Industry Pathology to Develop Global Market Entry Strategies: Emphasizing on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Cut-throat competition, development of emerging markets, risky environmental factors creation of new technologies, community and business development requires internal and external environment of an enterprise to be studied very well to survive in the competitive world today by employing sound strategy. This paper has been conducted to develop strategies to facilitate the access of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Gilan so as to enter to global markets and competitive environments. To this end, informed views of 96 experts working in SMEs have been taken into account.This is classified as an applied study using descriptive-analytic method to collect data. In this paper strengths and weaknesses and opportunities and threats (SWOT analysis) have been investigated closely. Serious and strategic situation of closeness to the export target market is among the most important strengths. The lack of export infrastructure and inefficient international transportation system and smuggling constitute the most important threats to SMEs in international business. Moreover, having export incentive facilities and paying attention to order-taking service and customer satisfaction and standardization and expanding export of quality products are considered as SMEs’ most prominent strengths. Difficulties of gaining advanced technologies, high cost of promotion and advertisement, insufficient working capitals are given priority asthe dire threats to SMEs in exporting products.