Becoming an entrepreneur and creating a company that creates positive change is a dream that has driven ambitious people since the beginning of the modern economy.

But where do you start? How will you create a meaningful product or service that stands out amid the noise of today’s highly competitive and saturated marketplace? The traditional path of finding a niche and competing on quality or price is no longer enough.

Today, if you want truly enduring and evangelical customer loyalty, you must deliver an authentic product or service that resonates with customers on an emotional level. It is important to connect them to other people, making them sincerely feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves. In short, you need to start a movement.

For hundreds of years, social movements have been catalysts for transformative, impactful and historic change.

Throughout history, they have served as catalysts for profound and transformative change. Dr. Martin Luther King marched on Washington with tens of thousands of supporters as part of the Civil Rights movement. Nelson Mandela’s raised fist upon being released from prison after 27 years became a powerful symbol in the movement that crushed apartheid in South Africa. The women’s suffrage movement fought for a century to get voting rights for women in America. Each one of those historic, world-changing movements was anchored in one unifying and all-encompassing force: purpose.

Related: Looking For A Business Idea? Start With Your Purpose

You may be thinking that those historic movements were important, but what does that have to do with business success? What does purpose have to do with business? Study after study shows that you can’t even think about starting a business in today’s economy unless it is driven by a clearly defined, tangible and unique purpose. In doing so, you and your team members will be much happier in the process, as supported by Harvard Business Review and other reporting.

Purpose is the equivalent of “why”? The “why” encompasses a company’s contributions and impact on the world. It is the company’s reason for existing and the reason they are in business in the first place. Purpose is an enabler, a conduit and a vehicle, fueling the innovation of the world’s economy. Blackrock’s CEO, Larry Fink, says, “Without a sense of purpose, no company, either public or private, can achieve its full potential.”

Some of the most successful companies have embraced this ethos and are fully rooted in purpose. When we look at Tesla, we may think its purpose is to sell cars, which is part of it. But its stated true purpose “is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.” That purpose is what drove the EV car revolution — a global movement that powered EV car sales from 0.4% of the light-duty vehicle marketplace in 2004 to 15.8% in 2023. And while it sparked the EV movement, Tesla continues to be its leader. In 2023, it held 19.9% of the global EV market and is the most valuable car company in the world.

The highly profitable clothing company Patagonia is another example of a company that started a movement based on its purpose. In 2022, the company, long known for its environmental activism, doubled down on its purpose, which is updated to “In business to save the planet.”

But it was more than just a statement. With its purpose well defined, Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard announced the transfer of company ownership ($3 billion in global assets and $100 million in annual profits) to a trust fund, with its dividends going to environmental advocacy organizations. With this bold support of her own movement, Chouinard declared, “Earth is our only shareholder.”

In today’s purpose-driven economy, identifying that unifying purpose for your company — your north star — is the most critical aspect of starting any business or social enterprise. Purpose-driven companies make more money, have more engaged employees and more loyal customers and are even better at innovation and transformational change.

Consumers are increasingly supporting businesses that stand on principle. According to Accenture, 62% of consumers want companies to take a stand on important societal issues such as sustainability, transparency and fair employment practices. The demand for authentic and purpose-driven companies is strongest among the younger generations. According to Deloitte, “millennials are driving this societal trend, with 40% of those polled believing the goal of businesses should be to ‘improve society.'” Those who ignore the intersection of business and purpose do so at their own peril, as millennials (those aged 28-43) account for $15 trillion in global purchasing power.

Related: This CEO Says Prioritizing Purpose Over Profit Is Key to Consistent Growth and Sustainable Profit — Here’s Why.

As a powerhouse financial company, Deloitte is probably not the first company that comes to mind in thinking of a firm driven by purpose. Yet, it is a strong proponent of the belief that exceptional organizations are led by a purpose. To amplify and advance Deloitte’s purpose, it named its first-ever chief purpose officer and established a Purpose Office. Its goals are to consistently embed purpose in the organization’s strategy and deepen the impact and positive change they are making for clients, people, and communities.

Trust in a company has long-term benefits by creating brand loyalty and turning customers into advocates for your product. According to Edelman, “trust drives growth. When consumers trust a brand, they are more likely to purchase its products (59%) and stay loyal to and advocate for the brand (67%).”

