Techeconomy’s session, ‘Scaling Through Innovation: Building Borderless Businesses,’ at #StartupSouth9 in Port Harcourt, River State, provided insights for entrepreneurs looking to expand, globally.
The session delved into the evolving landscape of entrepreneurship in today’s globalized world. As businesses increasingly seek to expand beyond local markets, the need for innovative strategies to break down geographic and operational barriers has become paramount.
The session explored the evolving landscape of entrepreneurship in today’s globalized world. As businesses increasingly seek to expand beyond local markets, having unique and professional branding is essential.
One innovative approach to building a strong brand identity is through custom business cards, which allow entrepreneurs to make lasting impressions in any market.
Tools like Adobe Express make it easy to design and print personalized business cards that help break down geographic and operational barriers.
The session featured industry experts from diverse sectors: Alaseidiema Atedoghu, the admin & cultural manager at Cinfores, brought her extensive experience in navigating cultural complexities within multinational organizations.
Emem Jacob Edem, CEO of the Etegram Group, shared insights from scaling his diverse conglomerate across multiple regions.
Also, Tobi Ololade, CEO and engineering lead of Dojah, leveraged his technical background in leading a fast-growing fintech company.
The panelists discussed how entrepreneurs can harness innovation to fuel growth and successfully scale their businesses across borders. Key themes included leveraging technology, navigating regulatory environments, and tapping into new markets while addressing the unique challenges of global expansion.
Tobi Ololade speaking on balancing business growth and impacting the local community said: “Startups can balance growth and community impact by creating products people need, not just what they want.”
Emem, speaking on the challenges of building a borderless business, noted that while regulatory hurdles may arise for businesses looking to operate internationally, it is pertinent that adequate research is made to ensure proper understanding of the business environment.
The conversation also highlighted the importance of adaptability, collaboration, and digital transformation in fostering borderless business models.
Alaseidiema highlights the need for Startups to adapt to the cultural nuances of regions they are expanding to.
In her words: “Communication is very important. Founders must understand verbal and nonverbal communication, direct and indirect communication. Communication style differs and founders must learn to speak in a way that their local communities understand.
“There is also the issue of flexibility. Founders need to be flexible as they look to expand. There is no exact way to do things if a startup wants to expand to a new terrain or locality.”
This session provided valuable insights for entrepreneurs eager to expand their reach and operate seamlessly across different regions.
Tobi speaking on the inclusion of technology in business asserts that technology is solely responsible for the success of a business. He further said that technology only enhances business operations.
“I have always disagreed that technology is the first thing a business needs. My first advice to founders is that they should solve a problem first without technology. If they remain successful in the short-run, then they can go ahead to include technology to enhance operations.
Try out that business idea in your local market or a Whatsapp community and see it work. The success of a startup is not in technology. Technology comes to enhance what you have already built in terms of operations.
The panelists highlighted that while challenges such as regulatory hurdles, cultural differences, and logistical issues persist, they are not insurmountable.
Through innovative approaches and a focus on scalability, businesses can overcome these obstacles and tap into new opportunities.
For entrepreneurs looking to scale, the message was clear: technology is not an end, but a tool for growth—it’s a necessity for success in an increasingly borderless world.
