Using the changing expat demographic as a start-up opportunity

The expat demographic nowadays is wider than it’s ever been, with tech-savvy millenials heading the list of new-style travellers to foreign lands, especially those located in Southeast Asia.

Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia are now hubs for a totally different style of expat looking to enjoy the difference and diversity whilst embracing the opportunities. The only problem is that many traditional destinations don’t have the everyday facilities these new-style wanderers need, or at least they didn’t until recently. Estimates of the numbers of expats in the region aren’t easy to obtain, but as much as 25 per cent of Malaysia’s population is made up of expatriates, with Thailand estimated to have some 500,000 spread across its major cities.

For tech-savvy expats with an entrepreneurial mindset, the internet is the mall to end all malls as it caters conveniently and mostly inexpensively to this massive expat market. Traditional businesses often can’t or don’t want to supply international expat residents, leaving the market wide open for those who see its potential. The only similarity between traditional stores and their online equivalents is expressed with the old saying ‘know your customer base’. It’s a word to the wise for new online retailers, as they have the same needs as their potential clients and are also aware of the transient lifestyle of many of their contemporaries. Almost anything can now be purchased, arranged or sold online, from health checkups through essentials such as food and clothing to taxis, flight tickets and even visas for the more IT-savvy countries.

The first and most important issue is finding a gap in the market for whatever your app or website represents. Niche targeting can be by nationality, personal preference or commercial reality, or even with all three. Another option is to start a community-based online portal based on your own nationality and present location, aimed at providing new-arrivals with links to all that’s necessary for settling in. Allowing adverts may be seen as naff, but it’s also remunerative. Targeting long-term expat communities in your chosen destination with tips, advice and essential products should bring in enough to keep you in the style to which you’d love to become accustomed.