In this episode of Printing's Alive, Warren Werbitt and David Solomon discuss international expansion in the printing industry. Solomon offers strategies for entering the U.S. market, overcoming global growth challenges, and avoiding common mistakes. They delve into navigating laws, engaging with international customers, and selecting countries for expansion. The conversation also covers building a successful global e-commerce strategy, understanding diverse business cultures, and the importance of in-person relationships. The episode concludes with insights on identifying reliable partners and opportunities for international podcast collaborations.
00:00 Welcome to Printing’s Alive + Today’s Topic: Growing Beyond Your Market
00:58 Meet David Solomon (SERO Growth): 35 Years of Global Expansion Experience
03:00 Why Companies Talk Themselves Out of New Markets (and Why Exporting Still Grows)
05:33 Success vs. Failure in the U.S.: The Walmart vs. Target Lesson
08:06 Don’t Compete on Price: Win with a Unique Value Proposition
10:02 Hidden Costs & Compliance: Legal, Regulations, GDPR + Start Small
13:26 Top 3 Export Mistakes: Culture, Brand Awareness, and Showing Up in Person
15:12 Owner-to-Owner Relationships: Visit Customers and Control Your Brand
17:58 What “Winning” Looks Like: Financial Freedom, Higher Valuation, Risk Diversification
22:43 Which Countries to Target? Look Beyond the Usual Suspects
24:12 Media, Mindset, and Seeing the Rest of the World
25:33 Venezuela & Argentina: Opportunity Beyond the Headlines
27:15 Finding "Forgotten" Export Markets (Finland, Philippines) Through Research
28:15 Competition vs. Storytelling: Taking Action Instead of Freezing
29:07 Planning to Win: Pivot Plans, Crisis-Proofing, and Flexible Execution
30:08 Growth Mindset + Team Alignment: The "Rowing in the Same Direction" Rule
32:08 How Long to Give a New Market: Sales Cycles, Cash Flow, and Realistic Timelines
34:26 Think Like a Startup Abroad: Organic Entry vs. JV/Acquisition
36:25 Culture Is the Deal: Relationship-Building, Time Norms, and Local Customs
40:11 Virtual to In-Person: Networking, Travel, and Closing Deals Face-to-Face
43:42 Avoiding Scams: Vet Distributors, Don’t "Tinder" Your Partners, Get It in Writing
48:14 Wrap-Up: How to Reach David + Final Takeaways on Trust
To watch the video version of this podcast, click here.
The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions. Artificial Intelligence may have been used in part to create or edit this content.
