For many companies, expanding into overseas markets used to only be a pipe dream. Without a conceivable way to increase internal capacity and tackle such an intense project, many entrepreneurs would give up before even starting. However, working with a global PEO partner can help simplify the global expansion process.
The right partner can create and maintain the legal and human resources infrastructure you need. This, in turn, allows you to focus on the strategic side of your business. But how should you choose the right partner?
Here are a few important considerations when selecting the global PEO that’s right for your business.
Global PEO in the Right Countries
For a successful global PEO partnership, the provider should already have a legal entity in the country in which you want to enter. Without an established presence in your target market, the PEO must perform the same lengthy entity establishment process that you’re trying to avoid. Globally, the average time it takes to start a business is about 20 days. But in places like Brazil, it can take as long as 79 days. The cost isn’t low either; opening a foreign subsidiary can cost $20,000.
If the provider doesn’t have in-country infrastructure, it eliminates one of the most important benefits of using International PEO — speed. The right PEO partner will already have established infrastructure to hire in your preferred country. This allows you to feasibly be up and running with your new employees in as little as 48 hours.
Room to Grow
The right company and the right strategy can lead to rapid growth and expansion. You don’t want your PEO partner’s capacity to limit your ability to expand into other markets.
It’s also important to find a global PEO provider that provides flexibility to expand into other markets. The right global PEO partner should have access to numerous markets so you can expand quickly without worrying about their capacity to support you.
Dedicated Country-Specific Compliance Experts
Global labor laws can be extremely complex, varying greatly from country to country. For instance, countries outside of the U.S. do not possess “at-will” employment arrangements, making termination procedures very difficult.
Employment in other countries can mean complicated laws regarding notice periods, severance payments, and paid vacation days. For example, in Germany, the law requires a process called “social selection” for layoffs, which uses a complex rating system to designate which jobs are eliminated. And Belgian labor law provides something called a “career break.” This leave of absence allows a person to take up to a year off from work while receiving a stipend from the social security system.
Trust Your Expansion to the Global Experts
It can be both exciting and daunting to consider a global expansion. But the right global PEO partner can make your setup more manageable. With ever-changing laws like these around the world, you need compliance experts on your side to manage the complex issues surrounding global human resources. Ensure that your global PEO partner has the right kind of global compliance staffing and experience in place, which can reduce time to market and handling compliance—allowing you to focus on growth.
