This is a guest blog post from Shea Steacker, CEO of Rippling Payments. Rippling’s all-in-one HR platform and Employer of Record Service (EOR) supports all founders and startups to hire, pay, and manage employees and contractors internationally.

At Rippling, we work with SaaS companies all over the world that are looking to take the next step, increase their total addressable market (TAM), and expand internationally.

While going global marks an exciting time for any business, it also comes with challenges and big strategic decisions. Most of them come down to localisation–but it’s much deeper than translating your home page or changing GBP to EUR on your pricing page. It’s understanding the nuance and cultural differences across markets, from fine-tuning product market fit through scaling your company culture when you get boots on the ground.

Whether you’re exploring international expansion as an option or you’re seeing organic traction in new geographies and want to capitalise on the opportunity, this article will take you through how to think local, when you’re going global.

1. Determining product market fit (PMF)

Successful global expansion hinges on more than a great product and customer experience. Achieving PMF in one region doesn’t mean you’ll have it in another–markets are nuanced, buying habits vary, and regulations differ. 

When you’re looking at global expansion opportunities, do research into the following to see where you might need to tailor your product to find that fit: 

  • Local demands and buying preferences.
  • Regional legal and regulatory requirements.
  • The competitive landscape.

2. Tailoring go-to-market strategies to local markets

As you plan your route to market, it’s important to recognise and respond to the market signals that will inform when, where, and how to enter new markets effectively. 

While this includes the factors highlighted above (local preferences, regulations, and competition), it’s also looking at buying patterns. 

Stephen Lai former VP Finance at o8t highlighted looking specifically at product-led growth PLG and sales-led growth (SLG) signals to choose an appropriate route to market. He noted that in markets where PLG was feasible, it allowed for a more organic growth pattern based on product adoption and usage metrics. In contrast, markets better suited for SLG required a structured approach, focusing on building sales teams and partnerships early in the expansion process.

3. Developing a global sales pipeline

Entering a new market with translated copies of your sales and marketing collateral won’t build your pipeline efficiently. Instead, you need to understand each market’s unique challenges and opportunities. 

When you’re localising your sales processes, consider: 

  • Legal and financial operations: Local compliance laws significantly impact how you can structure and execute on sales and marketing activity. For example, more countries have implemented data privacy regulations following the introduction of GDPR in Europe including, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) in Canada. There’s also local banking and regional treasury management to consider.
  • New techniques for identifying and engaging with international customers: Adapt your sales communications and channels to meet new norms and expectations. This might include new messaging, a different tone of voice, and testing new marketing channels popular in the local market.

At Rippling, we have utilised local teams to help build trust and engagement with our clients all over the world. It helps to have a team that understands the specific needs and challenges of customers in these regions and that can communicate effectively with clients in their own language. 

4. Hiring a team and scaling your company culture

Assembling a team that can successfully navigate the complexities of a new market is critical to your global expansion efforts. It involves finding people with the right skills and creating a cohesive unit that understands local norms and can operate effectively under different business conditions.

When it comes to your landing team in a new market, there are a number of things to consider from strategic alignment to cultural fit. This involves hiring individuals who not only have the expertise to do the job but that also embody your company’s core values. These people can act as “culture carriers” who embed your company culture into the new market environment. This will help keep your whole team unified and your operations smooth. From here, you can consider what communication cadence and channels will be most effective to keep teams aligned.

In addition to team alignment, you’ll also need to adhere to local regulations when it comes to managing employee data, employment law, and payroll. The level of requirement depends on how you’re planning on growing your team, for example, whether you’ll be working with contractors or hiring full time employees. You’ll also need to think about creating localised onboarding experiences and benefits packages. 

At Rippling, we help businesses to manage all of these complexities with our all-in-one HR platform and Employer of Record Service – taking care of finance, HR, IT, and spend in once place. 

“With Rippling EOR, I don’t feel the difference between hiring a global employee and hiring someone directly in the US.” Val Anselmi, People Ops Specialist, NuvoAir

Get the playbook for a successful global expansion

International expansion marks a significant milestone for any business. It’s an exciting opportunity that should mark growth, new customers, and new employees. But to get there, you need to understand and cater to local nuance and market needs.

To help more SaaS companies enter new markets poised for growth, we’ve put together the complete playbook for successful global expansion. It features deeper insights, more examples, and actionable takeaways for you to bake into your expansion strategy. 

Get your copy here.