How To Launch Your Business in the UK Without The Huge Cost, Commitment and Legal Obligations of Employing A British Business Development Director…
Are you planning to take your USA business to the UK, perhaps as a gateway to further expansion into Europe, but are daunted by the cost, commitment and legal obligations required to employ a British business development director?
Growing your business overseas should be an exciting time, not a nightmare with delays, un-foreseen costs and strange laws.
If you follow the traditional route of a US company expanding into the UK you will first send your VP of Corporate Development to London to recruit a UK based Business Development Director who will understand British business culture (yes, it’s different). This process can take months to find the right person as well as multiple trips by the VP to conduct interviews and manage leads while you are waiting.
How much does it cost to recruit a Business Development Director (or similar) in the UK?
Salary – anywhere between $100,000 and $200,000 per year, dependent upon sector and location.
Extras – company car, healthcare, 6 weeks holiday (plus public holidays), expense account.
Other costs – 11% employers tax, employers insurance and payroll services costs.
Recruitment company’s fee (one off charge when they start work) – Between 20% and 30% of first years salary, e.g. $150,000 salary @ 25% = $37,500.
Hidden risk – if it doesn’t work out you could spend just as much again trying to get rid of them (in the UK we have very strict employment laws – you can’t just fire someone).
Before you know it you could have spent over $50,000 before you’ve even started.
“Then when you think you’ve found the right person you will have to wait for your new employee to work their notice with their current employer (usually one to three months in the UK) while all you want to do is get started.”
When in post you will spend more time bringing your new employee up to speed with the product while they set up an office, probably in the most expensive part of London. All this causes added costs, hassles and delays. In the meantime you could also lose competitive advantage particularly if you have a fast moving technology.
So why do US companies follow this same route? Well, it’s the right way to go. If you want to do it right you do need a British, UK based Business Development Director. Unfortunately, you just have to accept that this can be a lengthy process and that recruiters charge very high fees.
You may be thinking how good it would be to have an experienced British Business Development Director who could help you establish your brand and grow your customer base in the UK but without the costs, hassles and delays of recruiting and employing plus the employment law obligations.
This is where partnering with UK based Midlands Business Development Ltd could make a huge difference at this exciting time in the growth of your business. You will see us neatly fit into that crucial phase at the outset of your expansion project when you first have a presence in the UK. Our resource of specialist consultants is so deep (about 40 across the UK), if you like us (and we like you) we can get started within a couple of weeks.
Instead of recruiting a Business Development Director straight away, our consultant will get the ball rolling for you and will be your main point of contact for new enquiries coming in from the UK (and the rest of Europe if necessary).
Here’s what else your Midlands Business Development consultant will do for you…
They will look at your sales proposition and if necessary modify it for British eyes and ears.
If required they will set up an office or distribution centre but due to MBD’s government connections we will advise you locations where you can receive up to 40% government grants to locate.
As the project progresses we will then help you recruit a Business Development Director. However, because you will have a MBD consultant on the ground running the day to day business, you will not be forced into a hasty decision on who to select.
Once your new Business Development Director is in place we will continue to work with this person and you for as long as you need to ensure you have built a strong foundation in the UK.
Our own accountants and legal advisers will also come in very useful as you look to deal with financial issues, protecting intellectual property and, if necessary, raise UK finance.
At Midlands Business Developemnt we specialise in helping businesses to develop their marketing and business growth strategies. What you’ll like about working with us is that we’ll provide the solution you are looking for but without the excessive costs, delays and risks. So what’s the difference?
All of our consultants are experienced UK based, British citizen business people and only work on a small handful of projects each year. The average age is mid-40’s and they have either come from corporate senior executive positions or have owned businesses themselves. This means that you could say they’ve been there and got the t-shirt.
Why let Midlands Business Development help you launch in the UK:
- No recruitment fees
- No excessive extras like cars and healthcare
- No recruitment delays
- No employment law issues
- Easy payment by US $ credit card
- Short term contract prepares you to the point where you finally do need to employ
- Plus we’ll help you select the right person
- We work on a combination of fees plus results so you can be assured of our commitment to the project
- Easy out if you change your mind for any reason
- Low risk/low cost alternative to recruiting in the UK
The great news now is that you can get your business started in the UK without excessive costs and risks by partnering with Midlands Business Development Ltd. You will receive all the help you need from a UK business development specialist and the back up of a support team. Plus we also know the best areas in the UK to locate and receive government subsidies and get access to skilled work forces.
If cost is your biggest concern, you’ll be pleased to learn that when partnering with MBD you could get started for as little as $15,000 per month for three months followed by $12,000 per month plus results fee based on the success of the project.
What should you do now?
The next step for you is to pick up your phone right now and call me, Peter Lisney, and we’ll discuss how this could work for you and your business. I will also be able to give you a rough guide to how little you would have to invest with us compared to the recruitment option.
If you are dialling from the USA call me now on 011 44 7974 565414 (from elsewhere dial +44 7974 565414). We can have video conferences or meet with your VP of overseas development. If you prefer we’ll even come out to your offices in the US to discuss the partnership. I hope to hear from you soon.
