The Expat Entrepreneur: Doing Business, Online Marketing and Cross Cultural Communication Overseas

No matter what kind of business you have overseas, a large portion of it is most likely based in the internet. It's always a good time to make sure you are legally protected from lawsuits and that you have a solid exit strategy in place for that website. Whether you're just getting started, or you've been in business for a while, start considering your potential liabilities and take steps to make sure your company has the best strategies in place for the future.    Richard has been in the business for over 25 years with a depth of knowledge from a legal and experiential standpoint. The various issues he has encountered with digital non-compliance, liabilities, and poor exit strategies, have proved to him exactly what situations need the most attention.  The knowledge I have gleaned from Richard, even just in this interview, has proved to be so valuable! Here are just a few of the topics that we discussed in our interview:  How to develop the right Privacy Policy for your company  At what point you should begin developing an exit strategy and why that matters How the ability to freely gather valuable information is changing, and what a divided global web means for the future of your company How to appropriately deal with cross-border transactions and the various laws of each country  If you'd like to learn more about Richard Chapo and his knowledge as the SoCal Internet Lawyer, you can visit his website here:  https://www.socalinternetlawyer.com Episode Sponsor: www.travelingmailbox.com/eepodcast If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment and leave a review on iTunes, Stitcher or Google Play:  iTunes: https://www.expatinfluencer.com/itunes  Stitcher: https://www.expatinfluencer.com/stitcher  Google Play: https://www.expatinfluencer.com/googleplay  Have a great week, and I'll see you next Wednesday!

Mike Schubert and his friends may have stumbled upon the idea of buying remote islands in Indonesia but the route they took to make it happen was anything but random. The values of intentionality and community prevailed even when there was uncertainty about reaching their bottom line. Protecting these values in the face of difficulty is what has caused the creation of such a unique business.  Telunas Resorts has turned employees into leaders, consumers into volunteers, and businessmen into agents of change. This was such an inspiring interview with Michael! I'm so excited to share with you all that we discussed. Since Michael co-founded these luxury resorts over 15 years ago, he draws from a significant amount of history and valuable lessons learned, and we talked about:   Why he and his business partners took the slow road to set up their resorts The surprising amount of capital it took despite their best calculations How they struggled to hit the bottom line in order to maintain their their values The process of turning local fishing villagers into five star resort employees The shocking amount of volunteer hours they get from consumers The ways they have expanded, and the opportunities to continue to improve If you'd like to learn more about Michael Schubert and Telunas Resorts, you can visit their website here:  https://www.telunasresorts.com  If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment and leave a review on iTunes, Stitcher or Google Play:  iTunes: https://www.expatinfluencer.com/itunes  Stitcher: https://www.expatinfluencer.com/stitcher  Google Play: https://www.expatinfluencer.com/googleplay  Have a great week, and I'll see you next Wednesday!

There are an overabundance of lists on what kinds of habits an entrepreneur needs in order to reach success. I often disagree with those lists because they do not align with my core philosophy. Today I want to share with you the habits I maintain but more importantly, how these push me toward my greater goals.  The ones I'll present to you today are what I have developed and worked through according to my own core principles. These encompass not only my role as an expat entrepreneur, but as a father, friend, colleague, and husband. All areas of life intersect, so creating habits that align appropriately is imperative.  Thanks to our sponsor this week, TravelingMailbox. Use this link to receive your first two months 2 months free: www.travelingmailbox.com/eepodcast  Here are the 8 habits as an expat and an entrepreneur that I'm working to develop in 2018:  Reading constantly  Being a daily students of the culture Interacting with the culture  Surrounding themselves with a support network  Being intentional with their time and maintaining strict boundaries with it Expressing continual gratitude  Articulating their "why" and review it often  Planning for rest  Do you have different habits that express your underlying values? I'd love to hear what you do and why your habits work best for you. Leave your comments below!  If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment and leave a review on iTunes, Stitcher or Google Play:  iTunes: https://www.expatinfluencer.com/itunes  Stitcher: https://www.expatinfluencer.com/stitcher  Google Play: https://www.expatinfluencer.com/googleplay  Have a great week, and I'll see you next Wednesday!

What does it take to be successful on YouTube? How many subscribers do you need and how many years would it require? Studies show that over 95% of YouTubers never make enough money to rise above the poverty line, but Trevor James, our guest today, has managed to make YouTube a full-time expat business. With over a million subscribers and 184 million views under his belt, he's making a comfortable living being a full-time expat YouTuber. This week, Trevor and I talked about the following aspects of his business:  How he chose the YouTube channel as his primary business platform What helped him create a name and a presence and ultimately led to him leaving his career and back-up plan   Why he has still never hired any other employees (besides his wife!)  How he generates content for the places he's never been and how he finds the best local food The ways he plans to expand and grow over the coming years  If you'd like to learn more about Trevor James, you can visit his websites here:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thefoodranger Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefoodranger Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefoodranger/ Thanks also to our sponsor this week, ExpressVPN: https://www.expressvpn.com/eepodcast (get 3 months free with this link) If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment and leave a review on iTunes, Stitcher or Google Play:  iTunes: https://www.expatinfluencer.com/itunes  Stitcher: https://www.expatinfluencer.com/stitcher  Google Play: https://www.expatinfluencer.com/googleplay  Have a great week, and I'll see you next Wednesday!

