Hi Everyone! I can't believe it's been six months since my last update. Whilst Expat Women is still 'on a break' (I'll tell you about my new venture very soon), there are a few fantastic books that have crossed my desk in that time that really deserve a shout out.
Small Biz Abroad:
Finding a Small Business That Fits You and Works Well Overseas
by William Beaver
William Beaver is the epitome of a lifelong expat entrepreneur. He has had the openness and courage to pursue lots of business ideas, he has willingly mentored others, he has never given up, and he constantly sees opportunities instead of obstacles.
The great news is that rather than keep all of his learnings to himself, William has put together the most impressive free expat e-book I have ever read. He shares links to 385 expat businesses, he reveals his Top 20 Mistakes with this overseas small businesses, and much, much more.
If you're an expat (or soon-to-be expat) contemplating starting a business abroad, William's free e-book (available for download from his home page) is an excellent read and I highly recommend it.
The Suitcase Entrepreneur:
Create Freedom in Business and Adventure in Life
by Natalie Sisson
If you remember our Expat Women interview with Natalie last year, you'll recall that this former body sculpting champion is an absolute dynamo. Originally from New Zealand, Natalie has citizenship in the United Kingdom, permanent residence in Canada, has travelled to 63 countries, lived on 5 continents, broken a world record, won a gold medal in Ultimate Frisbee and has now grown her laptop business to six figures annually. Amazing.
Having written multiple e-books for her website, Natalie has now stepped it up a level and released her very first book on Amazon. And it's brilliant. Why? Because not only does it share motivational messages, anecdotes, lessons and stories, but it gives the best list I've ever seen of products and resources that you can use to build your business, each with Natalie's explanation of what the product does and how it worked for her.
In my humble opinion, that list alone is worth the price of her book. I wish I'd had this list when we set up Expat Women. I'm so glad I had this list when I just set up my new venture (details soon).
Harvesting Stones:
An American Woman's International Journey of Survival
by Paula Lucas
This book I have not read yet, but we interviewed Paula Lucas on Expat Women some years ago, I've met Paula in person a few times, and I'm totally in awe of everything she does, so I have a feeling her book will impress also.
In short, this book shares the story of how for 14 years, Paula lived what looked like an ideal life overseas in the UAE: A Newsweek photojournalist husband, worldwide travel, a successful advertising, marketing and PR business, and three beautiful sons.
But she also hid a terrible secret: the children suffered severe child abuse and Paula, horrific domestic violence, at the hands of her husband. Her husband threatened to kill her and the children during increasingly violent rages. Her pleas to the American Embassy and the State Department were futile. Finally her chance to escape materialized, thanks to a thief.
Paula went on to set up the American Domestic Violence Crisis Line in 1999 and has been proactively helping American expats suffering domestic violence ever since. Paula's dedication is phenomenal.
Want More?
Unfortunately I don't have the capacity to let you know about every great new expat book released anymore. (Huge apologies to everyone who's emailed me information about their new book this year).
But if you do want more, I invite you to head over to my friend Jo Parfitt's Expat Bookshop. Lots of great resources there (including Expat Women: Confessions).
Thanks Everyone and I wish you a sensational week!
Andrea
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Excellent Expat Books Worth A Shout Out
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
2 Awesome New Books for Expat Women Interested in a Career and/or Business Abroad
Hi Everyone, I'm so excited to share two newly-released books from my good friends Jo and Melody, that are must-have books for any expat woman interested in a portable career/business abroad and/or just being inspired by women who have set up their own business, almost failed, then successfully turned their business around.
The first book, A Career in Your Suitcase by Jo Parfitt and Colleen Reichrath-Smith, is in its fourth edition and is literally THE handbook for any expatriate woman wanting a portable career that she can take with her from country to country. It's the kind of book that you can read before you venture abroad, and every year thereafter on your expat journey - to help you continually clarify what it is that you want abroad, and then turn those ideas into actionable steps.
Bonus - If you're super quick (you only have about 24 hours), you can score a free Kindle copy of A Career in Your Suitcase before the price changes. (If you do grab one, and you like the book, please kindly leave a review on Amazon or GoodReads, to reciprocate Jo and Colleen's nice gesture. Thanks!)
