EXPLORING THE VIRTUAL WORLD

October 5, 2020
Maria Joaquina Marques

In this day and age, having your own business and doing business may be more straightforward, yet challenging at the same time.

It is more straightforward because the world is available at the touch of a button, yet it is challenging because we must know how to pick, choose and plan the path we want to take. The virtual world offers a realm of opportunities, but one must separate the wheat from the chaff. For every person who seeks new clients, partners, employees or employers via say social media, there is somebody trying to trick and cheat them, aided by the disguise facilitated by the anonymity of the virtual world. For those seeking new collaborations and services offered by others, it is vital that they pay attention to the less positive aspects of the internet and carry out a background check before taking things further. How does one go about doing this? By looking up the company information, the addresses of service providers, by scrolling through forums and specialized websites which provide information on potential employers or potential candidates for collaborations.

There are numerous ways in which we can verify the information on people we wish to contact, or those contacting us, hence we shouldn´t ignore or neglect our virtual image. In other words, we must be present on the internet, be it via social media or a website. In doing so we must be professional, transparent and concise. The better our message, the faster we’ll be able to reach direct clients or target companies of interest. If we aim to expand our business, we should hire professional translators to deal with all written content, because the risk of losing a client owed to an unclear message, or one containing spelling mistakes is too high, and not worth it.

There are always associated risks in doing business and establishing partnerships in this digital era, but there is also tremendous potential, and to be a part of this globalisation could be a gigantic step towards developing a business.