Running a business across borders is no longer reserved for multinationals. Digital tools, international payment platforms and remote working mean a UK founder can serve customers in Sydney, San Francisco and Singapore from a home office in Sheffield. Yet technology alone will not help you run a global business. You also need the mindset of a global citizen: curiosity about other cultures, awareness of international events and the humility to learn from markets very different from your own.
“If you are running a business that is operating in different geographical locations and time zones, it is important to be aware of issues and situations that may impact your business. I enjoy watching the global news and learning about what is going on in the world, and when you are running a global business, it is important to have global as well as local awareness.”
That is the view of Leslie Meingast, who built The Personnel Department from a small Canadian staffing venture into a global HR solutions corporation with more than 30 offices and over 1,000 employees worldwide. Her experience shows that running a global business is as much about attitude as it is about logistics.
Grow from local start-up to global network
Meingast did not set out to run a global company. When she went into business in 1980, the plan was modest. A recession in Western Canada in the early 1980s forced a restructuring, but the renamed Personnel Department survived and eventually thrived. By 1997 it had opened 32 offices, starting in Calgary and expanding to Vancouver, Auckland, Sydney and Portland.
The UK path can look similar. Many successful British service businesses begin with a strong domestic base, then test neighbouring English-speaking markets such as Ireland, the United States, Australia or New Zealand before moving further afield. Shared language and similar commercial law reduce early risk, while different economic cycles can smooth cash flow. The UK is the second-largest exporter of services in the world, according to the Department for Business and Trade (2023), and professional and business services are one of the country’s largest export sectors. That makes Meingast’s HR consultancy model highly relevant to British founders.
Use trade missions to run a global business
Meingast was initially reluctant to enter non-English-speaking markets until a Canadian government trade mission to Japan and China changed her perspective. She advises founders to travel, join trade missions and ask for introductions.
UK entrepreneurs have equivalent support. The Department for Business and Trade runs trade missions, sector-specific events and the free Export Academy programme, which helps SMEs find buyers, understand customs rules and build an export plan. UK Export Finance can help de-risk international contracts by providing insurance and finance. Local Chambers of Commerce and growth hubs also offer practical advice on market entry, tariffs and local regulations. For women-led businesses, networks such as WEConnect International and the Women Presidents’ Organisation provide peer introductions and referrals.
Think big, but plan for recurring revenue
Meingast believes ambitious targets matter. Aiming to grow from £1 million to £30 million may yield £25 million; aiming only for £3 million leaves value on the table. Her growth strategy still holds up:
- Recurring revenue models: choose clients and contracts that generate predictable income.
- Organic growth and partnerships: collaborate with firms offering complementary services.
- Use membership organisations: use peer networks, industry bodies and women in business networks to open doors overseas.
- Acquisition: buy businesses that add capability, clients or geographic reach.
For UK SMEs, recurring revenue is especially valuable when exchange rates and shipping costs fluctuate. Service exporters can protect margins with fixed-term retainers, while product businesses may use local distribution partnerships.
Hire locally and hire people better than you
One of the hardest decisions in a new market is whether to send staff from head office or recruit locally. Meingast’s rule was clear: put an experienced executive on the ground for the start-up phase, then hire local talent who understand the culture, language and regulations.
This remains sound advice. UK employment law, tax and right-to-work checks differ from those in other countries, and customers usually prefer suppliers who speak their language and share their business hours. Today’s video calls and project-management apps make oversight easier, but they do not replace local presence in the early months.
Learn from the world and apply at home
You do not have to open overseas offices to benefit from global thinking. Meingast argues that even purely local businesses should study best practice from abroad and adapt it at home. The internet makes this easier than ever: a UK retailer can learn from Scandinavian sustainability standards, a fintech founder can study customer onboarding in Singapore, and a consultant can benchmark pricing against US peers.
With women-led businesses accounting for around one in five UK SMEs and contributing an estimated £105 billion to the UK economy, according to the 2023 Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship progress report, and growing numbers looking overseas, the opportunity is significant. Only around one in three UK SMEs currently export, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (2023), and the Department for Business and Trade (2021) has set a target for UK exports to reach £1 trillion annually by 2030. The barriers that existed 30 years ago, slow couriers, expensive phone calls and limited market intelligence, have largely disappeared.
Apply these top tips for global growth
- Do not underestimate the time it takes to establish a new location.
- Recruit people who are better than you at running local operations.
- Stay globally curious: read international news, travel and build diverse networks.
- Use UK government and peer networks to de-risk your first export steps.
- Bring the best ideas you discover back to your domestic business.
Running a global business is not about abandoning your local roots. It is about understanding that your next customer, partner or idea may come from anywhere, and preparing your business to meet them.
