Entrepreneurial instant exporters in the Scottish arts and crafts sector

This article deals with a study of the international behavior of Scottish arts and crafts businesses that are "instant internationals. " The internationalization process is analyzed together with the key influences on rapid internationalization. in what might be regarded as a rather sleepy sector of the economy, if is interesting to find microbusinesses that have gone international in their first year of business. Portraits of three companies are presented to illustrate the internationalization process, the importance of networks, and how sometimes, the process can be unplanned. The key influences as to why they are instant internationals are classified as (1) product related, (2) personal and psychological, (3) industry related, and (4) cognitive. The analysis identifies the distinguishing features of these firms in relation to their internationalization activities, namely, that the entrepreneurs view themselves as businesspeople rather than craftspeople.