Expanding your business into the UK is a major step but it comes with mighty opportunities. The UK market offers access to one of the largest and most dynamic economies in Europe, a really well-established legal system, and a diverse consumer base so there is often more than just one chance to engage in UK markets.
However, entering the market successfully requires more than just translating your website and setting up a local office. It demands a strategic approach that considers everything from cultural nuances to regulatory requirements and local competition. I have seen this go wrong many times so from my experience, these are my top four things to think about when making your preparations for UK market entry:
1. Try to understand the UK market landscape for your industry
Businesses I work with are often surprised about the unique characteristics in each industry within the UK. I worked with one client recently who focused on the similarities to Western markets – he was forever the optimist and he understood the regulatory requirements well – but he was blind to our distinct consumer preferences and cultural nuances.
2. Regulatory requirements are ‘easy if you know how’
The UK regulatory framework if usually defined well but there are some grey areas when things change, when new products which don’t fall into traditional categories are introduced or when the business is new and unfamiliar. Google and GOV.UK are your friends. GDPR, product standards, tax regulations, employment and compliance are just some – you absolutely don’t want to face a fine for missing something but also UK businesses will want you to assure them that you have this well covered!
3. Think local
A generic global marketing approach won’t resonate with UK customers at all. You will need to tailor your messaging heavily and think about UK Public values. For example, UK consumers often value authenticity and we are a sceptical lot so overly sales-focused content will not appeal, in fact it will repel.
4. The right language (and I don’t mean English!)
Communicating effectively in a business context requires more than basic English language skills so make sure you are familiar with idioms, industry terminology and phrases, pitch or presentation phrases, story telling approaches, etc. This can make an enormous difference and I would even say this could make or break your success so get it right and avoid embarrassment.
I often talk about these because if preparations are carried out well, then the rest follows much easier and there is less stress throughout. I share free insights on this regularly which you can access at the bottom of this page.