A company’s purpose must start at the top. Whether it’s a small business run by a sole proprietor or a major corporation led by a CEO, the leader sets the tone and must lead by example. Employees need to see the commitment to purpose reflected in the actions of leadership; otherwise, the stated purpose becomes nothing more than a catchy slogan that fails to resonate with consumers.

Infusing purpose into your new venture is not merely a trend but a necessity to compete and thrive in the modern economy. To stand out, foster trust and create lasting connections with consumers — in other words, to build a movement — today’s companies and organizations need to find their purpose and adopt it fully until it permeates every part of their operation.

By defining and articulating your purpose, you are laying the groundwork to start a business and, perhaps, even a movement. If you do it right, both can build value and help change the world.

You’re losing thousands of dollars on your website and might not even know it. You have a site and a marketing team, and traffic is flowing in. But your site — and business — may fail because you’re losing customers and conversions.

How?

Leads fail to convert because of poor user interface, slow speeds and bad design practices. If your site isn’t optimized for SEO, it gets even worse: leads will never land on the site in the first place.

How much does a website cost?

Small websites cost $500 to $5,000. Your costs will vary depending on whether you use a template, hire a developer and the complexity of the site. Sites with hundreds of pages, expert optimization and design can cost $10,000 to $20,000. Your initial investment can’t be recuperated if your site isn’t optimized properly or set up to convert leads into sales.

Site visitors have higher expectations, and there is a growing list of requirements that sites must meet. You need a snappy site, and it must be accessible. However, you also need to capture the right data from your forms, continually optimize your site and fill in the leaks that are causing you to lose money.

Related: 3 Powerful SEO Techniques That Will Boost Your Website’s Search Engine Ranking

Is your website investment worth it?

Small business owners lose customers, even with a well-functioning website, because they don’t know how to utilize the data available to them. So, after all, is your website investment worth it, and if yes, how can you make sure you get an ROI?

Nobody tells you that web forms can cost you a lot of money

Forms are boring input fields to failing site owners and a goldmine to successful ones. What are leads doing when they enter data into the form? Are errors causing potential customers or clients to leave the site? According to WP Forms, more than 67% of site visitors will abandon your form forever if they encounter any complications; only 20% will follow up with the company in some way. Analyzing how users interact with forms is especially critical for small businesses, which may not have as many opportunities as larger corporations. They can identify common issues such as broken forms, confusing fields or errors. This insight allows small businesses to simplify and optimize the form-filling process, improving the overall user experience and significantly increasing the chances of conversion. Thankfully, you can use a form tracking system that will help to pinpoint problems with data entry and missed opportunities, ensuring that small businesses are not carelessly losing leads.

Testing your forms and sales funnel regularly can save you a lot of money if you fix issues that are found in the test phase.

Data is the king of website optimization

Analytic data is king of website optimization, but you need to know what to look for and how to make changes. For example, if you have a high bounce rate, your site may look like it was designed in 1999, or it takes 15 seconds to load.

Bounce rate means users are leaving the site on the page of entry, and you have multiple areas of potential improvement.

Review your site speed and follow PageSpeed Insights’ recommendations to optimize your site. Try to bring loading time down to two to three seconds at most. Complex navigation and poor-quality landing pages can also cost you sales. Work with a copywriter to optimize your sales funnel copy.

Data will help businesses to pinpoint exactly where users engage most frequently and where they face obstacles. With careful analysis of this data, companies can optimize every aspect of their website, from navigation to content.

Important aspects of a high-converting website

High-converting websites have a lot in common:

Content

Expertly written content, with the help of a copywriter, will allow you to hit on the pain points of leads and close more sales. Hooks and storytelling from an experienced copywriter can help you turn a low-performing sales funnel into one that exceeds sales forecasts.

Design

Poor design practices cause sites to fail. Yahoo! is a prime example. The site was once Google’s biggest competitor, but with the bland and outdated design, the bounce rate was high, and people flocked to Google.

Work with a design team to create a functional, feature-rich site that appeals to your target demographic.

Lead capture forms

High-converting sites use lead capture forms to collect basic information about visitors, such as their email or phone number.

In exchange for providing information, leads receive something valuable in return, such as a discount or free eBook.

