Our office is located in Central Fl; were currently rejuvenating and rebranding the business and identifying our specialization. We also intend to start marketing ourselves overseas. I'm just curious if such feat is possible with a 9-person staff. Any firms out there who are doing the same? thanks
Harveyspecter, you have to go there - be there - to do this and unless at least 1 of 9 does so - no chance. Looked into it myself deeply during one of the recessions - it’s a jump off a tall building - are you afraid of heights?
Overseas is a big place. Suggest you focus in on a part of the international market where you have some competitive advantage compared to the big firms that are already all over the place.
Some places have more in common with US practice than others, and this varies between different sectors. Luxury hospitality and retail interiors are about the same everywhere whereas multi-family residential is quite different in say easy Asia compared to the US.
If you have the unique selling point they are after, even one man band can clinch an international work. The key is what you can offer that they cannot get back home or globally- in short your competitive advantage. Personally, I have procured the service of a 5-person ID firm for a client's high rise service apartment project. The contract was sealed after the owner reviewed his works and was visibly impressed.
Get your website into shape and in the language used in your target market. Showcase both perspectives as well as pictures of built works. Front end work can easily be handled remotely but have the necessary means to communicate/ present effectively through the various stages of design. An in person presentation at each milestone stage is unavoidable. So allow for the travel expenses to do so as reimbursable expenditure in your service agreement.
Nothing is impossible as long as you are equipped and is adequately prepared for the ride. Are you sufficiently sensitive to the cultural nuances and norms in the target market? Without this awareness, many firms run into walls of rejections after award and bleed to an early exit. Can you handle fast pace work environment and manage expectations, where everything is needed yesterday? How do you cope, when the time frame is compressed to half of what you are used to? You are required to commit your best staff for the project.....
Strategic partnership is one way as someone had suggested. Be prepared to bring in the right staff with the right expertise and at the right level of experience, to augment your office staff. The headache you save yourself, the pitfalls you have avoided and the team he or she mentored are all well worth the top dollars you spent for the right expertise. Good luck!
Why don't you make a partnership with EGO International?
EGO International Group is an Italian sourcing company which works in the export trade field.
They work on throughout the country but we have also representative offices in the most important and strategic marketplaces abroad.
Their business is to create links between international clients and Italian suppliers. Since 2002 our company, counting 70 employees (export managers and a technical department), has the object to make and manage relevant business opportunities for Italian SMEs abroad.
Their network of Italian companies counts 3000 companies working in the furnishing, architectural, MADE IN ITALY design and manufacturing industries.
For your information these are their Italian and international websites:
9- person firm expanding its services to global market- possible?
Our office is located in Central Fl; were currently rejuvenating and rebranding the business and identifying our specialization. We also intend to start marketing ourselves overseas. I'm just curious if such feat is possible with a 9-person staff. Any firms out there who are doing the same? thanks
Harveyspecter, you have to go there - be there - to do this and unless at least 1 of 9 does so - no chance. Looked into it myself deeply during one of the recessions - it’s a jump off a tall building - are you afraid of heights?
I say yes, If everybody in the firm is operating in a BIM environment at 110%. Take your computer wherever you go, do the work.
No chance in hell if 5 people are delegating tasks to 4 draftsmen and are overseas 50% of the time.
In one word: strategic partnerships.
OK, two words. It is an absolute requirement for international work.
Carrera's right. You have to go there.
Overseas is a big place. Suggest you focus in on a part of the international market where you have some competitive advantage compared to the big firms that are already all over the place.
Some places have more in common with US practice than others, and this varies between different sectors. Luxury hospitality and retail interiors are about the same everywhere whereas multi-family residential is quite different in say easy Asia compared to the US.
If you have the unique selling point they are after, even one man band can clinch an international work. The key is what you can offer that they cannot get back home or globally- in short your competitive advantage. Personally, I have procured the service of a 5-person ID firm for a client's high rise service apartment project. The contract was sealed after the owner reviewed his works and was visibly impressed.
Get your website into shape and in the language used in your target market. Showcase both perspectives as well as pictures of built works. Front end work can easily be handled remotely but have the necessary means to communicate/ present effectively through the various stages of design. An in person presentation at each milestone stage is unavoidable. So allow for the travel expenses to do so as reimbursable expenditure in your service agreement.
Nothing is impossible as long as you are equipped and is adequately prepared for the ride. Are you sufficiently sensitive to the cultural nuances and norms in the target market? Without this awareness, many firms run into walls of rejections after award and bleed to an early exit. Can you handle fast pace work environment and manage expectations, where everything is needed yesterday? How do you cope, when the time frame is compressed to half of what you are used to? You are required to commit your best staff for the project.....
Strategic partnership is one way as someone had suggested. Be prepared to bring in the right staff with the right expertise and at the right level of experience, to augment your office staff. The headache you save yourself, the pitfalls you have avoided and the team he or she mentored are all well worth the top dollars you spent for the right expertise. Good luck!
Why don't you make a partnership with EGO International?
EGO International Group is an Italian sourcing company which works in the export trade field.
They work on throughout the country but we have also representative offices in the most important and strategic marketplaces abroad.
Their business is to create links between international clients and Italian suppliers. Since 2002 our company, counting 70 employees (export managers and a technical department), has the object to make and manage relevant business opportunities for Italian SMEs abroad.
Their network of Italian companies counts 3000 companies working in the furnishing, architectural, MADE IN ITALY design and manufacturing industries.
For your information these are their Italian and international websites:
www.egointernational.it and www.egointernational.eu
I worked with them and I had excellent benefits and results! =)
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