Building Global Businesses: Kerry Paul's Guide to Going Global from NZ

What drives you to start and build global businesses? In my case between 2003 to 2021 I founded and exited five start-up companies. I would like to share why I did this alongwith what I learnt from these experiences. The aim is to encourage others to think through do they want to do the same and if they do what they can learn from my experience?

Lessons from Five Start-ups to Exit over 20 years This Blog Series draws heavily on Kerry Paul’s experience over 20 years founding five start-ups, building these into global businesses and finally the exit. The most notable being Manuka Health New Zealand 2006-15. In less than a decade, it grew from a start-up to a $73 million business, exporting to 45 countries with a staff of over 120.

Getting Started: Turning a Core Idea into a Business Every successful business begins with an idea. But having an idea and turning it into a sustainable, global business are two very different things. In my experience, the difference lies not just in the product itself, but in how well you define, plan, and execute around it. There are many challenges when building a global business from New Zealand.

Leadership Style Matters An idea, however, is only as strong as the people driving it. Leadership is critical. In my view, leaders are not “born”—they’re developed. The most important trait? A growth mindset.

A key consideration when starting a business is the development of a strategy and the establishment of essential capabilities. Company strategy can be defined as the integrated set of decisions made on activities to position the company where it can deliver unique value to its customers in its chosen markets while earning superior returns in the long run. In short, strategy defines how you compete in your chosen markets on a sustained basis.

Developing a unique business model is a process of combining your firm’s unique skills and capabilities to meet customer’s needs with your ability to add value to the product or service you want to deliver.

Securing investment and establishing governance are crucial for start-ups, especially during the initial phase and throughout the business lifecycle.

The Governance Imperative Raising funds is one part of the equation. The other is governance—the structures and practices that ensure the company is run responsibly. Securing capital brings obligations. Shareholders are entrusting you with their money, and maintaining their confidence is one of the CEO’s most important jobs.