Once a user provides their email address or phone number, you can start nurturing them and eventually convert them into a customer. It’s important to note again that receiving instant notifications about broken forms and issues is a solution to avoid losing potential customers.

Related: 9 SEO Tips to Help You Rank No. 1 on Google in 2024

Call-to-action: More than just a button

Call-to-actions (CTAs) tell visitors what to do next, such as signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase or scheduling a consultation. They play a crucial role in improving your site’s conversion rates.

Without them, visitors would leave your site without taking action, resulting in lost opportunities to convert leads.

To increase conversions, CTAs must be clear and concise and use action-oriented language, like “Buy now” or “Contact us.” Tell your visitors exactly what to do next so there’s no confusion and they feel confident taking the next step.

CTAs are highly effective at improving conversion rates, but visitor behavior can change over time. Testing and optimizing your site’s CTAs can help maximize your conversion rate and adapt and change as user behavior changes.

Make sure that you’re engaging in A/B testing to determine which CTA works best for your audience.

You must respond to leads right away

Research shows that 78% of customers purchase from the first responder. Surveys also show that the highest-ranking companies in lead response audit reports respond to leads in 30 minutes or less. The quicker you respond, the better. Conversion rates can be as much as eight times higher if you respond in the first five minutes.

Every minute that passes increases the chance that the lead will move on to a competitor.

How can you improve your lead response time? Start by automating your lead qualification process to identify and prioritize high-quality leads. Track the lead from start to finish and pinpoint the issues that leads are facing. Set response time goals, train your reps, and streamline your lead management processes to reach out to leads as quickly as possible.

Conclusion

You spend thousands of dollars on a website. To maximize your return, you must ensure that your site has all the right elements to increase conversion rates. Once you have these elements in place, you must respond to leads immediately to seal the deal.

Sometimes, it’s not just about finding a job that pays well, it’s all about location.

A new report from Career.io shows that compensation for the same job can vary from state to state, so where a job is located can really matter, especially if you’re trying to maximize your earnings.

The report matches pay to location by figuring out which jobs yield the highest average salary in each state compared to the national average.

The result is a map of the jobs with the highest earning potential specific to every U.S. state.

^{Credit: Career.io}

The map shows the professions in each state with the highest differences between the average statewide salary and the national average pay.

Related: These Jobs Have the Highest Entry-Level Salaries

Every state has a minimum of one job that pays at least 25% more than the national average.

In midwestern states, such as Minnesota and Indiana, medical professionals make more than they would in other parts of the country.

Physicians take home 38.63% more pay in Indiana, and dermatologists make 56.98% more in Minnesota than either profession makes on average in the U.S.

Related: College Graduates Make the Most Money in These U.S. States

Three states have jobs in business and finance that pay more than 50% more than the national average.

Alaska pays personal financial advisors 66.69% more, Nebraska pays credit counselors 59.46% more, and New York pays credit analysts 50.98% more than the U.S. average overall for those occupations.

^{Credit: Career.io}

Here are the highest-paying jobs in some of the most populated U.S. states and how much more (%) each job pays than the national average.

1. California

Craft artists: 89.06%

2. Florida

Quarry rock splitters: 42.40%

3. New York

Crane and tower operators: 109.03%

4. Pennsylvania

Iron and rebar workers: 65.30%

5. Illinois

Hoist and winch operators: 71.79%

6. Ohio

Mathematical science occupations: 40.46%

7. Georgia

Cloak room attendants: 52.49%

8. North Carolina

Healthcare practitioners and all other technical workers: 34.49%

9. Michigan

Plant and system operators: 63.48%

10. New Jersey

Floor layers: 90.03%

Click here for the full list.

They say that content is king — but not all digital content is created equal. While most digital content can help increase awareness for your brand, the most valuable content is designed to draw in warm prospects who are ready to make a purchase from you.

Of course, even the best content isn’t likely to result in a purchase on the first exposure. The marketing rule of seven indicates that consumers must be exposed to your messaging at least seven times on average before they decide to make a purchase. While this may often be the case, strong digital content will go a long way in lowering this total.

Related: 5 Digital Content Types Prospective Buyers Love to Engage With Online

1. Email campaigns

Email marketing remains one of the most effective methods for communicating with warm leads and staying in touch with existing customers to ensure they will buy from you again. Not only are emails far more likely to be read than other types of content, but their average return on investment towers over other options.

