There are few more universally-accepted signs of success in business than a move to an overseas location. Reaching a point where customers in other countries are interested in your goods and services not only gives you greater potential for growth, but it also means you present a better profile to potential investors and creditors.

But, of course, making a move across international borders isn't as simple as adding locations domestically. There are a lot of considerations you must address before proceeding.

Moving Intangible Resources

It will probably be fairly easy to find local sources for the things you'll need in your international facility. You'll find desks, chairs, computers, a building, and all of those things once you and your management team touch down in the new country, and it will be easy to be ecologically responsible with the size of facilities you use.

But what might be tougher to pull off is the transfer of things like your proprietary designs, personnel info, and money. The usual way of transferring these things is on paper, but that can run into a massive amount of printing, duplication, packaging, and shipping.

Information is easy to transfer via Cloud technology and similar systems, but money can be a different story. When you encounter a need for cash to be used by international staff, it is far easier to send money with a transfer than to attempt to mail a check. The money arrives quickly, fees are reasonable, and security is high. There's no constant tracking of the parcel or worrying that it may be rendered unreadable, and the funds will definitely be negotiable in local currency.

Adjusting Schedules

It used to be that every news broadcast featured a group of clocks in the background, displaying the time in London, Tokyo, New York, and other key cities around the globe. That backdrop is a persistent reminder that no matter what we may do to shrink the world functionally, it's still revolving and we're still all spread out over a 24-hour day.

While it can be fairly easy to manage a single time zone crossing ("Nobody is answering in Kansas City. Oops, they're on Central time"), it becomes a very different situation when even the calendars may differ from those at headquarters.

Maneuvering through an adjustment to Greenwich Mean Time in terms of daily functions will be something you'll need help with, and you'd do well to work with a consultant on how to structure essential tasks.

Managing Cultural Differences

When you first begin to spread out, don't neglect cultural considerations. Despite our image of the world as an ever-more global culture, the fact is that there are some very big differences in the lifestyles of your potential overseas markets and employees.

For example, it's easy to remember to work around Independence Day in the U.S., but for many other nations, it's just plain old July 4th. By contrast, your branch in France will need to be managed with consideration for Bastille Day.

So it will be very important to get your management team educated about the particular steps needed to be respectful of culture, religion, and society in the nations where you'll be working. These will not only help you attract and retain quality employees, but they'll also ensure that you are a good neighbor to the folks who already live and work in your new market.

Like any other major step, an international expansion for your business is one that can very much make you or break you. That statement shouldn't frighten you, though. Instead, it should motivate you to make sure that you have taken into consideration all the different factors that will impact your success elsewhere.