Expanding your business to the United States requires careful consideration, planning and investment before such attempt is advised.

There are several areas where investing money pays off. And remember, these investments can be used in your E2 business visa application as US expenditures spent within the US economy. Here are three areas your investments can help kickstart your US expansion:

It does not matter if it is local partners, suppliers, distributors or consultants, these are the people who can provide you with the necessary insights and resources to help you settle into the US market.

Utilizing the full potential of well-established trade shows and fairs specific to your industry can also help your company present itself properly to your new business community. McKinsey reported that such partnerships can reduce marketing costs by up to 50% while increasing revenue.

Client Insight: One of our clients, offering a unique technological device, spent an entire year – and thousands of dollars – visiting industry-specific trade shows and traveling back and forth. The CEO of the company was involved in many of those trips.

All this effort and money paid off in the end as the significant media platform covering the industry wrote an extensive article about the company’s technology. This article was seen by a leading US aerospace company, who later became one of the company’s first clients.

Thinking about the US market as one homogeneous market is a mistake. America has 50 states, and with that, the same amount of regulatory, economic and legal environments and systems.

This diversity requires your focus and consideration for your US business expansion. Engaging with local chambers of commerce and business associations allow your business to stay on top of any potential changes in your new business environment.

Meeting the necessary regulations to do business in your chosen state or municipality and obtaining the required certifications will set you apart from the local competition and show your seriousness and long-term interest in the marketplace.

Client Insight: Acquiring certification is important for any type of product. For our client, who developed a unique AI-centric technical educational software, it was important to obtain certifications for the mobile application in relation to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Like understanding your local rules and regulations, your product must be prepared for sale in the US market as well as your sales processes. What does that mean in reality?

Finding local suppliers for parts, updating your packaging, or tweaking the main features of the product based on local industry requirements. Also, you are most likely going to need more than one distributor to service the US market. Start locally to develop your sales journey.

Client Insight: A manufacturer of roof drainage systems with a wide range of very specific products identified a few products that were lacking in the US market, and therefore, expected them to be in high demand.

With that market need in mind, the company leased a US-based facility to store their products, and eventually, created an assembly line for product finalization that would assist it in getting its products into the hands of the local customers as fast as possible.