The GLOBAL Economy – INTERNATIONAL Focus
HOWORTH International has the Multinational Experience to bring value to our Clients considering or currently doing business in other countries.
International Business Strategy
Increasingly, businesses are looking to foreign markets for buying and selling products and services. As new markets open up and new sources of goods become available, it is critical for organizations to have a viable international business strategy.
Doing business in the global marketplace requires an understanding of the complexities of international trade. Significant planning and development of an international business strategy including defining the focus and responsibilities within an organization is required BEFORE a company of ANY size enters or increases their participation in the international marketplace. Without the development of an international business strategy, opportunities are lost, significant risk is placed on the organization and the probability of failure is high.
ARE YOU A USA-BASED COMPANY WISHING TO EXPAND INTO INTERNATIONAL MARKETS?
We take on the role of International Business Development (either Interim, Fractional/Project or Advisory) performing tasks ranging from initial in-country market research, regulatory compliance, structuring and registration of local entities, evaluation of distribution channels, partner/distributor selection, agreements and management, facilities, supply chain and support, as well as other resources as required. In serving our USA-based clients, we incorporate the use of tools and resources available to USA Companies from the International Trade Administration and their local in-country resources including the Gold Key programs, among others if available as well as our local Resource Partners and other in-country trusted resources in support of our Business Development initiative.
ARE YOU A NON-USA-BASED COMPANY WISHING TO ENTER THE USA MARKET?
We provide local support in the form of Advisory Services or a USA-based “Country Manager Service”. This may include a general manager (either Interim or Fractional/Project) and other Trusted, Experienced and Industry-specific USA partner resources to perform all of the local functions required – initial market research, regulatory compliance, structuring and registration of local entities, evaluation of distribution channels, contract sales, partner/distributor selection and agreements, facilities, supply chain and support as well as other resources as required.”
Foreign Businesses and Investors Entering the USA Market
HOWORTH International is your American Partner of Choice. In addition to assembling trusted technical advisors with knowledge and experience SPECIFIC to your needs – legal, regulatory, tax, market research, supply chain and distribution – we go a step further. We provide Interim or Fractional/Project “Country Managers” for companies entering the USA market. These Country Managers are experienced general managers dedicated to your company working under your direction for the initial entry period to assist, coordinate and build your business in the United States. They have multinational executive management experience including operations, finance, manufacturing, supply chain, marketing, sales, and distribution.
“Local” Employee Resources in the USA Market
HOWORTH International provides foreign organizations with local infrastructure in the form of local employees, benefits, human resource administration, training, and local management. This reduces substantially the cost and risk of setting up the corporate structure required for hiring and maintaining local USA-based employees. You have an immediate presence in the USA and an individual dedicated to your company’s needs until the time you are ready to add permanent staff. Savings in costs (travel, facility, employee costs), lowering your risk, speeding up the development of your USA presence and the advantage of having someone focus on all of the details of your market entry make this a wise and cost-effective choice.
Finding and Evaluating local USA Partners/Distributors
Entering the USA market is often most effective by engaging a local partner or distributor. HOWORTH International will assist you in finding the right partner/distributor and structuring the relationship.
Participating in the US-China Leadership Summit – April 15, 2016 – Addison, Tx. – Moderating the LOGISTICS and SUPPLY CHAIN PANEL.
Pictured to the left: James Huang, Chair of the US-China Chamber in Dallas, Lawrence Howorth (Moderator, Logistics and Supply Chain Panel), Diane Divin, President (Divin Consulting and Chair, North Texas District Export Council), Sheila Hewitt (Vice President, International Logistics, Transplace) and Larry Chilcoat (VP, Operations and Sales, FAK Distribution).
Assessment & Preparation for the Global Marketplace
Is your organization prepared to enter the International Marketplace? Do you have the right organization? What are your strengths and weaknesses related to the international markets. Do you have adequate resources – strategic plan, financial, human capital, advisors? Is your product ready to “go global”? Do you have particular foreign markets in mind and if so have you developed the market research and the cost of entry and operating models for those foreign markets? Companies large and small fail daily without the proper experience, guidance and leadership as they attempt to enter or expand into the international marketplace as a SELLER and/or a BUYER.
HOWORTH International has decades of multinational experience (over 25 countries) entering new markets and building and managing small, medium and large organizations in various stages of development.
There are two levels of international expertise required to be successful in the global marketplace – 1) Generic and 2) Market Specific. HOWORTH International has a wealth expertise with its Principals as well as its market-specific Resource Partners to assess and guide an organization in both levels. In addition, HOWORTH works with experienced and trusted market-specific technical resources and is able to deploy those resources on specific projects.
