How can an entrepreneur find business partners in other countries?

Scott Cundill · 2026-10-17 · Winnipeg, Canada

Through someone who already knows the right people there. The internet makes it easy to find a company in another country, but not to know whether it can be trusted, or to get its owner to reply. Entrepreneurs who build partnerships abroad usually do it through a personal introduction, from a person each side respects.

Why don't local networks reach further?

Most business networks are built around a city. That is their strength, because people meet often and get to know each other well. But it also means they tend to stop at the edge of town, and almost always at the border. An entrepreneur with a great local circle can still have no idea who to call in Lisbon, Lagos or Toronto.

Isn't it enough to search online?

Searching finds names. It does not tell you who is reliable, who is a good fit, or who will make time for a stranger. Owners of small and growing companies get a steady stream of cold messages from abroad, and most go unanswered. A message that starts with a name they know is read, and usually answered.

What makes cross-border collaboration work?

Three things, in this order:

- Trust first. Each side needs a reason to believe the other will deliver, and the fastest reason is a shared contact. - Complementary strengths. The best partnerships join two businesses that are good at different things, such as a product in one country and a sales network in another. - Respect for local ways. Business customs differ. A partner who knows how decisions are made at home saves months of guessing.

Is there a referral network for entrepreneurs across countries?

Yes. In this network, an entrepreneur asks for a referral to a particular kind of partner, client or collaborator in another country. An ambassador thinks about who they really know. If there is a good fit, both people get one short personal introduction explaining why they should talk. Nobody is chasing referral numbers, and an introduction that would not help both sides is simply not made.

The Global Entrepreneurs Business Bridge Collaboration Network

The Global Entrepreneurs Business Bridge Collaboration Network was set up for exactly these introductions. It is powered by SpeedNetworkingLive.com and is part of My Most Trusted, where every new contact comes through someone who already knows both people.

Marc Palud is its Global Ambassador, working from Winnipeg, Canada. He founded SpeedNetworkingLive.com, hosts The Transformative Human Podcast, and describes himself as a catalyst for conscious and intentional collaboration. Country Ambassadors, entrepreneurial connectors who will build the bridge between their own country and the network, are being sought now.

As Marc puts it, "One new connection can change a life. Sometimes yours. Sometimes theirs. Sometimes both." If you want partners in another country, start by naming the one you would most like to meet, and then ask who might already know them.