Ask Jo Malone: Think hard before expanding abroad — a core business needs protecting

Small business agony aunt Jo Malone on when to expand overseas and the planning that's essential for it to be a success.

Dear Jo

How hard is it to expand a brand overseas? I run a recruitment agency and we are thinking of opening in France but I’m not sure if my UK brand will appeal.

I’m all for SMEs seeking opportunities overseas but my first instinct with your case is: if you don’t know whether your brand’s going to appeal and you don’t have any experience in France, why do you want to do it?

It doesn’t sound as if you’ve worked this one out properly yet. You have to get this right, or your foreign adventure will drain your business back home.

When we opened Jo Malone in New York, it was only after more than 18 months of careful planning. Before we launched, I took some of my team out there for six weeks to work with the New York guys. That’s the kind of commitment you need even before you launch.

At the beginning, we sat with a PR and worked out how to create the local interest and demand long before we opened. We had at least 100 people engaged with the product long before we opened so that when we did, there was an instant buzz around the store and the brand, which breeds success. But it was all down to forward planning.

Expanding your business abroad is like giving birth to a beautiful baby and then having to get someone else to look after it. You must be clear who that is going to be. Can you trust them to look after your “baby” in the way you want?

Get yourself a clear blueprint of your business as it stands now. Establish how it works, and who does what.