02 / 03 · U.S. operations
U.S. setup & launch
For foreign companies that want to operate or launch their products in the United States, in whichever state best fits their business. We plan what to set up, in what order and at what cost, and I take part in the launch, coordinating the people who make it happen.
Who it’s for
- 01Companies whose product or service works at home and that have decided to operate in the U.S.
- 02Teams that need a clear sequence, a budget and the right specialists before committing.
- 03Companies already in the U.S. that need someone to oversee day-to-day operations.
It isn’t for personal visas, or for forming a company with no operation behind it.
What it covers
- Validation and operating plan
- Customer, competition, channel and margin; and what the operation needs on the ground.
- State by activity
- Where the business operates and, separately, where it is formed, decided with your lawyer and tax adviser.
- Tax coordination
- With tax professionals: the structure and the federal, state and local obligations.
- Licences and requirements
- Business licences and product requirements for the activity, the state and the city.
- Import and logistics
- Importer, customs, transport, warehouse and spare parts.
- Suppliers
- Finding and coordinating the suppliers the operation depends on.
- Launch
- Carrying out the plan with dates, owners and decisions, coordinating the people who do the work.
- Follow-through
- Overseeing the operation, measuring it and deciding the next steps.
Legal, tax and regulated work is done by specialists; I coordinate and oversee what we agree.
How to engage
- Entry assessment
- USD 2,500
- Up to 10 hours: operating alternatives, a preliminary comparison of 2 or 3 states and next steps.
- Setup design and preparation
- USD 6,000
- Up to 24 hours: operating model, location, a structure to validate with specialists, suppliers, budget and plan. It isn’t a complete or unlimited setup.
- Setup coordination
- Per plan, or USD 5,000/month
- Quoted from the approved plan, or ongoing support of up to 20 hours a month.
- Operations oversight
- USD 4,000/month
- Up to 16 hours a month: oversight, issues and supplier coordination. Travel counts within that time; expenses are extra.
- 1:1 strategy session
- USD 450
- A short questionnaire first, 60 minutes on one concrete decision, and up to 30 minutes of preparation and a summary of next steps. Extensive research is quoted separately.
Amounts in USD. Third-party fees and charges are extra. No option includes my own legal or tax advice, or round-the-clock availability.
Additional hours: USD 300/h, estimated and approved in advance.
The practical side of operating here
I run companies in California and have worked on setting up and running operations of foreign companies in the United States. That experience covers what is easy to underestimate from abroad: suppliers, logistics, timing, and the many small decisions between incorporation and an operation that works.
What stays with you and your advisers
- Legal and tax decisions are validated with the right specialists. I’m not a lawyer, CPA, tax adviser or registered financial adviser.
- I don’t take on powers of representation or corporate decisions; those stay with your company.
- Oversight works within an agreed scope and schedule, not as unlimited availability.
- We set up and pilot the channel (installation, training, returns and restocking), but finding distributors or closing sales on your behalf isn’t part of the service.
How we start
- 01A conversationYou tell me your situation and what you want to achieve. I tell you whether I can help and what the first step would be.
- 02Scope in writingI propose what we will do, what I will deliver and who takes part. We adjust it before you approve it.
- 03Agreed executionI work on what we agreed, with the specialists it needs, and we review progress at the agreed points.
The examples on this site are illustrative; I don’t publish client cases.
If the product needs adapting first: product development