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The Accelerator is a program led by Venture Development Finland Ltd. We support companies in growth and internationalization. Often the very first step toward internationalization for Finnish companies is the Swedish market. This is why we have Venture Development Nordic - our office in Stockholm.
Our Stockholm office was opened in the spring of 2018. In the Swedish market, we operate under the name Venture Development Nordic. Swedish market is a good starting point for internationalization. Our representative in Sweden has a valuable local understanding of Swedish market, culture, practices and people. Using a local resource in internationalization enhances the likelihood of success in a new market and is also financially more efficient and makes practical actions in the target country easier.
Some examples of our services below.
Internationalization plan
Does your business have potential for internationalization? Is Finland too small or will it be in the future? Markets and business cultures differ from country to country. Our professionals with hands-on experience will help your company towards international business quicker and with less risk.
Internationalization plan starts off with mapping out your company’s current situation – what is working, which areas should be improved and are the resources sufficient. Is there enough financing? Is the proficiency good enough to take on a new country?
We will implement a phased and practical plan where different actions will be scheduled, resources will be checked, and tasks will be addressed to the right persons. We will ensure that your company is ready to leap towards new markets – when international growth has started, business in home country is doing well too.
Together we will identify segments and customers and define which product or service to offer to the target market. We will pay attention to critical success factors, go through risks and do the required business calculations to determine the need for financing and to ensure profitability of the operation.
A good starting point for expanding to international markets is if the company already has customers in their home country. This way the business idea has been tested out in practice and is more efficient to refine and multiply with new market sectors.
Market mapping
Do your products and/or services have international potential? Does your future show e.g. Sweden, Central Europe or the USA? If you answered yes, or even if you aren’t completely sure, we can help you.
The point of market mapping is to identify hidden potential in a target market, map out the operational environment and gather feedback about customer needs among others. Typically, market mapping is focused on identifying customers, solving the size of the market, mapping out the competition and picturing the trends.
A big value to market mapping is provided by our local resources at the target markets. With their help we can contact your potential customers with a well-fitting marketing campaign and with research conducted together.
The idea of market mapping based on contacting is to gather information about the market but more importantly to get feedback of your marketing message, product and the customer need of your potential customers, as well as to open interesting sales possibilities. Often after the mapping it is normal to follow up with sales appointments backed by local resources.
Market mapping helps your company to create an image about the market and about the target country as an operational environment. Contact us and ask more – mapping aimed for internationalization is always defined individually based on the customer.
Go-to-Market implementation
After market mapping and careful planning, internationalization is ready to be put into action, or is it? Our experts and partners working in target markets will aid your company in putting it into practice – bringing your product into the market and implementing the plans.
Our resources in the target markets as well as our experts familiarized with the culture and the market will aid your business e.g. in launching your sales, forming networks and distribution channels, and not to mention knowing the business culture.