INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS
Over the years, Honeyland has maintained mutually beneficial
and trusting relationships with the same networks.
Information technology, Internet access, and email have
allowed Sue to keep in regular contact with her network
partners in between her regular visits to Japan. Often she
is also busy with answering customers’ queries and requests
directly. She explains: ‘‘There are daily e-mails from
business partners; they have a habit of sending vast numbers of
e-mails with queries, such as potential benefits of treating race
horses with NZ Manuka honey to prevent stomach ulcers.’’
These kinds of queries have given Sue food for thought if
she ever wanted to expand her business and develop
other products. It is not astonishing that Honeyland has
its own website for general information and marketing.
CONCLUSION
Sue says that she is very content with her business. She
operates a lean and efficient enterprise with only minimal
expenses and overheads. She does so single-handedly
(no employees) from a small office room in her own
home, and she has no immediate plans to change it.
Honeyland is now one of the long-time successful ‘‘international
new venture’’ businesses in New Zealand.
Questions for Discussion
1. Imagine that you are in charge of logistics for a small
exporting business such as Honeyland.What are the difficulties
you need to think about?
2. What are the specific contextual requirements when
exporting from New Zealand?
3. Considering that Sue is under a significant time constraint,
do you think that outsourcing the entire logistics
would be a good move for Honeyland?
4. What would have been an alternative entry strategy for
the Japanese market?
5. Do you think the company should expand or diversify?
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR
RESEARCH
For further information, please see the following websites:
General information about New Zealand, including socioeconomic
details, supplied by the New Zealand Trade
& Enterprise web site which is government sponsored