Digitalisation has made it easier and cheaper to achieve an international presence. However, going global doesn’t just happen overnight; there’s an ocean of research and preparation ahead. One rule of thumb is to double the time and cost estimates, so if you’ve bootstrapped your business and are used to keeping things lean and mean, this is not always easy to do.
With the expansion of alternative finance and the rise of private debt funds, there’s a huge range of finance options for businesses that want to scale up internationally. Here are some points you need to consider:
Identify your principal market. There are plenty of desk research tools to help with this, including the government service great.gov.uk, which aims to facilitate connections between British companies and international buyers.
It’s also a good idea to immerse yourself in the market first. That means living in it, observing consumer behaviour, watching potential competitors, and understanding the dynamics of the marketplace. Getting a feel for the environment of your chosen location is extremely important in making that definite decision.
Every country will have its own administrative checklist to tackle, such as Visas, trademark checks for infringements, compliance with their legal regulations, contracts, employment opportunities for local staff, tax, accounting, insurance, etc.
Twitter’s go-to-market model included two unique strategies, both targeting Japan. First, it created a joint venture with Digital Garage in 2008. Through Digital Garage, Twitter created an entirely different service specifically targeted at the Japanese market. It even started charging for premium services in early 2010, years ahead of any business model in the U.S.
As well as funding UK based tech companies for growth and scaling, we have helped several companies with their international expansion projects. The companies below have all successfully set up in a new market:
| Sector | Company | Domicile Country | International Market |
| Adtech/ Martech | Near.co | India | Worldwide expansion |
| Enterprise SaaS | Coyo | Germany | Worldwide |
| EdTech | MEl Science | UK | USA |
| Digital | Oban International | UK | Worldwide |
Scaling overseas requires significant market research, legal preparation, and long-term strategy. One of the most important aspects of making sure everything goes smoothly is thoroughly understanding the particulars of the country you want to expand to: