Expanding on a global scale is no easy feat for any company, and getting products onto the shelves of major international retailers is tough.

Our experience at Ordo taught us that expansion demands persistent effort, countless emails, a knack for thinking commercially and a willingness to hustle. But as we also discovered, it’s worth the hard work: expanding on a global scale can pay off immensely and for Ordo, it has been essential to the company’s success, sustained growth and vision.

As a challenger brand in the electrical dental space, Ordo has expanded out of the United Kingdom and into markets including Australia, New Zealand and the United States in just a few short years, achieving a growth of 200 percent year-on-year.

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The path to global success

Here are my top tips on how to scale a brand internationally.

Choose the market wisely

For companies looking to go global, one of the biggest tips I have is to do your research: know your market and choose it wisely. This means thinking about where your product or service will resonate the most. Who is your ideal consumer and where are they? We consciously focused on expanding into English-speaking countries outside of the United Kingdom first. This helped to make things easier logistically when it came to packaging, translation and legislation.

Have a game plan and engage local distributors

Navigating international retail landscapes requires a strategic approach – and key to success is partnering with strong local distributors who have established relationships with leading retailers. Distributors act as representatives and can leverage their networks to get your product into stores. It’s a testament to collaboration and understanding market nuances.

Believe in your product

Beyond distributors, sheer resilience and unwavering belief in your product is a must. At Ordo, not only do we stand by our products, our naivete as a young brand has also been a powerful asset. We lack the preconceived notions of bigger players in the field – and this has allowed us to be more agile and audacious.

Stay ahead of the curve

Innovation is key to staying relevant, and pivotal for international growth. The ability to move and react quickly to the changing needs of the consumer is a superpower of all challenger brands. Innovation allows you to open up to new markets and bring new people into the category – this means you should already be planning for the next product launch.

Forecast growth

It’s also important to look toward the future and consider where there is growth potential. Whether it be a specific product, a new category, licensing opportunities or fostering partnerships with the right brands, knowing what you offer and what sets you apart is so valuable.

Expanding into a global market is about constantly problem-solving, evolving and asking yourself, ‘What’s next?’ Taking bold steps internationally can pay off immensely – it allows companies to transcend single-market limitations and sustain rapid growth.

Opinions expressed by The CEO Magazine contributors are their own.