The second book, Flipped It! by Melody Biringer, is a gorgeous colour e-book that profiles 40 women entrepreneurs who decided to flip their business models/concepts when times got tough, instead of ditching them. (Jo Parfitt is featured. As is another inspiring expat friend of ours, Natalie Sisson, aka The Suitcase Entrepreneur - who also has some great e-books available on her site - eg. BYOB Build Your Online Business Guide and The Ultimate Toolkit for Entrepreneurs.) What an inspiration these women are - and a reminder to us to never, never, never give up on our ideas/dreams!
By the way, if you missed Melody's first book, Craving Success, I also highly recommend that one (it's a very quick, easy and enjoyable read). Craving Success goes through the 20 businesses that Melody has had on her entrepreneurial journey, en route to her current passion, Crave. As even Melody says, most of her businesses were full of mistakes and failure - but she learnt something from every one of them. Sometimes I think we learn more from other people's mistakes, than from all the success stories out there that make it look like the journey was easy. What do you think?
Thanks for your potential support to these wonderful authors and I wish you a wonderful day/evening!
Andrea Martins x
ps. I am not currently giving many shout-outs on this blog for new books (unless I am super-passionate about them). But if have written a new book and want a shout-out on Twitter, feel free to tweet me the link and a personal message via @andreaexpat and I will try and help you there. Thanks!
Monday, March 4, 2013
Online Summit for Expats, International Entrepreneurs & Global Citizens
Hi Everyone, The Foreignator Summit starts today! The brainchild of Katya Barry, this is a free, online event that brings together inspiring expat/international entrepreneurs who share how to make the most of the international experience, build a fulfilling life, and gain independence and flexibility through building a soul-full business that operates on a global scale.
The biographies of Katya's interviewees are on her official website, but here is a quick overview of the interview release schedule:
Monday March 4th: Natalie Sisson, Alicia Cowen
Tuesday March 5th: Kickstart Kitchen, Catherine Just
Wednesday March 6th: Ameena Falchetto, Natasha Vorompiova
Thursday March 7th: Farnoosh Brock, Alexa Hart, Marie Teather
Friday March 8th: Anne Samoilov, Mayi Carles and Katya Barry
If you are interested, be quick to click here for more details about this week's events. And congrats to Katya for this great initiative. Andrea
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Should You Start A Franchise Business in 2012?
Hi Everyone, We recently asked MyDestination.com (one of our valued ExpatWomen.com sponsors) about why 2012 might be a great year for franchise businesses. If you have ever thought about becoming a franchisee, you might be interested in their response...
Neil Waller:
"The beginning of every year sees many different types of resolutions being made, from quitting smoking, to taking up the gym. Starting your own business is one resolution that is frequently heard, but all too often not followed through. The planning required, financial considerations and the likely success of a new venture, all tend to put people off. However, investing in a franchise business can negate many of these considerations; you can be your own boss and have all the benefits of having your own business, without many of the stresses and strains. Here is why 2012 might be your year for investing in a franchise...
When considering starting a business, the fear of failure leads most people to stay safe and plod along in their current jobs, even though they have a burning entrepreneurial desire. Investing into an already successful and prosperous franchise business will hopefully reduce your stress that the business might fail. If you are already joining a business that is profitable and proven, your franchise should benefit from the authority and reputation of the business you are buying into, significantly reducing the risk of failure.
Entrepreneurs will undoubtedly need much assistance when starting a business, as it is impossible to have adequate experience in all areas of business. When you join a franchise business, you are able to access this experience and expertise needed to grow your franchise, through a centralised support structure that will be in place. As a new franchisee you should be provided with assistance and advice on all areas required to succeed in becoming a successful franchisee (including marketing, advertising, sales and so on).
After all, it is in the interest of the franchise company that as a franchisee you develop your franchise as much as possible. This reduces the risk of making mistakes in developing your franchise, as you will always have a support structure to guide you through the many challenges you will face.
Purchasing a franchise is also significantly cheaper than starting your own business, where overheads often become extortionate very quickly. The main outlay will be the fee you pay for your franchise; this will depend on the size of the franchise that you are buying and what destination it is in. However, for this you should receive all that is necessary to start your franchise, such as a website if it is an online franchise, a restaurant, a shop or maybe some office space. The access to the already mentioned support structure is also invaluable.
In economically uncertain times, franchising does represent a fantastic opportunity to run your own business. The fact that banks and venture capitalists are highly reluctant to invest in start-up businesses, means that you will need to raise most of your business capital yourself these days. So, investing in a franchise could reduce your initial costs, and help to bring benefits to you faster.
Whether you franchise or start solo, I wish you all the very best with whatever you start in 2012! May it be a fabulous year for you.
Warmest regards, Neil Waller, Co-Founder, MyDestination.com."
MyDestination.com is a franchise based network of travel sites, powered by a diverse community of local experts on the ground, providing local knowledge and local deals.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Missed Some Great Expat Links on Twitter?
Hi Everyone, Here are some great expat-related links I have tweeted recently, that might interest you. Enjoy!
"Is There A Perfect Personality For Expats?" Very good article in The Chronicle of Higher Education
http://bit.ly/grMtwT
The Difficulties Of Divorcing Abroad
http://bit.ly/hDGCTg
Expat Women Uncomfortable Driving Abroad Survey Shows
http://bit.ly/hOUBFN
The Trailing Spouse: The Achilles Heal of International Assignments?
http://bit.ly/gUuIDT
True? Nobody Cares About Your Story
http://bit.ly/hyt1yw
Bored in France? Expat Nicky Rowe says never - She defends her adopted home
http://bit.ly/gM0oPn
Most British Expats Don't Want To Go Home?
http://bit.ly/fTmo8q
Shocking Story of an Expat Woman Jailed for 5 Months in the UAE When She Reported Her Rape
http://bit.ly/gqizRY
7 Reasons Not To Become An Expat?
http://bit.ly/g8ElyD
Are You "Escaping" or "Relocating"?
http://bit.ly/gXbQJo
The World: A Classroom and Playground: Lessons from the Study Abroad Cycle
http://t.co/wcjHow2
"An Honest Look At My Life as An Expat” A Loss of Identity Story
http://t.co/MUKdO6p
Tiger Mom, Meet Panda Dad
http://t.co/lAMyKcd
“Have Camera, Will Travel” Interview with an expat filmmaker
http://t.co/62Tf1MV
What Makes A Good Expat?
http://bit.ly/ePS9Yx
How to Stand Out in the Global Marketplace: Part 2 of 5
http://bit.ly/gMsEhJ
Great piece about a Third Culture Kid (TCK) and a Quarter Life Crisis
http://bit.ly/gFTEgP
Talent Mobility 2020: The Next Generation of International Assignments (36 page report by PWC)
http://bit.ly/dGOQ3d
How Does A Third Culture Kid (TCK) Define 'Home'?
http://bit.ly/fxsxy4
"How Becoming an Expat Entrepreneur Changed My Life”
http://bit.ly/gz01pn
What Is Expat Identity? Article on Expatica by Anthropologist Sarah Steeger
http://bit.ly/gWxMZM
Expat Life and Alcohol Addiction
http://bit.ly/e0mdC3
Interesting Article in Guardian UK: Should We Stop Using the Term Expat?
http://bit.ly/eSHRpI
Expat Time Travel: The Positive Side of Putting a Career on Hold
http://bit.ly/gFe8AX
Delayed Grieving Abroad: An Expat's Tale of Coping with Death Back Home
http://bit.ly/dWKLHS
The Great Expat Party: Bars, Clubs, Drinks: One Perspective
How To Earn A Living Online From A Foreign Country
http://bit.ly/fQnpFN
10 Tips To Grow Your Career Overseas
http://bit.ly/eg4LEx
10 Step Plan to Career Change
http://bit.ly/dXF4Na
Helping Expat Children Adjust To Life Abroad
http://bit.ly/fPYPYC
Living in an Expat Bubble? 2 Bloggers Have Their Say: Patryk Kujawski on http://bit.ly/h57GQd and Anne Egros on http://bit.ly/dGquKS
To follow me in 'real time' and keep up with even more great expat links on Twitter, please click here.
If you are not already an Expat Women member, please support us and sign up here to receive our monthly, motivational newsletters.