According to the HubSpot Blog, most marketers see an average open rate of 46-50% and a clickthrough rate of 2.6-3% — numbers that far outpace the engagement levels of social media and other popular forms of content.

Even if they are mostly comprised of previous customers, email lists are an essential marketing tool because they are made up of people who agreed to receive additional messaging from you. This fact alone already makes them far more qualified leads than someone who randomly stumbles across your blog.

2. Personal engagement on social media

While the overall engagement and reach of many social media platforms have declined, there is still much to be said for the potential these platforms offer for fostering one-on-one engagements with your warmest leads.

When marketers comment strategically on other people’s posts, actively participate in relevant groups and conversations, and respond to the comments and messages they receive, it helps create a meaningful dialogue with their target audience.

By pairing this personalized engagement with relevant, authoritative content (including videos, polls and more), you can leverage social media to nurture warm leads.

3. Cost calculators

Most companies have at least some kind of on-site content marketing strategy, which usually revolves around blogging. A blog can be undeniably beneficial for building SEO and domain authority, but depending on the type of content you create, it isn’t always going to create warm leads.

However, if your website content focuses on the customers who are ready to buy now, you can greatly increase your own sales potential — and one of the best ways to do this is with a cost calculator.

From calculating the cost of shipping a car across the country to determining how much it would cost to build your own website, these tools are inherently targeted at warm leads who are ready to make a buying decision. In this case, providing useful budgeting and planning information directly influences the user’s purchasing decision, providing a powerful way of reaching warm leads.

Related: 4 Steps to Writing Content That Converts

4. Webinars

Webinars have become an increasingly popular digital content option, and for good reason. When webinars are promoted to the right audience, they can become far more engaging and attractive to warm leads than a blog post covering the same topic would be.

The simple fact of displaying content in an audiovisual format helps make the webinar feel like an event in its own right. With an engaging topic and professional presenters, you can build a large audience. And when the topic of the webinar itself ties into your offerings, you can create a natural segue into how you can help viewers solve their most pressing problems.

Webinars can be even more effective when paired with other content, such as an e-book or follow-up video lessons. When done right, webinars can be an excellent resource for collecting email addresses and other information from warm leads who are most likely to be interested in your services.

5. Software demos

Admittedly, this digital content option doesn’t apply to every industry. However, there is a wide range of companies that offer software services, addressing everything from tracking logistics and customer relationships to managing the back end of a website.

A software demo gives warm leads the opportunity to try the service before they commit to a purchase. Firsthand interaction and experience with the software is ultimately far more convincing than a series of sales calls could ever be, as this helps buyers clearly determine whether or not a particular product works for them.

It should be no surprise, then, that opt-out free trials see an incredible 48.8% conversion rate. It’s worth noting, too, that companies that don’t sell software can use similar “trial” options, such as a two-week trial for their services. Trials and demos appeal to the warmest buyers, who often use them to finalize their purchase decision.

Related: 5 Steps for Creating a Content Marketing Strategy That Drives Business Results

While regularly updating a blog or social media profile can be useful as part of your content marketing strategy, it is essential that brands in every niche focus on the types of content that are poised to deliver the greatest return.

By focusing on the types of content that are most likely to capture warm prospects in the first place, you can turn more leads into sales and maximize the success of your content strategy.

Running a business can be all-consuming. However, business people who only talk about work can sometimes struggle to network and socialize, ironically stunting their potential for growth as salespeople and entrepreneurs. That’s why taking up a hobby and developing a skill that might not relate directly to your work can help your company and career.

For a Memorial Day sale running through 11:59 p.m. PT on May 31, you can get a lifetime subscription to Skoove Premium Piano Lessons for only $119.99 (reg. $1,198). Rated 4.5/5 stars on the App Store, this platform is designed to help users develop their piano skills with interactive lessons powered by artificial intelligence.

Skoove uses cutting-edge AI technology that can recognize notes as you play them and then offer adjustments and notes in real time. With this approach, the platform can teach you a wide range of chart-topping songs with over 400 lessons and thousands of instructional videos. With the subscription, you can study tracks by artists ranging from the Beatles to Bach.

