LAVAN Advisory · Cross-Border Expansion & Partnerships
The right market, the right partner, on terms that hold.
For companies exploring U.S.–Africa trade, market entry, sourcing or strategic business relationships.
When this is the right engagement
Four situations we are asked into.
A market looks attractive from a distance
The opportunity is plausible, but nobody has tested it against how business is actually done there.
A partner has approached you
There is an offer on the table and no independent view of the partner or the terms.
Supply or distribution is the constraint
Growth depends on a relationship in another market that does not yet exist.
An earlier attempt disappointed
A previous entry or partnership underdelivered, and the reasons were never established.
Scope
What the work covers.
An engagement draws on the workstreams the question needs. The scope is agreed in writing before anything begins.
- 01
Market screening
Candidate markets compared on demand, access, regulation and the cost of being wrong.
- 02
Partner evaluation
Who the credible partners are, what each brings, and what each will want in return.
- 03
Entry-model analysis
Export, distribution, licensing, joint venture or direct presence, weighed for this business.
- 04
Commercialization strategy
How the offer, price and route to market change for the new market.
- 05
Commercial negotiations
Support in agreeing terms that reflect what each side contributes and risks.
- 06
Partnership governance
How decisions, information and disputes are handled once the partnership is live.
Approach
How the engagement runs.
Four phases. Each ends with something leadership can read, challenge and use.
- 01
Screen
Narrow the markets and entry models to the one or two worth serious work.
OutputMarket-entry recommendation
- 02
Select
Identify and assess potential partners against criteria agreed in advance.
OutputPartner shortlist
- 03
Structure
Build the business case, set out the risks, and shape the terms.
OutputBusiness case and risk register
- 04
Launch
Agree the milestones and the governance that will show early whether it is working.
OutputMilestone plan
Deliverables
What you leave with.
LAVAN advises on entry and partnership. It does not act as your agent, distributor or legal counsel in the new market.
- Market-entry recommendation
- Which market, which model, and why not the others.
- Partner shortlist
- Assessed candidates, with the evidence for each.
- Business case
- Investment, return and timing, under stated assumptions.
- Risk register
- What could go wrong, who carries it, and how it is managed.
- Milestone plan
- What should be true at each stage, and what happens if it is not.
Where we begin
Five questions we will ask you.
You do not need the answers before we speak. Knowing which ones are hard to answer is where the work starts.
- 01Why this market, and why now?
- 02What do you bring that a local competitor cannot?
- 03What would you need to see from a partner before sharing customers or margin?
- 04Which risks are yours to carry, and which are the partner’s?
- 05How will you know in twelve months whether to continue?
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