How did a Prague-born CRM become part of the US market?

We let you see under the hood of our long-term partnership with eWay System.

eWay System, like many European companies, ran into a hard truth: selling into the US is not the same as operating in the US. Without a US entity, American customers hesitated. Add a six-hour time gap between Prague and the US working day, and sales became even more difficult.

ANNUAL REVENUE

GLOBAL CUSTOMERS

US PRESENCE SINCE

Jan Lalinský

Co-Founder & CEO, eWay System

“When I was letting go of the fifth European employee who was supposed to handle the US market, I knew I needed to hire locally.”

US market expansion: eWay System success story

eWay System

Presence in the US — Without the Structure to Support It

eWay System delivers professional CRM software seamlessly integrated into Microsoft Outlook, helping businesses organize emails, meetings, tasks and smooth collaboration across teams. The challenge wasn’t customer demand. It was that they had traction and US customers without local infrastructure, local staff, or a knowledge of the American business environment.

As Jan Lalinský puts it: “We realized that our American clients understood our services and product names differently. For example, what we meant by ‘support’ was not the same as what clients in the US expected.”

The Challenge

Building the US foundation

At first, we focused on building the right legal, financial, and visa foundations to enable the company to operate smoothly and efficiently in the US.

eWay System was already selling in the US and had its first customers, but the company was lacking a local entity and E-2 investor visas for key employees. This limited their ability to establish a true US presence and travel regularly. As sales grew, it also became essential to bring accounting up to speed and ensure proper tax filing with the IRS, maintaining full compliance across federal and state requirements from day one.

At the same time, eWay System’s sales team faced both time zone and cultural challenges. Building the right US company structure, hiring local talent, and onboarding the right partners quickly became key priorities.

We didn’t stop with the visas. We have taken over the coordination of the ongoing local projects. We have become a crucial communication point between the clients and the company’s European headquarters. A place of information convergence driving the US market expansion. We also started taking care of the company’s US logistics and equipment transportation between projects.

What We Provided

Becoming part of the US market

Succeeding in the US requires knowledge of the business ecosystem as well as absorbing nuances in language, culture, and customs. Having someone on your side who has been through business beginnings in the US frees your hands so you can focus on building great products and services

Ask us how

We guided the company on their journey to acquire E-2 investor visas.

We manage the company's accounting and handle all tax filings with the IRS.

We consulted on the next steps and strategic decisions.

We supported eWay System in building its US team.

From zero to a team on the ground

With the legal and financial foundation in place, attention turned to people. We supported eWay System in building its US team, helping hire their very first local employee — a critical step toward a genuine on-the-ground presence. That first hire is often the hardest: sourcing in the right city, structuring an offer that reads as American, running payroll compliantly, and knowing which red flags to watch for in interviews.

We also brought eWay System into our community. They became an active participant in our US Expand event, connecting with fellow European founders walking the same path.

The Result

New home base in Kansas City

With the right setup, partners and local presence, eWay System strengthened its position in the US market and gained the confidence to operate, hire, and grow as a truly American business.

Today the company runs a fully functioning US presence in Kansas City, Missouri, has retained its key local employee for long-term team stability, and continues to expand under E-2 visas that enable seamless US operations. Tax and accounting compliance runs on rails, with IRS filings managed end-to-end.

Beyond the numbers, what changed was the company’s confidence in navigating US operations, hiring, and regulatory requirements, something no amount of distance management from Prague could replicate.

Jan Lalinský

Co-Founder & CEO, eWay System

“When we managed to open our US office, it felt like finally cleaning your glasses and seeing clearly.”

Make Us Your US Partner

Just like eWay System at the start, many founders have a clear goal but no clear path. Our job is to help determined and hardworking business owners build real American businesses not just US shell entities.

Is that you? We would like to talk. Give us a shout.

Get in touch