It will be of relevance to academics and researchers interested in working closely with small and medium-sized enterprises to meet their goals in entering international markets.

The internationalization of the human society and mainly of the economy will continue. It will create threats but also big opportunities to most companies. This is where the book makes its contribution, putting forward suggestions for medium-sized companies to become a winner of internationalization. After a comprehensive introduction to internationalization and to strategic planning, concrete recommendations are made: The book first looks at going international for new markets. Then it shows how to develop an internationalization strategy for production and sourcing. Finally strategic planning in an international company is explained. The book is aimed at company executives, master students and participants of EMBA programs. It is intended to serve as a support for developing successful strategies for going and being international.

This book focuses on the development of strategies for the successful internationalization of large and medium-sized companies. Becoming international offers important opportunities for companies of all sizes, but in an increasingly complex environment, the strategic planning involved is also a challenge. The book addresses this, putting forward suggestions that allow large and medium-sized companies to profit from internationalization. After a comprehensive introduction to internationalization and strategic planning, the authors make clear recommendations, suggesting detailed processes for developing international strategies. The book distinguishes between going global for new markets and internationalizing production and sourcing. For both, the book proposes procedures for performing meaningful strategic analyses and for developing successful international strategies. Lastly, it highlights the challenges faced by international companies and discusses useful decision processes. The book offers valuable insights for company executives, participants in Executive MBA programs, and master’s students.

The Internationalization of Small to Medium Enterprizes uses information from annual surveys of companies in Europe during the period spanning the formation of a single European market. It addresses issues affecting small businesses such as marketing, entrepreneurship, export strategies and the single market, on an international basis. The book also contains detailed case studies of individual countries including The Netherlands, Finland, Switzerland and the UK.

With the globalization process, firms are seeking to expand their activities to international markets but are also “feeling” expanded competition from abroad. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), though seeking to expand abroad, have particularities that hinder their natural international expansion path due to particular barriers and challenges that most multinational firms have already overcome. Cases on Internationalization Challenges for SMEs provides a set of case studies on the internationalization of SMEs in order to share the latest empirical research findings in the field of internationalization in the context of a globalized world, and which considers a highly competitive international business setting. This includes examining the main reasons for the success or failure of the process of internationalization of SMEs and their inherent activities. Covering topics that include competitive advantage, export performance, and inward internationalization, this book targets managers, executives, and entrepreneurs concerned with how to adapt their companies to a fast-changing international business environment, how to conduct internationalization strategies, how to choose the most adequate international entry modes, and how to adapt their products and strategies to international markets. It is also suited for academicians, researchers, and students in the field of management.

The book analyzes export consortia from the strategic management perspective. It builds on an empirical analysis of nine export consortia promoted by UNIDO in developing countries between 2004 and 2007. The book is based heavily on actual export consortium experiences, in order to combine a rigorous research approach with a more pragmatic view of the phenomenon. The material will be of interest to a variety of readers. Scholars in the field of management represent the authors' primary target. The book includes a literature review which combines the topics of SME internationalization, strategic networks, and the issues which relate specifically to SME alliances in the form of export consortia. Entrepreneurs and executives will find useful business models and management tools for the successful design and implementation of export consortia. Insights into the functioning of export consortia may also be of interest to policy-makers and institutions that develop support programs for the growth of SMEs in developing countries.

A book for those Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) who are curious about internationalizing their business. There are millions of SMEs, especially in large countries like the USA, that are not international but can easily manage to be so. Learn why being international is a good thing for their business, and how SMEs can develop their business abroad in a practical, hands-on manner. This is a how-to book with clear guidelines and real cases, not written for the academic world, but for those people who want to act.

As the world economy becomes more interdependent, and asmarkets open their doors to free enterprise, more andmore businesses are becoming aware of the potentialgrowth opportunities on offer. Small-to-mid sizedbusiness owners and managers charged with expandingglobal business will find in this comprehensive how-toreference all they need to learn how to grow their salesby doing business internationally. This book devotesentire chapters to such issues as 'when is a companyready to go global?', how to select foreign markets,choosing between direct and indirect market entry,finding partners and logistic considerations. The bookcovers legal and tax concerns, describes how to measureprogress, and finally explains why some companies gobeyond exporting to foreign direct investing. Alsoincluded is a chapter on 'the dream international tradetool': the Internet, which details how to use theInternet to expand international trade and describes itspotential downsides.