Your South African business is flourishing in the UK, and now it’s time to expand across the continent of Europe. In previous articles posted in our news section, we’ve explained the in’s, the out’s and the how to’s of expanding from South Africa to the UK. If you’ve come this far, you may as well take a look at where else you can go to grow your investments, sales and of course profits.
There are a few things you need to remember about Europe. Europe is not the same as the UK when it comes to doing business. In fact, there are so many different countries in Europe, each one with their own culture, ethics, and business sense. Therefore what works in South Africa or in the UK, may not actually work in European countries.
Employ local
Build a sales force of local people who understand the traditions, customs and languages. It will also be a great idea to ensure the person running your European operation is from the area as well.
Partners
Another great idea would be to secure partner companies or local sales partners with whom you can develop a sturdy business relationship and secure your, ‘’foot in the European door.’’
How difficult is it?
According to the European Union laws, people can benefit from the freedom of establishing a company in any country that is part of the EU. (smallbusinesseurope.org) So, once you’re up and running in the UK, it’s a quick hop across the pond, and you’re in Europe ready to get started. The European Union encourages people to open businesses and therefore make it as simple as possible for budding entrepreneurs and well established businessmen.
Reasons to aim for Europe with the UK as your base
Europe opens up a whole new audience for your business with its 50 countries, many of which have the strongest and most secure currencies in the world. This means that there is some serious money to be made for any hardy South African businessman who is willing to take a crack at the European market. With your established UK branch of your successful South African business, you have the perfect stepping stone to launch your success into a completely different market, and expand your business even further. What’s better than earning pounds? The answer to that is quite simple: ‘earning Pounds and Euro’s!’ So speak to Veal Global about starting your UK business while on your way to discovering massive European opportunities.