How to start up your business?
Establishing a presence in Europe, from a straightforward place of business or branch to the more complex joint-venture company or partnership, is a significant step for any business. You will want to focus on building a profitable business and maximizing the return on your investment but will also have to deal with the many regulatory and administrative issues triggered by entering the European market.
There are several customized solutions to help foreign companies enter and expand in the EU market via Antwerp in terms of different structures. We will compare the differences among three approaches: via importers, via agents and via a greenfield (start your own company).
Importer
Using an importer is simple and easier for producers who make commodity goods which can be supplied without qualitative or price differentiation across a market.
Agency
It is wise to use an agency if you have products of which the cost of selling is simply too high to offer it directly to the end user. Often an agent will make combinations with other complementary products to meet the total needs of the final client. This ensures that all the necessary support, local information or after sales services are available to your clients.
Start your own business
It would be wise to consider operating your own business in the European market if you offer substantial differentiation both in terms of quality and pricing of your products and/or services. Physical proximity is essential to ensure an ongoing relationship with end users, it becomes easier for you to build a loyal relationship. And it is a very good platform for you to start with your own brand recognition.
Bear in mind that it is not necessary for you to do everything by yourself. On the contrary, you should engage in working with local experts that will help you in very specific domains in order to enable you to focus on your core business.
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