Focus Project

International expansion that keeps opportunities, margin and risk in view

Q: For which companies is this international expansion project intended?

Primarily for SMEs and B2B service providers who want to establish their international business more systematically or reorganise existing activities.

Q: How detailed do the business plan and scenarios become?

We develop scenarios together with clear assumptions on volumes, prices, margins, costs and resources, and ensure these are traceable both commercially and financially.

Q: Do you also support operationally with building contacts and partners?

Yes, we help structure and prioritise target contacts and can—if desired—also support with approach, preparation of discussions, and selection and evaluation of partners.

Q: How precisely do you account for cultural differences in international expansion?

For prioritised markets, we develop practical guidelines with you on communication style, decision pathways and negotiation tactics, so your team avoids typical cultural pitfalls and builds trust faster.

Growth from attractive target markets, viable go-to-market scenarios, new contacts and translated culture through clear sales strategy.

Current Situation

This focus project is for you if at least one of these points applies

1. **You get international enquiries but no clear plan** Individual distributors or customers make contact, yet there's no structured approach to which markets you should genuinely prioritise and how you want to appear there. 2. **New markets lack a robust business plan** Revenue targets, margins, costs for sales/service and scenarios are rough estimates and convince neither management nor banks. 3. **Products and offerings are only partially market-ready** Specifications, approvals, service setup or pricing logic don't fully match requirements in the target market. 4. **Cultural differences slow international business development** Meetings run differently than expected, decision paths are opaque, and it's difficult to build trust and stable relationships. 5. **Many international contacts but no structured build-up** Trade shows, LinkedIn and networks generate leads, yet there's no systematic approach to turning these into a viable pipeline, partner landscape and customer base.

To the case study

Deliverables

Project Objectives

- **Clearly prioritised target markets for your international business development** Transparent logic for which markets to pursue in which sequence—including potential, entry barriers, resource requirements and risk. - **Business plan scenarios per focus market** Two to three realistic scenarios (conservative / base / ambitious) with revenue, margin, costs and investment requirements, enabling management, advisory boards and other governing bodies to make informed decisions. - **A clear go-to-market approach for international business development** Definition of whether you sell direct, work with distributors/agents, form partnerships or establish your own presence—with pros/cons and requirements per model. - **Structured approach for contacts and partners** A systematic method for identifying, approaching and developing relevant contacts. From initial contact through qualification to concrete agreements. - **Concrete guidance on product and offering adaptation** Which product specifics, services, contract terms or pricing models should be adapted for target markets—and where you deliberately maintain a uniform offering. - **Pragmatic guardrails for cultural differences** Compact, market-specific guidance for communication, negotiation and relationship-building (e.g. DACH vs. Southern Europe vs. Asia), so your team pays less tuition.

Implementation

Our concrete steps

Can we help you? If this topic is relevant for you, we should talk.

Q&A

Most frequent questions and answers

1. For which companies is this international expansion project intended?

2. How detailed do the business plan and scenarios become?

3. Do you also support operationally with building contacts and partners?

4. How precisely do you account for cultural differences in international expansion?

From loss-making operation to viable business

How an industrial operation was sustainably turned around from -2 to +4 million EUR EBIT through clear decisions on costs, prices, product mix, and financing