xpand Business Internationally

With global market presenting innumerable opportunities for brands, not all brands have the resources required to expand their business internationally. After all, international expansion does not rely solely on opening an office overseas and calling it a day – brands must follow carefully crafted strategies that detail their goals, finances, human resources plans, objectives, and so on. Additionally, one must understand that one cannot simply follow a set pattern for expansion for every country they want their business to function in. Each country has its own laws, cultural norms, and market sizes that must be carefully evaluated too. In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about how to expand your business internationally.


How to take your business international?

While analysing how companies go global, you’ll see that many start by identifying business partners abroad that can not only work towards the vision of the brand, but also guide the brand in matters related to local culture, competition, and sales tactics.

Once that regional head or country head is identified, you can start taking steps to ensure that you have the right infrastructure needed. Thus, to answer how to expand your business internationally, you must start by answering questions related to the hierarchy of your business, what kinds of decisions local offices and their management can take, what kinds of teams does management require to succeed, are basic requirements like office space, telephones, computers and so on taken care of, and what practises you want to follow with regards to workflow and data management.


Challenges and opportunities of global expansion

Once you have understood all you need to know regarding how to take your business international, you must identify the challenges in your way. This can help you come up with a contingency plan to stave off any potential threats to your business. A few challenges of international expansion include:
  • Language differences that can hamper the flow of business
  • Cultural norms that may require you to change company policy or marketing efforts
  • Regulatory or compliance issues related to the country in question
  • A difference in the pace at which work gets done
  • Local competition that may pose challenges for you
  • Packaging standards
  • Complying with local laws


Also read: Things You Should Know Before Expanding in Europe

What to consider when expanding a business internationally?

There are many factors to consider when expanding business internationally. Apart from the challenges and infrastructure related concerns, there are a few other things to keep in mind when expanding your business internationally.

You may have to change the direction of your company. Always be flexible, as strategies that may have worked in your home company will not necessarily work abroad.

You must be willing to give up a certain level of control because you cannot handle everything. Define, well in advance, the responsibilities and decisions local management can take, and what they should defer to you for.

Understand whether there is a market for your products. You will not want to be the equivalent of a company that’s trying to sell ice to Eskimos! Make sure that you do all your due diligence before zeroing in on a country and expanding there.

When wondering how to expand your business internationally, do note that these factors are just the tip of the iceberg! Seasoned business setup consultants can help you craft effective strategies that can help you expand your business to emerging markets like India, Italy, etc. with ease. If you’re planning to take your brand to the international market, then we recommend you get in touch with one today!