The process of starting a business in a developing country can involve complications that are unfamiliar to a businessperson from Europe or North America. Customs of trade and business can vary widely throughout the world, and a person who hopes to succeed in another country needs to learn to adapt. Along with the unfamiliarity, there are opportunities for innovation that might not exist at home.

Alternative Energy

Many developing countries are moving into the 21st century having largely skipped the 20th. Countries that never acquired a full-blown power or communications infrastructure before the advent of decentralized technologies, such as solar panels, cellphones and micro-hydro power, are now realizing that they may not need those infrastructures anyway. Getting into a business that provides small scale solar power, windmills and electric hydro turbines to people in Africa and India who are accessing electricity for the first time may be a good move.

Culture Videos

People in North America and Europe are interested in the cultures that exist in other parts of the world. You can cater to this interest by moving to a developing country and creating videos focusing on that country's dance, music and visual arts. These videos can be posted online or offered for sale on DVDs. A portion of the proceeds can go to the performers and artists, and you can make a living while learning about a different culture and helping the people in that culture to preserve their culture and support themselves.

Tourism

Tourism is one of the biggest industries in the world, and a determined entrepreneur can claim a piece of it in almost any country. Tourists who arrive in a foreign country need a lot of things: currency exchange, guidance, food, lodging and transportation. Focusing on any one of these needs and providing it well can help you to make a living in a developing country. Employing people who live there can increase your popularity among the locals and make it easier to get things done.

Import/Export

There is an appetite for Western goods in developing countries, just as there is an appetite for the productions of developing countries in the West. You can carve out a niche for yourself by fulfilling both of these markets from a base in a developing country. Finding and maintaining contacts in Europe and North America can save you the trouble and expense of traveling back and forth. You can receive shipments from the West and send off shipments from your adopted country, and your contacts can do the same where they live.