Among the many researches related to internationalisation and international development, few contributes are really designed to suit small and medium enterprises\u2019 specific needs.
This paper explores the internationalisation process of the textile-clothing Italian small and medium enterprises, and aims to investigate their behavior in the international contexts and the impact on the internationalization process to ultimately outline their profile in the international arena and general guidelines able to optimize their peculiarities.
The empirical study firstly examines 159 SMEs along their internationalisation process and in a second step, still ongoing, will focus on selected enterprises (the best practices) in order to extract with in depth personal interviews major outcomes about the impact of cultural dimensions. The internationalisation process is examined through its phases, in particular the decision phase \u2013 motivation to expand abroad and introductory activities - the international marketing strategy \u2013 marketing mix and operative instruments - the achievements and future perspectives. The final aim is to define sustainable paths for SMEs willing to expand successfully over the Country borders
