Before entering a US market

Check the route to the first customer

• Name the customer segment

  Define the intended buyer and the problem the offer addresses. Compare the alternatives those buyers already use. A market-size estimate alone does not show why they would change suppliers.

• Establish the purchasing requirements

  Identify who influences and approves a purchase, how suppliers are selected and what the business must be able to deliver. Record the evidence for demand separately from the evidence that the business can reach and serve those buyers.

• Work through the channel costs

  Compare direct sales, distribution and a local partnership. Include the cost of acquiring customers, serving them and financing the period before payment. Each route places different demands on management and capital.

• Specify the partner’s contribution

  State the customer access or operating capability a partner is expected to supply. Explain how that contribution will be assessed and which commercial responsibilities remain with your business.

• Identify the first commitment

  Define what the initial investment should establish. It may test one segment, build a service capability or validate a distribution relationship. Keep those learning requirements visible alongside the sales forecast.

• Set conditions for further investment

  Describe the evidence that would support expansion, require a different channel or justify stopping. Early results should be assessed against those conditions, including the cost of obtaining the next piece of evidence.

Which assumptions are still untested?

A market assessment should record the sources used, what they support and what still needs to be tested. Interest from a prospective buyer does not establish the cost or timing of a sale. A potential partner’s reach does not establish its willingness to perform the role the plan requires.

Qualified local advisers should check legal and regulatory requirements. The commercial assessment can then account for the obligations and costs relevant to the proposed entry.