Border Crossings

It seems to be a trend: In more and more of the conversations I’ve been having with watershapers, the level of interest in what’s involved in working overseas has really spiked in recent weeks and months.

I recall a time several years back when curiosity about overseas work focused on the glamour and excitement of stepping into uncharted territory. Now, however, there’s a certain urgency to the inquiries, and my guess is there are at least three reasons behind it.

First, there’s the enduring sense of the prestige and energy that comes with working in faraway or exotic locales. Second, there’s a healthy desire among these people to increase the scope of their businesses and reach for overseas projects that can be both lucrative and intellectually stimulating. Third and quite certainly, there’s concern in many quarters about the current economic situation in the United States and where it all might lead.

As one who’s been involved with offshore projects for many years, I’ve watched as the world truly has become smaller because of communications technology that makes working with clients in foreign lands so much easier and more affordable. Travel is still a burden, but digital photography and computer-assisted design have lightened the load to a manageable level by reducing the necessity to go on the road with greater frequency.

Things have developed to the point where some 40 percent of my own company’s business takes place beyond U.S. borders. Although that work has become easier to manage through the years, it’s still something we’re getting used to. Indeed, just about every project offers some new wrinkle that educates us and helps us be more prepared for the next job.

GOING OVER

This is, of course, a topic I’ve discussed before on these pages, but it’s one that bears revisiting given both the uptick of requests for information and the urgency I sense among some of those who’ve asked about this sort of work: If you’re seriously thinking about making this move as a hedge against what’s happening in the domestic market, please be aware that there are a number of important considerations you need to weigh before you dive headlong into international work!

First, bear in mind that there’s no exact blueprint for being successful in foreign countries, largely because everyone’s business is a bit different and the type of work you do will influence the way you pursue these clients. There’s also the fact that there are tremendous variations in what you need to do, depending on where you’re intending to work.

That’s not meant to be as intimidating as it sounds: It’s just that going after offshore work means you need to be both forewarned about the nature of these locales and forearmed with information that will help you get along. Indeed, there are a number of fundamental features of international jobs that, when observed, will help you increase your chances of success while avoiding some of the potential pitfalls.

By nature, for example, my design-consulting approach to the business is well suited to international outreach because my company trades in intellectual property rather than dealing with the complications of selling goods in other countries or the even more challenging process of running construction jobs overseas – both of which involve a range of shipping, distribution, material and labor issues atop a near-infinite set of variables.

It’s not impossible to deal with all those functions and variables, but my observation is that translating complicated business operations into complex overseas business operations is a tough row to hoe. By the same token, if you’re determined and have the wherewithal to stick with it, just about any sort of business approach can be exported and applied in many other places around the world, in some cases with relative ease.

Indeed, I’ve found in many respects that working overseas is not unlike working in the United States: Referrals are all-important wherever you go, and the key is making yourself known to people who will lead you to projects, whether they be clients or other professionals (architects, landscape architects and more). In our case, we didn’t actually plan a dozen years ago on becoming international in scope; instead, this part of our business has grown incrementally, largely as a result of following leads and making the most of those contacts.

Almost invariably, once we gain a toehold in a place, we become established in rapid order and the work often multiplies rapidly. Bermuda has been one of those places for us: It’s a healthy, well-to-do marketplace, and so far we’re up to more than 40 projects there with no signs of slowing down. All of it started with one call from a single architect who needed help on just one project. It went well, others saw what we did and the referral network expanded from there, just as it would stateside or in any other place.

LOCAL COLORS

To some extent, getting a feel for a place is the key to having business blossom on that level. And I’m not alone in this experience: My friend and Genesis 3 partner Skip Phillips, for example, has established a similar beachhead in Canada and has even opened a satellite office there.

In neither his case nor mine did we plan to become established in these particular places, but in both instances we recognized opportunities and have done our best to make the most of them. What it takes is a willingness to try and, once you gain access, to stick with it and see what comes.

Of course, pursuing overseas work brings its costs and challenges, and the travel can become enormously time-consuming. To make things work, you need to be comfortable working across a range of time zones, put up with going through customs, work around whatever language barriers you might encounter and accept the fact that long airplane flights mean lots of time away from both your family and your business base.