An International ASSESSMENT is critical to the success of an organization planning to enter or expand in the global marketplace. Without this ASSESSMENT, the organization subjects itself to RISKS, EXCESS COSTS and increases its TIME-TO-MARKET – which can destroy a an organization or at the very least reduce the profitability of entering an international market.
HOWORTH International guides their client organizations through an evaluation of resources, focus and commitment and the development of the client’s international business strategy.
International Business Development
Huge growth opportunities exist for USA-based companies looking out to other foreign markets and for foreign-based companies looking to enter the large USA market. Many organizations do not have the expertise and training to enter these markets and should rely on experienced professionals to ensure their business development efforts are efficient and cost-effective. This includes complicated matters involving foreign government and industry regulations, local accounting, financing and taxation.
International business development can easily detract from an organization’s core business, thus burdening that organization with unnecessary costs and risks.
HOWORTH International has the specific skills, international experience and understanding related to developing business in foreign markets. We assist the client organization with an understanding of the economy, trade, products and advertising localization, culture, licensing, partnering, intellectual property, international marketing, finance, and other business practices of target countries as well as best practices related to incorporating international business development efforts with their international business strategy.
International Market Research & Evaluation
As an organization sets its International Business Strategy, it is critical to answer questions like “Why enter a foreign market?”, “What target countries?” and “What products fit with an International Strategy?”. International Market Research & Evaluation is an essential step in answering these questions.
A wide variety of sources of market-related information is available from government(s), industry associations, market research reports and proprietary polling and customer surveys. In addition, direct contact with potential customers often provides the best information.
Essential in this process, is not only an understanding of the potential foreign market, but also an understanding and assessment of getting the products into that particular market.
HOWORTH International assists client organizations in this critical step in the process. We work with outside sources of market information as well as specific target customers to provide management and their internal marketing teams the critical information to evaluate the foreign markets.
Contract International Sales Representation
Organizations entering foreign markets look for ways of reducing their risk in the selling process. Often they are responding to inquiries from potential customers or taking their first steps in entering a foreign market. Hiring a dedicated sales representative(s) with the appropriate international expertise is costly and inefficient in these circumstances.
Establishing relationships with foreign distributors in the early stages of entering a target foreign market is risky and often ineffective. Evaluating potential distributors at the appropriate time is a difficult and time-consuming task and executives often do not have the expertise or time to do this, especially in the early stages of a foreign market development.
HOWORTH International offers an effective alternative in Contract Sales Representation. This program offers an immediate and focused short, medium or longer-term solution for the organization to mitigate risk and test the foreign market before a full scale costly and dedicated international sales organization is established. And, again, the risk of defocusing executive management from their core market and day to day business is reduced. At the appropriate time, the transition to a full-time distributor or sales team can then be managed with less risk and disruption to the client’s business.
Global Procurement Services & Vendor Assessment
The Procurement function is often critical to the success of a project or the ongoing profitability of an enterprise. With the Globalization of business, choices of products and services have expanded exponentially. Identifying, evaluating and structuring the quality, the supply chain logistics and the financial aspects of purchasing goods and services is becoming complex and an understanding of international business is critical to this process.
Additionally, for unique projects, existing Purchasing Departments are not experienced and often de-focused by these procurement requirements.
HOWORTH International provides outsourced International Procurement Services for clients. Our extensive knowledge of international trade, negotiation and the international supply chain allows us to focus on the procurement requirements of a particular project working either independently or in cooperation with the client’s internal procurement function. We provide valuable assistance at all stages from the initial identification through the negotiation of the purchase through the end delivery of the goods and service to the end purchaser.
Hewlett-Packard fined $58.7 million in Russian bribery case
Sep 12, 2014, 4:10pm CDT – Silicon Valley Business JournalA Russian subsidiary of Hewlett-Packard Co. pleaded guilty to bribing government officials in order to seal a lucrative deal with the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation.
HP Russia’s felony violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act yielded a $58.7 million fine, according to a statement Thursday by the Department of Justice. It was a part of an agreement for HP to pay $108 million to settle similar charges in Poland and Mexico.
“Hewlett Packard’s Russia subsidiary used millions of dollars in bribes from a secret slush fund to secure a lucrative government contract,” said Marshall Miller, a principal deputy assistant attorney general with the federal law enforcement agency. “Even more troubling was that the government contract up for sale was with Russia’s top prosecutor’s office.”
HP Russia’s business executives participated in the scheme for more than a decade, according to Andrew McCabe, an assistant director in charge with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court filings noted HP Co.’s cooperation with the department and the remedial anti-corruption activities that took place afterward.
It should be noted that HP was fined a total of $108 million relating to its Mexico, Russia and Poland subsidiaries.
NOTE TO READER: HOWORTH International by policy does not engage in and will not participate in any acts in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of the United States of America.
International Information and Resources
Helping U.S. Companies Export
Currency Converter
The Central Intelligence Agency
Select USA