The difference a word makes

Rod Drury's in the UK, and he's shared some valuable insights into doing business there (and in the EU).

Particularly interesting was:

# It stuck me that in the few days I’ve been here, I’ve never heard the word Export. In the UK all talk is participating in the global economy. I think that shows how far we are away from our markets, and our international business maturity. Perhaps because of English history they are concerned that exporting would appear to be cultural imperialism.

In the middle of Export Year, when kiwi exporters are struggling more than ever, do we need to change our thinking about what we're doing? Does the word "export" create more of a psychological barrier than it needs to? I know it does for me. As an entrepreneur whose product is intangible (words) it took me a while to realise that when the government wanted to encourage "exporters", they were talking to me.

And yet, when I heard Ken Stevens speak at the New Thinking Week about starting global, it resonated deeply with me. In fact I did start global, because I started my business on the internet.

There's a global economy to be participated in. Come on New Zealand, let's jump in!