The good news is that doing business internationally is easier and more attractive than ever. The bad news is, well, doing business internationally is easier and more attractive than ever. Almost every company thinks about doing it. Many actually have a good reason for it. Unfortunately, many companies “go global” without adequate preparation and strategic planning. And the results are exactly what you might expect.
Our business and strategic consulting practice works to help companies leverage the power of international business while avoiding the pitfalls. We use our experience and that of colleagues internationally to help you steer clear of mistakes. And we work hard to make sure that the advice you receive is not just smart, but is smart for you specifically. So, every assignment that we accept requires us to custom tailor our work based on the particular goals and circumstances presented.
With rules and regulations, laws and conventions changing all the time, and subtle differences from country to country that must be understood and respected, we will help you select and engage, and then will work on your behalf with, exactly the right “in-country” professionals. People with whom, based on our own experience, we feel confident are knowledgeable in all applicable areas of law and finance and understand the jurisdictions in which you may be doing business. People who know how to deal with local authorities and financial institutions, are closely plugged into the local power structure and are steeped in the local culture and customs.
Teaming with trusted hand-picked professionals, both in the U.S. and on the ground in the country where we are working, we work in the following areas:
Business and Project Planning.
With some thoughtful planning, you can increase the probability of your business or project succeeding. From establishing scope and viability, to budget, schedule and team requirements, we and our local contacts can help tailor a plan on which you can build. Our business and project development services include strategy review, feasibility studies, sustainability advice, background assessments and due diligence and S.W.O.T. analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats).
Joint Venture Deal Scouting and Making Local Contacts.
Got a project? Looking to form a joint venture and/or for someone with the right experience to take your business international? We may be able to connect you to just the right people through our contacts.
Offshore Company Structuring and Entity Formation.
Creating an offshore structure may be appropriate for your business. But we can almost guarantee that you’ll fail to do it right and end up with a host of business and tax problems if you don’t have the right advice. We have experience in connecting our clients to exactly the right people to handle foreign company structuring and to perform formation and related services. We know what to ask for and how to get the appropriate help to ensure that you receive what you need so that your activities are 100% legal and appropriate in multiple international jurisdictions and that your business is structured in an optimal way for business and tax purposes.
Logistical Support Services.
Some of the biggest challenges in doing business outside of the U.S. are logistical ones – finding office space and obtaining phone lines, setting up internet services and having mail delivered. It’s particularly difficult to find reliable support staff to facilitate meetings, answer phones and the like.
We often have the contacts you need in order to take care of the logistics surrounding your venture, allowing you to focus on doing business. Among the services that we can help arrange for you are:
- Furnished day-offices and meeting rooms,
- Mail addresses in all the major cities,
- Mail forwarding,
- Dedicated local phone and fax numbers,
- Virtual office offshore services, and
- Business support
International Contract Negotiation.
Any international businessperson or lawyer will tell you that international contracts are the most difficult to negotiate and the easiest to go wrong. Legal, financial and cultural differences can keep parties from reaching agreement. And the complexities of harmonizing disparities can often seem insurmountable.
Choosing the right local professionals to assist with these negotiations can be difficult. We have experience in interviewing and selecting professionals worldwide to help you successfully negotiate contracts in numerous critical business areas.
Government Licensing.
Certain activities –insurance and financial services, for example – require licensing by the local government authority. If that licensing is not obtained properly, your ability to do business in that jurisdiction may be curtailed and you may be subject to fines and penalties.
Don't attempt to take on the challenge of obtaining necessary licenses without assistance from a qualified advisor. We have been successful in finding effective representatives for our clients in order to facilitate obtaining necessary licenses.
Our Pledge.
We can’t promise that we have all of the answers, but we know enough to ask the right questions. It's not about us. It's about you. What we can promise is that we’ll listen to you and customize our work to your individual needs and objectives and your own unique set of circumstances.
