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LGSG offers Via Scouts overseas scouting services for organizations and corporations looking to expand internationally - Research, Logistics, Legal, Threat Assessment, Staffing - "On-site."

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Here are some examples of how Lewis-Gray Solutions Group can fill in the gaps for a foreign effort startup.

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"Big Issue" Scouting: Important for Sustainability

These are some of the issues that have a big practical impact for a foreign startup. For example:

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• Where do we set up our new overseas office, and how do we even get started? - When an organization / business expands internationally, it often starts the process with almost a "blank slate." Solutions are needed.

• Who is a reputable in-country lawyer to help us establish the foreign branch? - Having a good lawyer in-country can save you a lot of headaches.

• Who is a good local accountant? - This person needs to be viewed as the “financial interpreter” between your operation and the governing institutions. He or she should know how to 1) communicate requirements to you and 2) communicate financial complexities to the governing bodies. How do you identify such a person in advance? Probably not through the internet. It’s probably word-of-mouth scout work.

• How do we enroll our staff-kids into local or international schools? - Having good relationships with school officials is important. A face-to-face between the parents, the children, and the local headmaster can go a long way.

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The list goes on, and Lewis-Gray Solutions Group has experience in foreign effort startup.

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"Medium Issue" Scouting: Important Pragmatically

These are “medium issue” dynamics that have a big practical impact. For example:

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• Does it help to register with the Embassy? - It can make a lot of sense to register with the nearest embassy. This can be a security measure, and your organization may view it as a form of due diligence.

• Where do I pay bills? - Paying bills may seem small, but it can be logistically complicated for a new Rep or family when 1) the bills are in a foreign language 2) how to pay the bills is not customary in the Reps’ country-of-origin and 3) banking has not been fully set up yet. An on-site guide can help.

• How do I set up foreign banking? - Sometimes something as simple as setting up personal and business bank accounts can take on unforeseen complication.

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When issues are solved in advance for a overseas operation, then that operation can more easily get to work.

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"Small Issue" Scouting: Important Emotionally

These are “small issue” factors that have a big emotional impact. For example:

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• What’s my new phone number? - Purchasing and activating local SIM cards in advance of foreign staff (and family) arrival can simplify things. 

• How do I use the bus system? - This needs to be specific. You take the #72 from here. Then you get off and take either the #2 or the #3 to here. When you get on the bus, buy this amount of credit.

• Which stores near our new office location sell filter-brewed coffee? - It's small, but its emotionally big!

 

Lewis-Gray Solutions Group offers the Via Scouts Expansion Service to help organizations "going global" to do so with planning, efficiency, and structure.

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Could it be that businesses that possess the ability to see opportunity within the ambiguity of overseas locations also possess a form of sustainable competitive advantage? Lewis-Gray Solutions Group Via Scout new location service can help.