There are some obvious reasons why you may be considering expanding your current base of operations to include a more global outlook. As the internet continues to break down geographical borders, business owners are becoming increasingly aware that they have the ability to sell to an almost unlimited number of worldwide consumers. For those that make a success of their global expansion, they benefit from new markets to sell existing products to, reduce dependence on their existing markets, and open their scope wider to allow for competition at a global scale. Of course, the major reason for expanding to another country is because by doing so you improve the potential for profit.

Begin from a strong foundation 

Your first step towards global trade is assessing your current strengths and weaknesses. You are going to need a solid foundation if you hope to grow, as overstretching and over-committing is going to quickly reveal any trouble areas that you may not have factored in. Consider the costs of supply and marketing, as well as more nuanced elements such as delivery costs or local exchange rates. If you’re serious about expansion, then you will need a team on the ground. That team is going to be the most important factor when it comes to expanding your business across borders, across cultural differences,and across language barriers. Make sure that your finances and your team are sufficiently equipped to cope with rapid expansion. 

Stay tonally accessible 

Your branding is going to be one of the more important elements of your expansion. That branding is the cornerstone of your marketing strategy, and before you start trading you need to ensure that it is relevant (and not offensive) to your new target country. Make sure that you do your market research very thoroughly, and once you have any issues ironed out, ensure that your branding is consistent at every level. Your website will be particularly important for this, and for eCommerce businesses, it is often worth making use of professional developers like Blackbelt Commerce to make certain that your website functionality is consistent and relevant to each country that you trade in. Scalability is often an issue when it comes to rapid expansion, so always remain consistent and efficient. 

Marketing your product 

Before you start your business growth to include the global market, there are some questions that you are going to need to answer. The first is the obvious concern as to whether there’s a market for your product in your target country? If you sell a new product, then you are going to need to raise awareness of it. Factor in consumer education to your marketing budget, and you become the brand name that is synonymous with that product, no matter how much competition follows your lead. You are also going to need to address the infrastructure of the countries that you're hoping to trade in. If they do not have strong, reliable internet access then you may flounder before you even launch.  

If you have an existing and loyal customer base already,then international expansion is the next logical step towards business growth. Not every business is able to work globally, but with the right market research and team, you could soon be trading around the world and wondering why it took you so long.