For Jordan Porter, a passion for a hobby he loved quickly became a full time experience. His business model, centered on “creating experience and personalization,” understands that food tastes even better when you know the story behind it. Jordan says that “without the food, you have nothing, but once you find the food, you’re only halfway there.” Jordan's consumers walk away with a better understanding not only of the Chengdu culture and food, but also of its people.  This week, Jordan Porter focuses on these 5 areas to explain his business:  What makes his tour unique among others in that region What marketing strategies gave him a name and a presence  Turning points in his career Why and how support and mentorship matter as an entrepreneur Why experience design trumps food touring  If you'd like to learn more about Jordan Porter, you can visit his website here:  Chengdu Food Tours: https://chengdufoodtours.com Jordan's Interview on ChengduLiving: http://www.chengduliving.com/sichuan-food-podcast/ Thanks to our sponsor, TravelingMailbox. Get 2 months free when you use this link: http://www.travelingmailbox.com/eepodcast Thank you so much for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment and leave a review on iTunes, Stitcher or Google Play:  iTunes: https://www.expatinfluencer.com/itunes  Stitcher: https://www.expatinfluencer.com/stitcher  Google Play: https://www.expatinfluencer.com/googleplay  Have a great week, and I'll see you next Wednesday!

It seems unfair that expat entrepreneurs from the US have to pay double taxes. Is it possible to limit our tax liability legally? Today we talk with Stewart Patton, a US tax attorney who shares with me his strategy for saving thousands of dollars on taxes. I ask him questions such as: When it comes to taxes as an expat entrepreneur, there are many "experts" online and theories about what should be done. How do we know who to trust and what should we be looking for? How does the 2017 US tax reform change things for expat entrepreneurs? If we already have a company established in another country, is there still benefit to forming an international business? Does money that flows into my US bank account count as "foreign earned income"? What is the next step that we can take as expat entrepreneurs to figure out our specific tax situation? If you'd like to learn more about Stewart Patton, you can visit his website here:  http://www.ustax.bz/ Thanks to our sponsor for this week's episode, ExpressVPN. Get 3 months of free online encryption when you visit this link: https://www.expressvpn.com/eepodcast Thank you so much for listening! I hope you've enjoyed this interview on The Expat Entrepreneur. If you have a moment and you enjoy this podcast, please take a moment to leave a review on iTunes, Stitcher or Google Play: iTunes: https://www.expatinfluencer.com/itunes Stitcher: https://www.expatinfluencer.com/stitcher Google Play: https://www.expatinfluencer.com/googleplay Have a great week and I'll see you next Wednesday!

It's a challenge to be an expat. It's a challenge to be an entrepreneur. When you combine the two, though...well, the challenges just continue to mount. The problem is that we often carry these burdens alone, thinking that maybe we're the only ones or that nobody understands what we're facing. That isn't the case, though. In today's episode, we will discuss eight of the most challenging aspects of being an expat entrepreneur. These obstacles include: Visas Government Bureaucracy Language Barriers Dealing with Cultural Differences Caring for our Family Double taxation Moving money into/out of our host country Exit Strategies What do you think about this list? If you have any comments or would like to add a challenge not listed here, head on over to the Expat Influencer website and leave a comment on this show's blog post: http://www.expatinfluencer.com/8-challenges-every-expat-entrepreneur-face/ Likewise, you can tweet me with the hashtag "#eepodcast" with your thoughts and I'll do my best to respond! Thank you for listening. Please take a moment to leave a review of this podcast if you've enjoyed what you've heard so far.

What does it take to open a restaurant in the middle of China? How do you test to see if Chinese people would even like Mexican food? And even more importantly, how do you train and retain local employees as an expat entrepreneur? These are the kinds of questions I ask Igor Vronkin, an American expat entrepreneur who has established a successful Mexican food restaurant in the middle of Chengdu, China. Links:   - Good Good Map: http://www.expatinfluencer.com/goodgood-map   - WeChat: goodgoodtacobar Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe to The Expat Entrepreneur and if you enjoy what you're hearing, leave a review to help others find this podcast.

Today we are talking with Brent Crane, an expat journalist who has written for Outside magazine, The New York Times, the New Yorker, Guardian and many other publications. Much of his reporting is done while traveling the world and he shares his struggles and tips on what it takes to pitch and share your story well. A few of the links and articles talked about during the interview:    -  Follow Brent Crane on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bcamcrane    -  Brent Crane's Article on "Poop Tea": https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/znw7we/drinking-tea-made-of-poop-with-the-chinese-villagers-who-swear-by-it-038    -  Brent Crane's Xinjiang article from 2014: https://thediplomat.com/2014/08/a-tale-of-two-chinese-muslim-minorities/ If you have chance, tweet a message to Brent to let him know what you thought of his interview. I'm sure he'd love it! Also, I would greatly appreciate a minute of your time to leave a review of The Expat Entrepreneur on iTunes, Stitcher or Google Play - wherever you listen to this podcast. Thanks and have a wonderful week!

My guest today on The Expat Entrepreneur is Jeremiah Jenne, a writer and historian who is currently living and running a business in the Chinese capital of Beijing. In this episode, Jeremiah talks about what first drew him to China and how he has been able to turn his passion for Chinese history and culture into a business. For those of you who aren't "businessmen", Jeremiah's story will encourage you to continue pursuing your passion and maybe, just maybe, you'll find a business opportunity waiting. You can connect with Jeremiah either on his website or where he writes: Beijing by Foot Website: http://www.beijingbyfoot.com Radii China Website: http://www.radiichina.com  Also, don't forget to take a moment to leave a review on iTunes! It makes a huge difference on the reach of this podcast and the work that I do to produce it. Thank you in advance!