Thanks for your support and I wish you a wonderful day/evening! Andrea @andreaexpat
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Expat Women February Newsletter Highlights
Hi Everyone, For those of you who missed our Expat Women February 2011 members' newsletter this month, or did not get time to read the new features, please find below the highlights and we encourage you to click on a few for a great read! (If you are a member and did not receive your newsletter, please email us here, thanks
Success Story: Raegan Moya-Jones, CEO and Co-Founder, aden + anais
| Expat Confession: Expat Depression, by our Expat Women Girlfriend Expat Money: How to Avoid 7 Expat Money Worries in 2011, by Rhiannon Davies / ShelterOffshore |
Thanks Everyone! Andrea
Monday, February 14, 2011
KISS Like Melody Biringer, Founder of CRAVE
Hello Everyone, In October 2009, I had the pleasure of meeting Seattle-based Melody Biringer in Amsterdam, where she was hanging out for a few months to kick start her CRAVE Amsterdam guide. Melody and I met up again a year later, this time in Las Vegas for a conference and have kept in touch in-between. I love hearing about all the cities that Melody's CRAVE guides have expanded to and I love learning from her entrepreneurial lessons (20+ businesses to date) and successes.
Recently, Melody posted this entry on her blog. I loved it and gained her permission to share it with you. If you are a current or budding entrepreneur, you'd be wise to listen to this seasoned experimenter!
Wishing you success in your business, at home and abroad, Andrea.
Nobody Kisses Like Melody Biringer
"The exercise of writing my business history down this last year, about the 20 some businesses I have started over the last 30 years, made one thing loud and clear to me. KISS (keep it simple stupid) has been haunting me most of my life. When trying to decide the title of my book, I thought I should just call it KISS.
This lesson learned has popped up over and over again. I know this stuff. I know it so well I could write a book about it! So WHY do I keep trying to complicate my businesses still today? I am a very “right brained” female. I like to have my hands in lots of things, and am easily tempted to live life like a mind map. BUT, my only successes have come when I kept it VERY simple.
I started my first business with the most simple business model of all. A lemonade stand. I sold lemonade….period. How much simpler can you get. Flash forward a few years and it is ironic that I still basically sell lemonade for a living. One of my most successful businesses has been the festival concession biz, where I sell strawberry shortcake and berry lemonade to thousands each summer. People stand in line and hand me cash and have continued to for the last 22 years. I have tried to complicate that business a bit over the years by adding other products to the mix, like pie baked in a bag, berry cobbler, even s’mores….always thinking of ways to grow.
But I finally got it through my thick skull…I am known for our strawberry shortcake and that is why I am still in business. Just KISS!
For several years, I was deeply invested in the wholesale bakery business. This is a perfect example of doing too much and not paying attention to simplicity. We sold muffins to grocery stores and coffee stands all around Seattle. It started with the fat free muffin, then we added 97% fat free and finally added full fat muffins. We had about 10 flavors of each kind. Of course the blueberry was always the best seller across the board. So many labels, ingredients, recipes to keep track of, so much staff to manage, so many headaches keeping track of all the flavors and which % of fat was ordered.
What if we just put all our muffins in one basket and specialized in the best fat free blueberry muffin in the world and sold the heck out of it? I might still be in that business today if I’d done that.
I remember being jealous of the Uncle Seth pink cookie at the time. He made one really good sugar cookie with pink frosting and could barely keep up with the demand.
It all goes back to the 80/20 rule I believe. Usually we are spending 80% of our time on nonsense and forgetting about the most important part of our business – the 20%. It is so easy to get trapped into the 80% because there is a lot of drama around it and very hard to see the forest through the trees.
I am so happy this lesson has come out loud and clear in my life right now. It makes decisions so much easier. When I am in team meetings, we all say “is this KISS?” and that makes our decision.
We even took a chance on this CRAVE blog. We had created a big huge nightmare for ourselves these last few years. Who are we? What are we going to write about? How many guest bloggers do we need? What should they say? What does our editorial calendar look like? We are behind! Help??? So we flipped it (another lesson learned) and took the KISS principal and decided to just talk about one of my lessons learned each month.
Talk about KISS all month? Is that too much of one subject? Will people get sick of us? Just do it, we said. It is simple and will simplify so many people’s jobs around here. YES I like the sound of that. A no-brainer. Who knows if it will work, but we are all breathing free and that is a good thing.
What can you simplify to breathe easier?
Melody"
Friday, October 1, 2010
Expat Women October 2010 Home Page
Hi Everyone, Please take a look at, share and tweet about our new October Expat Women home page, which features:
Success Story
Laura Stanbridge
Consultant (Marbella, Spain)
Having moved abroad for her first job out of university, American Laura Stanbridge has crisscrossed the globe and now works as a consultant in Marbella, Spain, where she earned special recognition from the City of Marbella for her contributions...
