Brandon Torres Declet
CEO, SouthernCrux International
& GTSC Strategic Advisor

In an era of constrained budgets at the U.S. Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, it makes sense for some small and mid-sized businesses to think about expanding internationally. How?

1. Think about your domestic government customers. Is the product or service you’re selling easily understood and universal in nature?  Who do you want to sell to in a foreign country?

2. Learn regulations. Understand any regulations on the export of your product or service such as ITAR. Also, understand what foreign laws or regulations are pertinent. This will vary by country.

3. Test the waters. Before you spend a lot of money and time traveling overseas, work to develop relationships with foreign governments here in D.C. They can be your guide to appropriate contacts in the country.

4. Do your research. Reach out to the Department of Commerce and seek assistance in determining the size of the potential market.

5. Conduct vetting. Consider using brokers or in country re-sellers but always vet these contacts carefully. Small and mid-sized businesses that make mistakes and work with disreputable partners take significant risk.

6. Designate someone to international BD. Lastly, every country is different and the time to develop relationships and a sales pipeline will vary. Consider designating a person responsible for international business development.

Brandon Torres Declet is a GTSC Strategic Advisor and brings more than a decade of experience working among senior government officials at the Federal, state and local level.

Learn more about international business opportunities at the Mapping the International Sales Landscape in the Defense & Homeland Security Markets program on September 24.