matt widmer ⋅ Arlington, VA Deloitte ⋅ 20 years experience

Joe - it looks like you are receiving some good responses to your request. I am happy to discuss with you when we talk in a couple hours. Matt

Frank Rizzo ⋅ Staten Island, NY Jerky boys demolitions ⋅ 78 years experience

Rob Pianka,

Thank you so much for that answer because it better articulates what my thoughts were behind that question. This is exactly why I'm liking this venue so much. Its like teething thoughts and ideas to make them more poignant and effective. So to answer your questions:

1. "...are you interested in sourcing services in low-cost emerging markets and supplying those services to companies in developed markets?" To my limited understanding, based on my National Security Studies- Commerce is not a pure economic model. Supply vs Demand and Cost vs Price are true in vacuums but the nation-state has alot to say about that. A resource in one nation may be valuable to the resource in another simply because of a political value that their government might have. I don't mention this to intellectually engaging- but to point out that the search for opportunity can consist of analyzing a number of factors. Our Farm exports can be said to be largely the product of trade deals more then actual need. So I'd offer that I'd be interested in sourcing services where ever value can be found, and not limited to a low cost area. A prime example is Afghanistan. It will be costly and inefficient to extract the 1 trillion in resources here, especially the Lithium. Yet, with the New Afghan President, With Trump's interest, with Afghan's defense forces ability to sustain themselves, it could be possible to see a market created by the USA/NATO just to give Afghanistan that revenue. All options are on the table.

2. "...when you say "companies must look *for* emerging markets" are you talking about export sales of US-made goods & services?" Ideally yes. I've a lot of time in the "third world" and "developing nations" and lets be frank- they got lots of issues. These aren't poor uneducated street ruffians we are talking about who just need jobs. These are traumatized populations that have normalized corruption and warlordism. Our entire National Security Apparatus, think tanks, intelligence community correctly assesses that to ignore these places invites terrorism, base camps for international crime, and playgrounds for nations hostile to the U.S. Even if one is a protectionist politically, this can't be ignored. The answer, in my view, is not to try to enforce American political paradigms, but to create economic infrastructure and a security force that can have a monopoly on wealth and security. America IS a Brand. A Powerful one. American goods and services are enormously sought After. The Chinese may flood these countries with cheap junk, but the wealthy, the educated, all want to walk, look and talk American. Send an American Geologist to talk mining and he will get the right of way. Send an American Pharmaceutical company and watch how the host nation flocks to it. Now- here is the catch, American companies can't operate in these areas safely and rarely does the host nation have the competency to coordinate for them. So- they rely on outsourcing to host nation businesses which don't act in the American companies interests. Where I see a space, a vertical or a hedge if you will, is having Americans or Westerners be the advocates, the fixers for American companies. These people, (like me) have the pragmatic wherewithal to facilitate operations in developing nations to a greater level then what is going on already. I believe I could find, plan and create opportunity on regional, global level scales using my contacts and background.

3. "are are you interested in building businesses out of a collection of global components?" Absolutely. I believe that to mean a sort of supply chain, a mutually supporting partnership or limited partnership or system of deals. I think that is the only way. What I'm pontificating on here is too risky to do without redundancy. I'd never propose executing a opportunity in a developing nation without several alternative venues.

Sir, I'm flattered by the respect you showed me to ask me such good industry questions. Thanks for reading my long response and inspiring me so much.
Respectfully
Joe

Frank Rizzo ⋅ Staten Island, NY Jerky boys demolitions ⋅ 78 years experience

Jonathan thank you!

I did the Zippia Importer/Exporter one. (Ironically, I'm currently on the board of directors for a very small Export/Import company). The options the program gave me were very marketing heavy. I'm much better for business development, which I understand the difference being that: "Marketing promotes the brand, product and or service ...Business development identifies strategic partnerships and opportunities within and across segments or industries." I like building more then selling, planning more then doing customer service. I'm going to keep looking at "import/export" opportunities. My knowledge of them so far based on the limited work I do for this one company I consult for is that is really something I like, I just don't know how to capitalize on it yet. The man who owns the company I consult for is WAY more about business development then marketing.