At root, you need to be realistic in your expectations. Yes, I’ve actually sat on a beach with my feet in the sand while sketching out a pool, and I’ve had my share of vacation-like experiences in other countries, but the reality is generally otherwise: The work can be difficult and there are times when it can become uncomfortable and exhausting, physically and mentally.

I recently traveled to Nicaragua, for example, to work with a couple who are opening a resort there. The tropical landscape is beautiful and I met many wonderful people there, but I also saw extreme poverty at very close range and on a level that was both eye-opening and distressing.

I’ve also been to places where extreme cold, extreme heat, oppressive humidity or non-stop insect intrusions have made me uncomfortable. And I’ve been in places where roads are dicey, communications are spotty and the drinking water is questionable – and it will come as no surprise that I have sometimes been disappointed by the accommodations I’ve found and the limitations is local cuisine.

It’s another simple case where being forewarned is being forearmed: Before traveling to any new place, I do all I can to learn as much as I can so I am prepared for good as well as bad. To be sure, no preparation of that sort is completely adequate and I always run into something that surprises me; as a consequence, I always pack my bags with an open mind and a flexible spirit, recognize that I’m a guest and do all I can to adapt myself to these new situations as they unfold.

Sometimes it’s pretty easy to get along. Bermuda, for example, is a British territory, so there are no real language barriers and I don’t sense great cultural distinctions. Even so, I would never have known, other than by direct experience, that there’s a huge division there on the issue of separating from the United Kingdom and becoming a separate nation. Some people are passionately for it, others are against it and both sides are vocal in their beliefs.

I’ve learned (here and elsewhere) that these subjects are not to be treated lightly. It doesn’t affect my ability to do business, but if I was brash or insensitive in stating my own opinions, I certainly might run the risk of making a comment that could be construed as offensive – and a potential deal killer.

MAKING HEADWAY

A big part of being a good traveler and welcome guest means employing tact and situational awareness. That comes naturally to some people, but I know it can be challenging for others. For my part, I’ve come to believe that experiencing other countries and cultures has rounded out my character and broadened my perspective on a host of issues.

At this point, when I go to a new and unfamiliar place, I act as though I am having an initial conversation over a kitchen table with a potential U.S. client and open myself to everything around me. Sometimes, people notice and seem to appreciate my effort in raising my awareness of the nuances of their culture and customs. They sense my adaptability and willingness to listen and pick up on the subtleties of their everyday lives and are impressed that I’d take the time and have the patience to do so.

Patience is an important word in this context. Working overseas can require a lot of it, and you need to balance that need against what you hope to achieve on any given trip. You might, for example, have to sit through hour after hour of peripheral conversations before finding your way to the “real” business at hand.

And you have to recognize that you’re basically under a microscope: I often find myself flying to another land, coming face to face with a client I’ve never met and sometimes spending the night in his or her home. Being comfortable in those circumstances can be surprisingly difficult (especially if you’re a bit jet-lagged), but you need to move confidently through any such situation. Some are good at it, others aren’t: It’s just not for everybody.

In other words, as with so many things in business that require us to step outside the bounds of what we usually do, we have to be self-aware and accept the fact that the variables we encounter in dealing with these “exotic” situations are nearly infinite. Indeed, the one thing we can count on is that work overseas is never “business as usual.”

When you do land work in another country, you must become immediately familiar with the rules of engagement. In some countries, for instance, no government agency will care that you’re there doing work and everything’s easy. In others, however – Bermuda included – you have to obtain a work permit that involves serious red tape and a large dose of bureaucratic absurdity. The key here is to make no assumptions: Depending on where you are, the laws you might inadvertently break may find you in detention while things are clarified or might even result in your being summarily deported.

Some of the requirements seem a bit outlandish: In Bermuda, for example, you must submit a recent chest X-ray with a sheaf of application paperwork. I’m not sure why that’s so and I haven’t run into it anywhere else, but the rules are the rules and there’s no getting around the requirement. (I can only imagine the facility they use to store all that film: Must be a file clerk’s nightmare.)

KNOWING THE ROPES

Once you’re safely, legally and comfortably operating in another country, you then have to be able to function effectively on the business front.

