Interest has grown in explaining the positive performance of small businesses that internationalize from start up. In response to this question, we have empirically confirmed the relevant role played by dynamic absorption capacity in these firms and the influence of an entrepreneurial market‐oriented culture, on the basis of the Dynamic Capabilities Approach, through a sample of 102 Spanish born‐global SMEs. The success of these firms is determined by their ability to assimilate and to use knowledge in accordance with the demands of the market.