Skoove is also convenient to use and practice with. It’s compatible with all pianos and keyboards, including USB/MIDI and acoustic ones. It also works with both iOS and Android operating systems on tablets, smartphones, and computers. To broaden your horizons, consider adding it to your life today.

Remember that during a special Memorial Day sale that runs through 11:59 p.m. PT on May 31, you can get a lifetime subscription to Skoove Premium Piano Lessons for only $119.99 (reg. $1,198) with code ENJOY20 at checkout.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Growing businesses around the world rely on traveling salespeople and representatives to fuel expansion. For those in the accounting department who are trying to make enough room for airline ticket budgeting, you can do them a lot of favors by hooking up yourself or a team member with this special deal.

Through 11:59 p.m. PT on May 31, you can get a lifetime subscription to this OneAir Elite Plan for only $79.97 (reg. $790). This deal gets you indefinite access to OneAir’s deals on business, first, premium, and economy class flights to and from destinations of your choosing and interest. These deals include mistake fares and advantageously priced ones that happen to pop up.

OneAir’s platform uses artificial intelligence (AI) to scan the web around the clock for deals so that they are ready for your team when someone needs to hit the road. In addition to getting to choose up to 10 departure airports with deals, Elite users can also take advantage of OneAir’s one-on-one business and first-class planning support.

Conveniently, the OneAir Mobile App lets you access these deals, book trips, and complete bookings all in one place. It is available for both iOS and Android devices.

One recent user, Ashok, who saved $1,080 on flights using OneAir, wrote, “I am so pleased with my decision to sign up with OneAir! Just booked a super cheap flight deal to Vancouver along with 5 nights of hotel stays.”

Remember that only through 11:59 p.m. PT on May 31, you can get a lifetime subscription to this OneAir Elite Plan for only $79.97 (reg. $790).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Did OpenAI steal Scarlett Johansson’s voice? OpenAI has since paused the “Sky” voice feature, but Johansson argues that this is no coincidence. In response, Johansson delivers a masterclass for entrepreneurs on navigating the AI era successfully.

In today’s discussion, we delve into what this controversy means for business owners, highlighting five critical AI strategies they must deploy. We also explore essential methods to protect your intellectual property and leverage AI for a competitive edge—insights vital for keeping your venture ahead in the AI revolution to remain your competitive advantage.

Take the AI skills quiz here (available for a limited time) and equip yourself with practical knowledge by grabbing a copy of my new book, ‘The Wolf is at the Door – How to Survive and Thrive in an AI-Driven World.’

More people are starting businesses now than ever before — and the reason could be that the opportunity cost, or what they have to give up in exchange for entrepreneurship, is lower than ever.

Data that the U.S. Census Bureau released earlier this month shows that the total number of applications to start businesses hit a record 5.5 million last year.

That’s half a million more applications than what was filed in 2022.

Related: Here’s What Millions of Small Businesses Have in Common, According to a New Survey

Census Bureau data from the first four months of this year show that the startup boom is still going strong, too — from January through April, the number of new business applications totaled over 1.7 million.

Why are more people filing to start new businesses?

Columbia Business School professor Angela Lee told Entrepreneur that the reason could be the “unprecedented number of layoffs from big tech companies in the last several years, resulting in a large pool of talent freed up to pursue entrepreneurship.”

^{Columbia Business School professor Angela Lee (left) and Co-Founder of Plum Alley Investments Andrea Turner Moffitt (right). Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images)}

Lee, the director of the Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center, also noted that “entrepreneurship has historically been counter-cyclical because the opportunity cost to start a company goes down during a recession.”

Related: Want to Start a Billion-Dollar Business? Look to These Two Industries, Which Have the Most Unicorn Growth

Big tech companies have been laying off employees in record numbers in recent years.

Tech layoffs last year affected 263,180 employees globally according to tracker Layoffs.fyi.

Amazon laid off the most people (27,410) last year, but Meta (21,000), Google (12,115) and Microsoft (11,158) also contributed to record numbers.

The unemployment rate has remained stable, in the 3.7% to 3.9% range in the U.S. over the past nine months, according to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report.

Related: ‘The Employment Situation’ Report for April Shows Employers Are Taking Hiring Down a Notch, Employee Wage Growth Slowing

I was talking to a friend recently who serves as the CTO at a mid-sized company and was struck by his sudden change in perspective on AI. Despite initial skepticism, he now believes artificial intelligence (AI) will revolutionize his industry. Yet, his main challenge has been convincing the rest of his executive team to adopt an AI roadmap. This scenario isn’t isolated.

