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Hi I run a startup in India which deals in Battery Optimization Technologies. I would like ideas on how have you thought to expand your business on a global scale, in the shortest period of time? What are the low cost solutions to this problem?

Thanks and cheers!

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3 Answers

The common way that a lot of companies use to enlarge their footprints is to make strategic alliances with companies in similar verticals in the markets you want to expand in. Finding the right business partner is always a challenging process and takes time. I wouldn't do any exclusive deals until you have established a certain comfort level with your partner.

Alongside with this as Alex mentioned you may want to start looking to attend conferences and road shows in the markets that you want to expand in. These are great networking opportunities and also a really good way to find possible partners.

In the world we live in today, going global should be on your mind from day one. Thus I would also recommend becoming active in social media and making your website a wealth of information with information specific to your target market.

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Going global is not a cheap thing to do, and so low cost solutions are rare, and rarely work. You need to find your potential customers, contact them and get them to sign contracts - All things that cost money.

I would suggest finding an investor in order to get the money you need for expending the business. You will loose some equity, but the shares you will retain will be worth a lot more (assuming things work out of course, as there are always risks in every business).

The type of investor you should look for depends on the current value of your company, and the amount of capital you need to raise. If you are small and need a small amount, look for an angel. If you need to raise over $1M, and have a pre-money valuation that is high enough (the amount of money that the company is worth before the investment) then seek a venture capital firm that specializes in relevant technologies (Batteries or related products such as cellphones). Either way, you need a business plan that outlines your plans for the business, how much money you need and where that money is going to take you.

Another potential investor would be a strategic partner, such as a big client or supplier you may have. Your product might compliment theirs, and working together may create greater value for both companies.

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0 - 1 year Make your ROI known by target client/manufacturing's team. It's saturation via phone calls, mails, campaigns.

1 -2 years - Networking at the right conferences and events - usually small sized ones that are less than 200 people over 2-3 days. Stick with this group for two or three event.

In new markets, there are sometimes roundtable meetings that are organized, which manufacturers/clients would voice their issues. These usually occur prior to the formation of an industry group - and you'd get the best feedback and get to hear early problems to solve in the industry.

??? Find someone who has done something similar before (ie, sold a technology that is battery related) - you'll have to dig up all the patents and check up on all the names of people and talk to them (if you can reach them)

More resources on this at http://www.startupnation.com - they would recommend seeking out the research / innovation dept in those companies.

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thanks a lot Alex! I think this might help me a lot. – Jatin Nov 9 '09 at 8:53

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