Many companies choose their first export market because of a contact, a trip or a hunch. Sometimes it works, but it is a gamble. Comparing a few countries against the same criteria takes little time and avoids months of effort in the wrong place.
Start with a short list
Do not compare thirty countries. Start with three to five candidates that show some prior signal: customers or enquiries from there, competitors already selling there, proximity or strong sectors that use your product.
The criteria that matter
- Demand. Does the problem you solve exist there, and are there companies paying to solve it? Look at sectors, the number of potential customers and ongoing projects.
- Access. Can you reach the decision-makers? Language, usual channels, trade fairs, distributors and how easy it is to get a meeting.
- Competition. Who already sells there and how can you stand out?
- Requirements. The standards, certifications and approvals you will need, and how long it would take to get them. More in standards, certification and approvals for selling abroad.
- Cost to serve. Logistics, tariffs, travel, technical service and how you get paid.
- Fit with your company. Your team’s languages, your capacity to serve distant customers and what you already know about the market.
How to score without overcomplicating it
A simple table is enough: one country per row, one criterion per column, and a score from 1 to 5 with a line to justify it. Give more weight to the criteria that really limit you. What matters is not the final number but that the comparison makes you look for data and discuss with arguments.
Validate before you decide
Desk research points the way, but it does not confirm. Before committing resources, talk to buyers, distributors or experts in the chosen market. We explain how in how to validate demand before investing.
Common mistakes
- Choosing the biggest market without looking at access.
- Choosing because of a single contact or a trip.
- Ignoring standards until you have a customer.
- Opening several markets at once.
How we help
With IBD Markets we compare and validate the markets that make most sense for your company and open the first conversations with the decision-makers. For the full process, read the practical guide to international expansion for B2B SMEs.
