When should social enterprises start to think about internationalisation?
When do Social Enterprises internationalise its activities? Many social enterprises that took part in this study were trading internationally from its inception. Others began their international trading activities within their first two operating years, while for some this step took longer. In one case it took 20 years before the SE decided to internationalise. Even though many of the organizations that took part in this project had operated internationally from the point of inception, the majority of social enterprises had entered international markets without an internationalisation strategy, or an export plan.
Maybe the lack of planning, prior to internationalisation, embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of social entrepreneurs. It is out of question that the best way to start a process of internationalisation is to consider the possibility to develop a strategy and a structured plan. The social enterprise needs to be solid in the management and in the operability of the different process. It is also clear that for a social enterprise the decision to start a process of internationalisation is even dictated by opportunities, meetings, occasions, or even simple coincidences.