In the last year, we’ve seen a contracted hype cycle around AI, which has caused many leaders to question if an investment in AI can truly yield proportional returns. These concerns aren’t without merit. VC firm Sequoia Capital recently estimated the AI industry spent $50 billion on Nvidia chips to train AI models last year, yet only yielded $3 billion in revenue.

Despite that disparity in investment, Sequoia went on to hypothesize AI is likely “the single greatest value creation opportunity” mankind has ever known, comparing its impact on business to that of the cloud transition. Unlike the cloud, however, which replaced software, AI has the potential to replace services, which the VC firm estimated has a total addressable market in the trillions. It’s the reason tech giants like Microsoft and Amazon continue to double down on AI investment.

Related: What Is Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Here Are Its Benefits, Uses and More

With so many competing narratives around the future of AI, it’s no wonder companies are misaligned on the best approach for integrating it into their organizations. The problem is most leaders are still looking at AI in its limited capacity as a software or tool rather than its ability to operate in a human-like capacity. Here are three common mistakes I see companies make when it comes to implementing an AI roadmap.

Underestimating and limiting AI’s potential

AI is widely viewed as a tool or software, but because it can create and reason, it has the ability to interact in a human-like capacity. Much like a junior employee who gets better at their job with experience, AI has the ability to learn from its interactions and refine its methods to improve its output and take on more work overtime.

For this reason, leaders who think of leveraging AI as “smart people” rather than software are better positioned to harness its full potential. Think about a company’s organization chart. If you were to write down the skills and tasks associated with each employee, then you can start to visualize where AI can be trained to augment or automate these tasks.

AI already outperforms humans in areas such as image classification, visual reasoning, and even English understanding, according to Stanford University’s recently published AI Index report. As of 2023, the report showed AI has surpassed human-level performance on several benchmark tasks, succeeding in helping workers become more productive and produce better-quality work. Another study out of the University of Arkansas showed AI outperformed humans in standardized tests of creative potential.

Unlike humans, however, AI scales up effortlessly as business demands increase, handling workloads without the physical and mental limits of humans. Adopting AI in this way means rethinking our team structures and workflows. It involves training teams to work alongside AI to enhance their roles and drive innovation.

This perspective shift is crucial because it allows leaders, who may not be accustomed to deploying technology themselves, to innately understand how to best leverage AI across their entire organization.

2. Trying to mimic another company’s AI use case

The more you start thinking of AI as smart people, the more you realize how individual every organization’s approach to building an AI roadmap should be. I like to think of AI implementation as the onboarding of new team members who need to fit within the specific dynamics of your company.

Take human resources for example — one company might have 10 people there; another only three, even if they’re the same size. This difference isn’t just about company size or revenue. It’s about how these companies have evolved.

Each business has its own unique structure, culture and needs. In order to realize generative AI’s full potential, PwC reported, businesses must take advantage of its capacity to be customized to a company’s specific needs and avoid the use-case trap.

Of course, general use cases for AI exist, particularly when it comes to enhancing customer service or sales. But, when you’re looking at a deeper integration of AI into a company’s operations, the approach needs to be custom-built, not copied and pasted from outside case studies.

Related: I Tested AI Tools So You Don’t Have To. Here’s What Worked — and What Didn’t.

3. Buying off-the-shelf products — not tailoring AI solutions to your needs

There are some great off-the-shelf AI products like ChatGPT, Dalle, and translation tools that solve specific problems within a company. The challenge with investing in a boxed solution for AI is that many leaders fail to see how AI can enhance operations at a systemic level.

The true power of AI lies in its ability to fundamentally transform your operations, not just perform isolated tasks. PwC’s 2024 AI predictions report states that many companies will find attractive ROI from generative AI. Still, few will succeed in achieving transformative value from it — the biggest barrier being the inability of leaders to think beyond boxed solutions and reimagine the way they work with AI.

When building an AI roadmap, leaders must first conduct a thorough assessment of their company’s processes. This means identifying areas with redundancies, recognizing outsourced tasks that could be automated, and pinpointing where the company invests heavily in human capital. By understanding these dynamics, leaders can tailor AI solutions to their company’s needs and transform how they work.

