Every business owner dreams of going international. But that dream usually features a swanky office in London or a vibrant production facility in Mexico. And you know what that means: serious capital involvement.
But what if you can actually make your dreams of breaking into the international market a reality without stressing your business?
According to UNCTAD, global trade exceeded $35 trillion for the first time ever in 2025. This shows that people are making it in international trades. You can, too.
The trick? Stop thinking of international expansion as an “all-or-nothing” approach. You don’t need to set up offices in five countries or hire dozens of local employees on day one.
In reality, smart global expansion works best in stages. You test one market. You learn fast. You pull back if it’s not working. Each step is deliberate, measurable, and reversible.
This article shows you how to do exactly that, without burning out your team or your cash flow.
Use “On-the-Ground” Experts (If You Must Have a Physical Presence)
The truth is that sometimes having a physical presence in a new market is unavoidable. But that doesn’t mean building a full operation from scratch.
It simply means having someone locally connected to your business.
Sending someone from your home office sounds like the logical move, but it’s rarely ideal. A far better option is using an Employer of Record (EOR). This is a company that hires employees on your behalf who work directly for you full-time.
“An EOR gives you the security, service, and knowledge to handle the full employment journey across the world.…said Remote, a global HR and payroll platform.”
Say you want to launch your personal care range in France and need a sales lead to start kicking things off. An EOR can hire the person for you, handle payroll, local taxes, and labor laws. In fact, do all the things you cannot do for yourself unless you have a legal presence in the country.
Not all EORs operate the same way, though. Some are essentially middlemen without local offices. Many remote Employer of Record (EOR) providers have their own legal offices in the countries where they hire.
Picking the right one can make your international expansion far smoother and less stressful.
Use International Market Entry Strategies
If you’d rather avoid any physical footprint at all, you still have options. These strategies let you test international markets at a lower cost and lower risk.
Indirect Exporting
This one is pretty simple and nearly risk-free. It involves having someone else sell your products in a foreign market. You don’t open a new office. You don’t hire locally. Intermediaries, like agents or distributors, buy from you and sell in their countries.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, in September 2025 alone, the U.S. did an impressive $289.3 billion in exports. It’s a safe bet that indirect exporting made up a part of this figure.
Why is indirect exporting a good idea?
- It lets you validate demand with minimal setup
- You avoid the complex legal and operational baggage associated with international business expansions
- It’s perfect if you have physical products and want to test the market in the new country before committing to a deep investment
Is there a downside? Yes, there is.
The downside is that you have little or no control over how your brand is presented. But if you can live with that, indirect exporting is a great way to see if there is any demand for your products at all.
Piggybacking
Think of piggybacking as riding on someone’s back, but in this case, on someone’s already established channels.
You’re essentially leveraging another company’s established channels to get your products into new territories. You get faster market penetration, spend less, and do not need a full team abroad.
A notable example of piggybacking is Kaya Skin Clinics using Marico’s distribution channels to distribute and market its personal care products in India.
The trade-off is that you’ll have to share margins and might sacrifice brand visibility. But honestly, if it gets you into the market with less operational stress, that’s a win.
Licensing & Franchising
If you have a strong brand or a unique system, why not let someone else do the heavy lifting in the market you are targeting?
You let a local operator use your recipes, your software, or your entire business model. They put up the capital, and you collect the fees. Starbucks has done this across 80+ countries, and with massive success.
Why is licensing & franchising a good idea?
- It allows you to enter new markets and scale quickly without massive capital investment
- It increases your brand reputation with little or no effort on your part
- You don’t need to manage day-to-day operations. That responsibility falls on your partners
Of course, there’s a downside. You need rock-solid contracts to prevent brand dilution. One bad franchisee can damage your reputation in an entire region.
Cross-Border E-commerce
This is often the sweet spot for lean global expansion. It’s as simple as signing up on platforms like Amazon, Alibaba, or even local marketplaces and selling to customers overseas.
The platforms you choose typically handle logistics, payment gateways are built in, and because people trust these platforms, it’s easy to sell on even if you’re coming in as a new merchant. What’s more? It requires a shockingly low upfront cost.
Take China, for example. It has over 100 cross-border e-commerce pilot zones, which makes it easy for foreign companies looking to tap into the Chinese market without a physical footprint.
This is possibly the lowest-stress way to test multiple markets at once.
As you can see, breaking into international markets doesn’t have to be difficult or overwhelming. And it definitely doesn’t have to drain your capital. You don’t need to jump straight into high-risk moves like foreign direct investment just to prove you’re “global.”
Remote recommends choosing a light local presence through an Employer of Record. Alternatively, you can sell from afar using cross-border e-commerce. Either way, the key is to move deliberately. Do proper market research. Test demand before you commit real resources.
Just as important, plan your exit ahead of time, so that you can easily disengage if things don’t work out.