Preparing for Your International Expansion: Free Worksheet

Our Expansion Preparation Worksheet demystifies the planning process, helping you gather and analyze essential information about your business operations, workforce and strategic goals.

Knowing your strengths and weaknesses and having a clear picture of your future needs is key to making informed decisions. It’s especially important when discussing your plans with internal stakeholders or external consultants like with site selectors or economic development agencies. Our worksheet ensures you’re ready for these conversations, whether planning for the future or in the midst of growth.

Each section in the worksheet helps describe your current business situation and future needs. Here’s a breakdown of the sections:

Ready to get started? Download your free Expansion Preparation Worksheet now. Note: When you click the link, the file will download and appear in your “Downloads” folder. 

General Business Overview

Mapping out key milestones for your expansion project, such as the move date and the commencement of operations, is crucial. Ask yourself about your project timeline and financial strategy. When will you make the official move and commence operations? What are the sources of your funding and their terms?

Consider your business units and functions. What main functions will be impacted by your expansion? Will there be changes in their operation? Market outlook and industry perspectives also play a significant role in the expansion process. What market conditions and industry trends could influence your expansion plans?

Labour and HR

International expansion is an excellent way to tap into world-class talent. By focusing on your workforce, current employee structure, recruitment strategies and future workforce needs, you can create a talent-centric location strategy. This allows you to access the world’s top talent in your field and prepare for potential labour and HR challenges that may arise.

For example, consider your company’s most effective recruitment channels and methods. Do you have partnerships with educational institutions? What challenges might arise specific to geography that will affect the recruitment and retention of talent?

External Relationships

The nature and geography of external business relationships are complex and perpetually shifting in the global marketplace. Therefore, it’s important to consider how your expansion will affect your relationship with customers, vendors, and stakeholders.

With our worksheet, you can gather essential data about your existing external relationships and make expansion decisions that help them flourish. Collecting this data will determine which expansion location will help you create new, long-lasting stakeholder relations.

Real Estate and Facilities

To expand successfully, it’s important to consider what kind of space you’ll need in the future. By evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of your company’s current lease and real estate operating expenses, you can determine which facility and/or workspace you’ll need for future growth.

Utilities and Technology

As the world of technology rapidly changes and influences business in countless ways, it’s important to consider its effect on your business expansion.

Consider whether there are any technical or utility requirements for your expansion. What infrastructure will your company need to expand to new headquarters? Are there any pending changes in your technology or technological processes that might affect operations?

Taxes and Incentives

Financial incentives and tax considerations should certainly factor into your expansion planning process. Expanding to a foreign location often means navigating new systems of taxation. By ranking your future financial needs, you can easily determine which location will offer you the best tax incentives.

For example, in Waterloo, businesses can apply for Canada’s Scientific Research & Experimental Development (SR&ED) Tax Credit and Ontario’s Tax Credits, saving up to 66.5% on research, development, and innovation.

Quality of Life

To find the right fit for you, your business and your employees, it’s important to compare several communities and ask yourself what your ideal community offers. Quality of life refers to the cost of living, weather, crime rates, educational and healthcare facilities, social amenities and more.

When it comes to your company, collect and analyze quality of life data based on your priorities. Is your priority access to education and healthcare? Is it low living costs and a robust transit system? Or is it proximity to major business hubs and international airports?

Fortunately, Waterloo shines in all these areas and more. Our community offers excellent post-secondary institutions, beautiful recreation spaces, a diverse arts and culture scene and a robust transit system.

Waterloo’s proximity to major hubs like Toronto and picturesque destinations like Blue Mountain and Algonquin Provincial Park make it a great choice with better living costs compared to large metropolitan hubs.

Global expansion with expert help

When you’re in the planning stage of international expansion, consider reaching out to experienced professionals. A site selector can help you conduct location research efficiently, drawing on their extensive experience and expertise.

Economic development agencies – which often offer complimentary services – can connect you with the people, information and resources necessary to make your expansion journey smooth and successful.

Both site selectors and economic development agencies will streamline the planning process, building on the information and data you collect using the worksheet.

The Expansion Preparation Worksheet helps you gather essential data to jumpstart your international expansion journey. Download the worksheet to streamline your journey and demystify the road to successful international expansion.

Note: When you click the link, the file will download and appear in your “Downloads” folder.