The journey to entering frontier markets and generating rapid growth can require a bit of a left-right hook. Our framework assumes your organization is at the point of market entry, or what we call ‘collaboration stage’. That said, we also work with ventures that have already entered and are further along in the journey, ie: looking for help navigating and maximizing their traction.
The three stages of our framework are:
Collaboration
Capital
Capacity Building
We start with collaboration.
‘How’ we go to market becomes more clear and more fruitful when we have invested the right amount of time in selecting ‘who’ we go to market with.
At this stage in the framework, we work with our Members to create a landscape assessment of the ecosystem in the target country. We identify information gaps and we work with our local intel and market research agencies to ensure our Members have a comprehensive understanding of the market.
Within this stage, we also identify candidates for partnership including channel partners, local business development partners, marketing agencies as well as other relevant vendors and contractors.
This stage includes several services:
Scaling with capital.
Before entering a target region, we encourage our Members to seek capital from Government and Industry partners in Canada as well as the target market. As enticing as the new market can be, the resources to enter should be dedicated and well stocked.
Leveraging our unique access to capital, we enable our clients to raise quickly in order to support a high-impact entry plan. By working with our network of capital, our Members benefit from an existing understanding and comfort level with these markets.
Further to this, our capital partners do not just throw money over the fence. They are strategic and supportive – even at arm’s length. Their vested interest in your company’s success extends into the level of support you receive so that your capital goes further.
This stage includes several services:
Sustain your position with the proper capacity.
We have all heard the ‘give a man fish vs. teach a man to fish’ analogy but it takes discipline and foresight to realize the advantages of sustainable market growth.
At this stage in the framework, we work with our Members to embed themselves into the market with captaincy positions that expand their roots within their new markets. This type of approach pays dividends for our Members and provides for them use-cases for entry into other markets. Included in this stage is an investment in knowledge transfer and training that enables the hosting market to build on the business and propel it forward in ‘cruise control’ mode. International businesses do this with experience. Regional offices become anchors to the company’s brand and activate them as a truly global player.
This stage includes several services:
The most important step is to start. Whether a membership makes sense for your organization or not, we have found that an initial conversation gets you closer to achieving your objectives.
