I have just finished reading "How I Made It", a book of story collection about 40 successful entrepreneurs from Britain. It is written by Rachel Bridge who, as the Enterprise Editor of The Sunday Times at that time, made personal in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs about how they turn their dreams into reality. Bridge also gives a very good introduction about the nature of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs in general, enriched with statements from experts.

The answer to the question in the title may seem pretty obvious, right? Who is not aware of globalization today? Who can deny benefits of exporting to their companies? Of course, nobody. Every business owner knows those things. However, when we make a reality check, conversely we can see only a small percentage of business people who strategically invest in export capabilities of their companies. This shows us that knowing the answer doesn't always mean understanding it. Knowing without understanding is not enough at all. It is the understanding that can lead us to take action.

Everything first begins in mind. If something, like our export sale, doesn't go well, it is probable that the problem lies down in the way of our thinking. After all, it is the real source for everything that is happening to us. Therefore, even a slight improvement in the way of thinking or removal of a mental block can advance our business significantly as well as our life.

​Here is a simple road map for your company's export success.

​In a fast-changing world economy, investors and entrepreneurs are always seeking new lands of opportunities for their business adventures. I wanted to take a look at Estonia if it is such a place.

Indrek Pällo, who is currently Head of the Estonian Investment Agency, kindly gave answers to my questions on investment and business opportunities in Estonia. In this short interview via email, we also discussed about e-Residency which many of you might find interesting. Happy reading!

​I love Latin American countries and their people and encourage companies to do business there. Starting or doing a business in a foreign land might be intimidating as it brings risks. Thankfully, there are some facilitator organizations who provide help on this. I made an interview with someone from such an organization. Beatriz Fonseca, who is the president of the Brazilian Turkish Chamber of Commerce, Tourism and Culture, kindly answered my questions on Brazil-Turkey relations. Happy reading!

​I love chocolate and always want to know much about it. Talking about chocolate could be as enjoyable as eating it. So I made an interview with an expert chocolate blogger about chocolate and chocolate business. Sharon Terenzi from The Chocolate Journalist generously accepted my interview request and gave great answers on my questions. I really enjoyed this interview and I hope you will also enjoy it. Happy reading!

​Finding your passion in life is a real treasure. Some people achieve this. They find passion, love and fun even in their business fields or they simply turn their passion into a successful career. I must confess that I secretly envy them. 

I interviewed such a person, Şeyma Baş Kaben who is a successful wine expert, about wine and wine business. Happy reading!

​Market research is very crucial for a successful export planning. It is not a one-off thing. In a changing world, it is a constant process of collecting information about markets. And sometimes, it looks like a kind of detective work. You should ask right questions, collect as much relevant information as possible and eventually, bring together all clues in order to understand the market. 

I have listed some questions which one could use in conducting a market research for export business.

​Antonio José Casas is currenly Export and Marketing Manager at Vinispana, S. Coop. I am very glad that he generously accepted my interview request. I love to interact with such people who have great personality. Here is our interview.

Finding potential customers is one of the first things to do in export marketing. Basically there are two ways to accomplish this. First, you find them. Second, you let them find you. Therefore, following list will also include ways to be found by customers who are in search of suppliers.

​In this blog post I will focus on a very important quality of a successful speaker. Draft version of this article was originally written as a speech a few years ago. It was my second speech in Istanbul Toastmasters Club. 

Among our friends or in clubs like Toastmasters, we deliver our speeches in a very secure and friendly environment. We will get applause or approval in any circumstances. But outside, we can meet very cruel audience. Indeed, they can be very cruel. If they feel that you are not secure or you are not confident or you do not believe in what you are saying, you might have trouble with them.

​A few years ago, when I was working in the field of steel industry, I had taken many notes on Turkish steel market. I think that it is time to write down some of those notes which might interest international steel traders.

​Perhaps you have already decided your life goals and you know where you are going. You are a person with dreams to follow. However, maybe some times, you don't have the necessary enthusiasm to fulfill your dreams. You are frustrated with obstacles on your way or because of people around you. Your motivation goes down. You find yourself stuck in self-doubt, procrastination, lack of passion, and all other bad habits.