Launching global companies nowadays is much easier than it was 5 or 10 years ago. Especially if we are talking about technology-based businesses in which the product is an app or online service.
We’ve listed in this post some tips to help any entrepreneur launch a global product with the lowest costs. It is incredibly easy and fast – check it out:
“Fake it ’til you make it”
This well-known expression literally means to pretend something until it becomes real. And it is very popular among startups. The idea is to look at your project as being global from day one. Assuming a global attitude will incentivize you and your team to create strategies to make it become a reality!
Translate your website & social media for only $5/500 words
If you want to go abroad it is fundamental that people from all over the world understand your business. Just imagine that a potential client, willing to spend thousands of dollars buying your product/service, go to your website and don’t speak the same language as you! You just lost a great deal, right?
An easy way to minimize your costs and get a higher conversion rate is to translate your website and your social media to the target language. This is an important first step to avoid the previous situation and is very easy to do. You can translate up to 500 words for only US$5 on https://www.fiverr.com/!
Hire a “biz address” in a co-working space
You may even appear to be global acting from your home country. But it is certainly much easier to sell that image if you have an address abroad. You can go to services like Liquidspace or Sharedesk and find the most interesting places in the country that you want people to think your company is (remembering we’re not talking about opening legally, at least for now).
Many spaces offer the “biz address” service for 30 or 45 dollars a month. It will be hard to escape from this cost. But you can enjoy the advantages that these places have to offer. For instance, their online networking and many other perks.
Buy an international number via Skype
If the co-working service does not provide a fixed telephone number, it may be worth hiring one on Skype or Voycelin. You can receive any calls directly on your phone using this service. It will help minimize your costs, once having an international number. It can also highly increase the international perception of your company.
You can also have an international virtual receptionist that will answer your calls. This virtual receptionist is also able to pass basic information about your product. However it seems great, the virtual receptionist is more expensive, costing around $260/month.
Get customers via professional networks
Now that your website & social media are in English and you have an international address, it’s time to start looking for the first foreign customers to test your service.
We suggest starting with online networks of professionals. Such as LinkedIn or Xing. You can either post tips from your industry on groups and forums or send messages directly to profiles that interest you the most.
Remember, at this time it is interesting to get clients that are a reference in your area. Be very focused on this purpose by mapping key people in the ecosystem and start a conversation with them as soon as possible. If you have problems writing the texts, go back to the second item of this list and translate everything. If you do that, it’s just a matter of copying and pasting.
You can check some nice icebreakers to use in this link.
Hire someone from another country
Hiring someone from another country change your organizational beliefs and implement an international mindset within your team.
Many institutions offer internship opportunities in other nations, such as Aiesec. All you need to do is to register your company and start thinking global!
Enroll in acceleration and pre-acceleration programs
After the first contacts with foreign clients, you will have an idea of your startup’s impact and the potential that you have in the global market.
Depending on the stage of your business, it might be very interesting to enroll in an accelerator program abroad. You will receive assistance from experts in the market. These assistants will help you create strategies to succeed not only in their country, but also worldwide.
The easiest way to get accepted is to search for programs in non-obvious places. Countries such as the United States, London, and Germany are always very disputed. Apply to the countries of Eastern Europe, China, Turkey, Chile, Hong Kong, Mexico, among others.
Try to look for programs that offer facilities with the VISA and your stay. It will save you a lot of time and avoid countless headaches. You will not get away from the costs of living in another country, but depending on the city that you choose, you can even save money and take your business to a global level.
If you aren’t sure where and how to start, just visit our Go Global Platform.
