The #1 mistake 8 out of 10 companies make when expanding
Expanding your business internationally is exciting. It feels like the ultimate validation of your success. You’ve conquered your home market, revenue is stable, and looking across the border feels like the logical next step to double your growth.
So, what do most founders do?
They take their winning website, translate it (often poorly), turn on Google Ads in a new country, and wait for the sales to roll in. Three months later, they are staring at a dashboard full of red numbers. The budget is gone. The sales are non-existent. And the conclusion is usually: “That market just isn’t right for us.”
Wrong. The market might have been perfect. The execution was flawed.
This is the “Copy-Paste Syndrome,” and it is the single biggest reason why 80% of international expansions fail within the first year. Here is why this happens and, more importantly, how you can ensure you are part of the 20% that succeeds.
The "Gut Feeling" Trap
The mistake starts before a single line of code is written. It starts with selection bias. We often see Dutch or British companies expanding to Germany simply because it’s “big” and “nearby.” Or they choose France because they went on vacation there and saw similar shops.
Basing a five-figure investment on gut feeling is gambling, not business.
When you skip the Market Validation phase, you are flying blind. You don’t know if the CPC (Cost Per Click) in your industry is €0.50 or €5.00 in that region. You don’t know if your competitors are offering free next-day delivery, making your 3-day shipping time a dealbreaker. You don’t know if the local consumer prefers ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ over credit cards.
The Invisible Barriers
The reason the “Copy-Paste” strategy drains budgets is that it ignores the invisible barriers of cross-border commerce.
The Fix: Data Over Drama
So, how do you prevent your budget from evaporating? You stop guessing and start validating.
Before you translate a single word, you need to conduct a data-driven Market Scan. This doesn’t have to take months. In our 90-day framework, the first phase is entirely dedicated to digging into the numbers:
Validation is Cheaper than Failure
Think of it this way: spending a few thousand euros on solid research and strategy is infinitely cheaper than launching, failing, and burning €50,000 on ineffective ads and logistics.
Successful expansion isn’t about being everywhere at once. It’s about being in the right place, with the right message, at the right time.
Stop guessing. Start knowing. Are you eyeing a new market? Don’t let your budget be the cost of your learning curve. Start with a data-backed validation and turn your expansion from a gamble into a calculated victory.