Sunday 19 April 2015

How International Strategic Consultants Can Help You Expand Your Business Horizons

By Joanna Walsh


As the world becomes ever more integrated economically, many business owners have made moves to expand their reach beyond their nations' borders. If you're among that number, you've no doubt realized the potential of that sizable market you're not currently reaching. Those unrealized sales opportunities can amount to millions and millions of lost potential sales each and every year. If you want to change that dynamic by reaching out to foreign markets, top international strategic consultants can provide the help you need.

There are really two ways to think about global expansion. The first is to plan for a completely internal process, wherein you rely on your company's existing personnel to assist in the expansion effort. Obviously, that can be challenging for the average firm, since most do not have that level of internal expertise in this area.

The second consideration involves outsourcing the expansion effort to a firm that specializes in breaking into foreign markets. While this second option does entail additional outside expenditures, it has a number of solid advantages that far outweigh the costs associated with hiring an outside expert. When the average company evaluates those benefits, the choice to use outside help usually becomes an easy one to make.

A competent strategic consulting firm can assist you with all of the major and minor issues that global trade entails. They cover the full spectrum of business concerns, including foreign business alliances, acquisition of existing foreign companies, accounting and tax issues, and infrastructure planning and management.

They'll also help you as you go through the process of assessing the risks involved in expanding into any of your desired markets. This is critical, since you obviously don't want to expend time and resources expanding your reach only to discover that your return on any investment is less than you expected. Consulting firms can help you ensure that the risks are minimized so that your profits are maximized.

There are also less glamorous details that need to be addressed. Things like supply chains and resource management can be critical when you extend your business reach. Consultants can help you assess local suppliers, determine whether current chains can be scaled to accommodate your new needs, and help you develop the systems you need to ensure reliability at every level of your critical supply chain.

The one thing you will most definitely need is help with managing foreign bureaucracies. Every nation is different in the way it handles new businesses, after all. Rather than learn new laws and traditions, it is safer to rely on professionals who already have that expertise.

When you stop and consider these things, it is obvious that the process of expanding into a foreign market is a complex process that involves specialized knowledge of the type few entrepreneurs possess. Thankfully, you can avoid potential pitfalls and ensure maximum opportunity for success by outsourcing much of your expansion effort to a consulting company with the experience and technical expertise you need to ensure success.




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