+44 (0)20 7946 1180enquiries@globaladvisoryboard.uk
Book a consultationInsights
Global Advisory Board mark Global Advisory BoardInternational Advisory
HomeAboutServicesIndustriesInsightsCase StudiesContact Enquire
Practice 02

International market entry

Enter the EU, US or Gulf on evidence, not enthusiasm — six dimensions scored before capital commits.

Discuss your situation
The radar: six dimensions before the decision
The radar: six dimensions before the decision

The radar: six dimensions before the decision

Enthusiasm for new markets is universal; evidence is rare. Before any entry we score six dimensions against what can actually be verified: demand evidence, route-to-market economics, regulatory load, partner availability, pricing localisation and entity readiness. Each is scored to 100; anything below 60 is a red flag with a named remediation owner.

The radar exists to kill bad entries cheaply. Roughly one in three scans we run ends with a recommendation not to enter — which the finance director usually calls the cheapest money the company never spent.

  • DACH, Benelux and Nordics entries for UK industrials
  • US entry via partner-first routes for software and consumer businesses
  • Gulf market scans for groups weighing sovereign-region expansion

The first hundred days

Where the board decides to proceed, we run the entry: partner selection and negotiation, entity structure alongside your lawyers and tax advisers, pricing localisation, and the first hires. The hundred-day plan is weekly, not quarterly, because early weeks set the trajectory.

After day one hundred, a quarterly radar re-score keeps the board honest about traction. Markets rarely fail loudly; they drift, and the radar is the drift alarm.

Common questions

International market entry — what boards ask

If your question is not here, ask it directly — the first conversation is free and candid.

Common questions

Which markets do you know well enough to advise on?
Our panel has carried P&L in the EU, North America, the Gulf and East Asia. Where a mandate needs local regulatory depth we bring in-country counsel early and coordinate — we never improvise regulatory interpretation.
Should we enter through a distributor, partner or our own entity?
That is the economics question the radar answers. Distribution is fast but caps margin and control; owned entities are the reverse. Most mid-market entries we recommend start partner-first with an explicit restructure trigger written into the agreement.
How much should we budget for a first market entry?
Beyond advisory fees, a disciplined entry into a single EU market typically needs £150,000 to £500,000 of committed operating cost in year one. Budgets below that range usually signal a partner model — which the radar will test properly.
Do you help us exit a market we got wrong?
Yes, and more often than founders expect. Wind-downs, distributor transitions and distress sales are scoped like entries: evidence, options, then execution with dignity for the team involved.
Related practices

Often engaged together

Corporate Strategy

Anchor the entry in a governed group strategy.

Risk & Governance

Govern the new entity like the rest of the group.

Sustainability & ESG

Meet the disclosure load new markets add.

Next step

Bring us the decision, not the brief

The most useful first conversation starts with the decision the board cannot close. We will tell you within the hour whether we are the right firm for it.

Book a consultation