Join me on my European adventure (Part #1 by Jimmy Jackson)

Hello, dear readers, and welcome to my blog, shiny and new!

I’ve never written a blog before, but a little voice inside me tells me I’ll be great at it – like everything I do!  I have to admit, sometimes my abilities and qualities amaze even me.  Especially my sense of modesty.

So let’s start at the beginning, or close to it. 

My name is Jimmy Jackson.  I’m 62 years old a 50-something American business owner, born and raised in a town you probably never heard of, so let’s just drop that subject, it’s kind of embarrassing.  Although I have humble, small-town origins, I’m much more cosmopolitan now; I love the big-city lights, I go to the opera, I eat in fancy restaurants twice a week, I know various phrases in foreign languages – all that stuff.  My personal horizons are expanding all the time.

What is also expanding are the horizons of my business.  Which is why I decided to start this blog.

I mentioned I was a “business owner” – sounds pretty grand, doesn’t it?  Well, I wasn’t always the master of my own fate. For the first few years, I worked my way up the corporate ladder like all my contemporaries. One after the other, I was employed by companies in all kinds of different industries, from high tech and hotel development to horse trailers and high-grade aquarium gravel.  It was all terribly glamorous, but I felt trapped in the corporate rat race.  So about 15 years ago, I decided the moment had come in my career to strike out on my own and become an entrepreneur.  Could I make the grade?  I was convinced I could.  So I founded my own company, Jackson Quantum Ventures, got some funding from several smart investors (Thanks again, Uncle Bob!), and set off down this exciting new path.

Fast-forward fifteen years.  Now the company has over 200 employees and serves a multitude of industries across the entire USA, except Kentucky for some reason.  Can’t seem to break into that market. Anyway, long story short:  It’s been a huge success.  Nothing less than a business sensation!  Last year I was even named Entrepreneur of the Year by Mostly Positive Cash Flow, the widely respected magazine for hard-charging business dynamos like me.

And now it’s time for Jackson Quantum Ventures to make the next big leap: I want to set up an international HQ for the company.  We’re big enough to shift from exporting to European customers to serving them from an office established over there.  It’s a thrilling decision – and my customers love the idea! 

But where in Europe??  That’s the question I’m facing now.  I have spent hours poring over the map of Europe, imagining all the places the company could end up.  There’s a lot of factors to take into consideration.  Oh, I already know there are differences between all the countries in Europe.  Didn’t I mention above how frequently I eat in fancy restaurants? So of course I understand there are different cultures all over the continent, from fish’n’chips to Wienerschnitzel, lasagna, and souvlaki, and I’m guessing probably 30 or 40 different kinds of sauces.  All these cultures!  All these languages, customs, conditions, laws, rules!  How do I choose the location that’s right for Jackson Quantum Ventures? 

To be honest, it’s all a little intimidating.

So that’s what this blog will be all about. I’m inviting you to accompany me on a journey of discovery, as I research the possibilities over there on your beautiful continent.  I plan to share with you my experiences, thoughts, and observations as I figure out the best answer to this important question: Where’s best?

Join me! And be sure to pitch in with your reactions!  Let’s raise a glass to our shared European adventure!

For now, as you say in Europe: Cheerio!

Jimmy