I've often had my head handed to me because of my impatience. With most foreign executives, negotiating is an art form. The same entrepreneurs who spend months working on one deal back home will pack their bags, plan to visit 10 countries in 10 days and close 10 deals. Go to one country with an open return ticket. Go into every meeting knowing there will be another.
Patience is a magical word in the international arena.
For female entrepreneurs, good luck. You'll sure as heck need it. It's tough enough being an entrepreneur in the international world, but a female entrepreneur is an impossibility to some foreign executives. They don't know what to do with you or to you, but there are exceptions. I believe I was the first U.S. company to appoint a woman as vice president of its Far East territory.