In that context, understanding various monetary systems, currencies and exchange mechanisms is critical. These days particularly, I am careful about pricing and taking into account the strength of the dollar relative to other currencies and keep an eye on various fees, taxes and other expenses I might incur. In other words, I can’t price things overseas the way I do at home and know that if I don’t do my homework I could get killed, financially speaking, by unexpected expenses that can take a profitable-seeming job and turn it into a real money-loser.

As much as I’m aware of cultural issues, I’m perhaps even more fiscally aware overseas. If I’m moving materials into the country as part of a construction project, for example, I’m keenly aware of the import laws, tariffs, shipping costs, customs rules and the time required to move items from point A to point B. In some situations, you might even have to know a thing or two about whose palms you have to grease to get things delivered – a risky, unpleasant but, in some places, unavoidable side of the business.

Experience certainly helps. In my case, I’ve learned a great deal about charging for my time based on the kinds of expenses I’m going to run into, including everything from air travel and hotel accommodations to dining and costs associated with ground travel. That’s basic stuff, but important – and extremely variable from place to place.

I also know well enough now that, in dealing with upper-echelon people in other countries, I need to plan on hosting an evening or outing of some kind while I’m there – especially if I have the sense that a particular client may be the key to referrals or additional business contacts. Doing so means knowing what things cost and engaging in some research about restaurants or various types of excursions.

Again, no two countries are exactly alike, so if there’s one way to sum up what I have to do, it’s all about knowing the rules, playing by them, pricing my services sensibly and planning my time thoroughly.

As suggested at the outset, my work overseas is simplified by the fact that I run mostly a design-only business. If your thought is to design and build in another country, there are additional issues to consider with respect to the availability of basic materials (stone, concrete and plumbing supplies) as well as electrical services and excavation equipment – all of which have an influence on job planning. The same is true of local building codes: As I’ve pointed out in past columns, rules governing construction in other countries tend to be far less stringent than they are here at home, but you can never be certain what you’re dealing with until you investigate and get reliable answers to your questions.

In some places I’ve worked, methods of construction are completely different. I’ve been in areas, for example, where pneumatically applied concrete is non-existent and everything is built using masonry blocks or poured-in-place concrete. That single factor can have a huge influence on the nature of a design, the estimated cost of its installation and the time construction will take.

MEASURING UP

Another issue that can really trip some people up – especially folks from the United States – is working in the metric system. In designing, you absolutely need the capability of interpreting plans drawn using the metric system and have to be able to generate your own plans and drawings in that system as well. Rest assured: This distinction drives equipment selection and acquisition of basic plumbing materials.

Another facet of international work that catches some operations off guard is the ongoing need for project oversight. As a design-only guy, that’s not typically a big issue for me, but I always establish expectations for my designs based on how well they’re installed – and if project supervision is part of my arrangement with the client, I price and plan site visits just as I would for projects here in the United States.

Although often challenging and occasionally intimidating, it is true that working in other lands can be big (and profitable) fun, and I’m thrilled that I have had so many opportunities to pursue such projects. I’ve seen the world, had experiences I wouldn’t have had otherwise and have met some truly fascinating, wonderful people. Indeed, if you get involved in this sort of work and are good at it, rather than simply visiting places, you come to see the world through a very different kind of lens than you do simply as a tourist. In a sense, it’s a much deeper type of involvement in other places and cultures.

If you have confidence in yourself, plan adequately, do your homework and, perhaps most important, are prepared to deliver quality service overseas on the same level you do at home, then you might find this work to be just the ticket. But if you go into the process with blinders on, hobbled by pre-conceptions and thinking that work is work abroad and at home, you’re likely to wake up with an awesome headache in a foreign hotel asking yourself, “What am I doing here?”

It’s not for everyone, but for some of us who’ve survived that particular nightmare and worked through the difficulties, it’s now a pleasurable part of our working lives.

Brian Van Bower runs Aquatic Consultants, a design firm based in Miami, Fla., and is a co-founder of the Genesis 3 Design Group; dedicated to top-of-the-line performance in aquatic design and construction, this organization conducts schools for like-minded pool designers and builders. He can be reached at [email protected]