Considering the population factor alone, developing countries in Asia and around the world present strong opportunities. Competition, currency fluctuations, underground economy influences, and intellectual property laws are a few areas to watch out for. For China for example, business planners must have empathy for the people and culture of China to be successful. Planners must not assume culture is the same throughout a group of particular countries targeted for export. For instance, in India many different languages are spoken.
Flexibility is very important.
In Brazil for example, purple is the symbol of death and therefore not good for labeling and marketing. For China, it is vital for foreigners to realize that they are guests in China and to take time with clients to establish a relationship. Disney's experience in France is an excellent example of the consequences of failing to address cultural issues when developing the business plan. The French culture was largely ignored in many ways initially, causing a poor reception and failure to reach sales goals. Companies must find ways to develop opportunities for growth by talking to customers and distributors.