Expand Geographic Market To Be Succesful, Women Entrepreneurs Told

KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 (Bernama) -- There is no other way to be a successful and sustainable entrepreneur today except to expand geographic market, according to two successful women exporters.

Source from (Bernama): http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v7/bu/newsbusiness.php?id=954861
Published: Jun 09, 2013

Maria Eugenia Giron, general manager of Megam Capital from Spain, said coming from small country, she has no other way to grow her business except to export.

Giron, who is also executive director for IE Business School Premium and Prestige Business Observatory, said as a chief executive officer (CEO) of any business, one must start by seeing the world as the target.

"All of the brands I worked with the top market is not their origin country. Buying is emotion and connection. Also, the social network has changed everything.

"If Facebook is a country, it would be the second largest market after China," she said at the Entrepreneurial Track session at the 2013 Global Summit of Women here Saturday.

The three-day summit ends today. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak officiated the event on Thursday.

Giron has over 18 years' experience in luxury goods retailing, among others Loewe, Carrera y Carrera, Silvercloud and Le Chameau.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Hooi Lai Lin, CEO of Ken-Rich Chemical Production Sdn Bhd, said while most entrepreneurs naturally wanted to expand somewhere near to home, one must never underestimate the importance of consumer behaviour.

"Having market intelligence is important. Singapore is similar to Kuala Lumpur but the consumer behaviour is totally different. Even in Asia, we are so diverse. Get a lot of info before going," she said.

Hooi leads Ken-Rich, producer of household cleaners and personal care products that available in more than 16 nations.

-- BERNAMA