The 1990s have shown that the market place for businesses is no longer
limited to national or local competition. Businesses now must address
the issue of international competition. In entering the global market
place, companies now have to not only gain understanding of market en
try but must also gain understanding of the local governmental laws an
d regulations as well. The relationship between business and governmen
t is an important component in the success of entering new markets; ho
wever, it is often a difficult relationship characterized by misunders
tandings and miscommunications. This paper will first identify previou
sly discussed factors influencing the success of organizations in the
international market place, which includes market entry and global inf
luence. Following this presentation, a model will be presented to assi
st small business decision makers in analyzing international market op
portunities. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.