The more I talk to company leaders about integrating AI into their businesses, the more apparent it becomes that we leaders need to shift our perspective. When we view AI not just as a technological upgrade but as the onboarding of smart people, we’re better able to integrate it into our internal operations, enhancing performance and human ingenuity along the way.

The pandemic made global supply chain issues a common dinner table conversation. Now, with escalating geopolitical tensions and competing manufacturing hubs in China, India and Mexico, it can be hard for businesses to understand what the best strategy is for moving goods internationally.

Yet, despite the complexities affecting our global supply chains, the opportunity for businesses to engage in international trade has never been better. Advances in technology continue to make it easier to automate logistics. In fact, according to Acumen Research and Consulting, the global logistics automation market is predicted to reach $133 billion USD by 2030.

Not only is technology making supply chain logistics easier for businesses to manage, but in a down market, there can be opportunities to negotiate better deals with overseas suppliers, find new customers and create business models that adapt to future market conditions.

Regardless of your motivation, if you’re a business looking to expand abroad, here are three tips that can give you a competitive edge:

1. Understand regulatory requirements in advance

Paperwork may seem tedious, but in the world of global logistics, an incorrect or incomplete form can determine whether or not your shipment gets across the border. As the leader of a customs brokerage and freight forwarding business, I can tell you brokers spend a disproportionate amount of time following up with clients to complete the appropriate paperwork to clear customs.

Understanding simple but important details like what determines your product’s country of origin is instrumental for budgeting and planning. For example, if a business purchases materials from China and further develops them in the U.S. before resale, many leaders assume they qualify for reduced duty through North America’s free trade agreement (now known as the Canada, U.S., Mexico Agreement) — but this isn’t always the case. Products must meet a specific set of criteria to leverage the lower duty rates. Missed details like this can cost businesses a significant amount of money unexpectedly.

It’s also important to understand how exchange rates are calculated. Many businesses are surprised when they have to pay more for duty on a shipment when it arrives than they originally estimated. That’s because duty is calculated based on the exchange rate at the time the goods arrive at their destination. Exchange rates fluctuate, so it’s important for businesses to bear this in mind when creating budgets.

Related: Your Customers Don’t Care Where Your Ecommerce Business Is Based, So Be Ready to Ship Anywhere in the World

Factor In geopolitical tensions and changing market conditions

From China’s recently passed “retaliation tariff” to attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea, growing geopolitical tensions are causing businesses to rethink their trade routes.

How a business navigates geopolitical disruptions largely depends on whether it is looking for a short-term or long-term strategy. If a company is looking for a short-term strategy, for example, it can likely adapt more swiftly to trade route disruptions. Businesses focused on long-term logistical planning, however, need to factor in the big-picture implications of geopolitical stability.

Take, for example, the current tensions between the U.S. and China, which have caused more manufacturers to set up operations in Mexico. If the U.S. decides to permanently shift its purchasing from China to Mexico, this change would have significant implications on the trade route’s pricing and capacity in the long term.

Businesses entering into international markets should factor in what parts of the supply chain are likely to be disrupted within the time frame they are targeting and consider whether or not they are well positioned to pivot, as necessary.

Related: How to Find International Customers and Partners as You Expand Your Market

Build strong relationships with international partners

One of the most overlooked factors in navigating global logistics is the importance of building strong relationships with partners abroad. Businesses seeking strong international partnerships must learn and adapt to the customs and cultures of the regions they operate within.

In my work, I do business with partners in multiple countries. Every year, when I attend their annual conferences, I notice the difference between leaders who respect the local customs and those who operate as though they were on home soil. Often, this attitudinal difference determines who establishes long-lasting, cooperative partnerships that lead to better pricing and referrals and who loses business altogether.

According to the International Labour Union, a staggering 70% of international ventures collapse due to cultural disparities. Every culture has its own etiquette. Doing a little research on the communication rules and accepted behaviors in the countries you’re operating in can go a long way toward establishing a cooperative partnership.

As a seasoned leader in international logistics, I’ve seen firsthand the transformative power of adapting to global market dynamics. For businesses venturing into international terrain, understanding regulatory landscapes, geopolitical shifts and cultural nuances not only mitigates the risk of expansion but can help maximize the opportunity.