Read more...
Business Idea
Imports Oriental
Jill Coyle
Four years after setting up home in Beijing, Jill started an import/export business that did so well that her corporate husband quit his job to join the company! In May 2010, Jill was chosen as the People’s Choice Entrepreneur of the Year at the Beijing Women in Business Leadership Awards...
Read more...
New Coffee-Table Book
Thrive
Ruth Kuguru, Lisa Blunt Rochester & Alejandra Guzmán
We talk to the ladies whose new coffee-table book Thrive tells the stories of thirty-four remarkable women who have built new lives for themselves and their families in Shanghai…
Read more...
Personal Branding:
An Expat's Secret Weapon In The War For Talent
Lois Freeke
According to Execunet, personal branding is now the number one career management tool used by executives worldwide. What does it mean to you as an expat overseas?
Read more...
Expat Confession
An Affair Upon Repatriation
Expat Women Girlfriend
My husband and I lived abroad for 15 years – in Amsterdam, Belgrade and Bangkok. We moved home 18 months ago, but my husband continued to travel a lot. Last month my husband told me that for the first time in our 21 years together, he cheated on me...
Read more...
Insights from the 2010 Search Engine Strategies (SES) Conference, Hong Kong
6 Ways To Improve The Success Of Your Website
Andrea Martins
Sara Lander’s clothing design website was up and running and now the whole world was going to starting coming to see and buy her unique clothing designs. Right?
Read more...
* * *
Not A Member Yet?
Just a reminder that our blog is separate from our main site, so if you are reading this blog post online or you are only subscribed to our blog, you will not automatically receive our Expat Women monthly newsletters.
To receive our newsletter later this month and to go in the running to win our monthly prize of a complete set of Explorer Publishing's Mini-Guides, please sign up today to our main site ExpatWomen.com, and also receive your link to our free e-book of Winning Stories!
Thank you very much and best wishes for a fabulous October! Andrea
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Missed Some Great Expat Links On Twitter?
Hi Everyone, Here are some expat-related articles and links that I have tweeted about recently, that might interest you:
Best time to book an airline ticket? http://bit.ly/c1sykA
Great interview with expat entrepreneur Tara Agacayak about how she reinvented herself in Turkey http://bit.ly/9hTaZK
Expats who have returned home: Please help Honors student with repatriation survey http://bit.ly/dpUmvT
New! Expat Forum 2010: Guest Speaker Panel (I'll be there!): Oct 12 Washington: Read press release http://bit.ly/aI89yO
How Do You Make Your Blog Addictive? http://bit.ly/d3FE1w
Expat Focus podcast with British author in the U.S., Toni Hargis http://bit.ly/d6Sz8b
Looking for popular expat news topics? Visit Alltop's expatriate section http://bit.ly/dmP68E
Expat spouses in Bangkok http://bit.ly/bGGyG5
To follow me in 'real time' and keep up with even more great expat links on Twitter, please click here.
Thanks for your support! Andrea
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Stevie Awards For Women In Business: Deadline August 31
Hi Everyone, If you are interested in entering the 7th annual Stevie Awards For Women In Business, you had better be quick, as the deadline closes Tuesday August 31 (although late entries will be accepted through September 30 with a US$35 late entry fee). To find out more, please click here.
This competition invites international entries, so I hope some of you talented expat women apply.
All the very best if you do! Andrea
Friday, June 11, 2010
Brilliant Social Media Video
Hi Everyone, If you only watch one this month, I highly recommend that you watch Social Media Revolution 2 (Refresh). I believe it is put out by Erik Qualman (author of SocialNomics) in association with Hult International Business School. The video is lively, it's professional, it's insightful and it's... brilliant.
Is Social Media a fad, or the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution?
Some of the facts it shares at the beginning (to groovy music):
- 50% of the world's population are under 30;
- 96% of Millennials (aka Generation Y) have joined a social network;
- Facebook tops Google (!) for weekly traffic on the web;
- 1 in 8 couples married in the United States met via social networks; and
- If Facebook were a country, it would be the 3rd largest in the world, behind China and India.
Expat entrepreneurs, freelancers, relocation companies and service providers, take notes.
Have a fantastic weekend, Andrea.
