I have been inundated with questions these past few weeks - and they all have a similar theme. How do I go about it, and how do I build the database to launch an offshore venture/division/effort?

The major issues seem to be a quesion of where to start. In order to help get you started as quickly as possible, I have combined two seminar developments that we were planning for mid year into an International Business Warriors seminar - which we launch next month.

Firstly, we will look at offshore structures [companies and trusts] that you can set up to compartmentalize the risks - as well as get the best tax advantages. and then we will look at how to rapidly build an initial database of prospects in any international target markets you want to attack.

Specifically, on the offshore side we will look at where to base your enterprise. [Why is the Isle of Man better than the Cayman Islands - or is it? And what's wrong with London anyway?] How to structure the ownership so that you get the most bang for your buck. [[Why is it useful to have all your intellectual property housed in an offshore trust? And where is the intellectual property in your business?] How to get your tax rate on international efforts down to single figures. How to ensure that there is no risk to your local business. And a brief look at most offshore jurisdictions [from Bahamas, via Portugal, to Western Samoa] and how you can use these to add vooma to your international efforts.

Our speaker, Tim Mertons, is a specialist in this field and has already assisted a number of BEST clients to get their offshore structures working.

In this same seminar we will look at how to rapidly create a database of prospects for your international expansion - from the safety of your desk. It's easy and fun, and awfully effective. Unfortunately, you'll have to put up with me for that section! We'll spend an hour on quick research techniques that will produce amazing results for you. These are techniques that are only possible with the internet - and are about as leading edge as you can get in the guerilla marketing world. Since we're all trying to get as much bang for our buck - you'll find them astonishingly effective.

I will be in London and Dublin next week - researching how UK entrepreneurs are structuring their businesses and just getting ideas! The quickest way to really get creative is to fill your head with new stuff. [It blows the cobwebs away!] You may find my email responses a little slower, and my cellphone will be off. But one of the miracles of the Internet is that I can still send a live version of this weekly email from London to 17,500 SA business owners - without it costing any more than it does from home!