I’m Just a One Person Operation. Can I expand Overseas?

Irwin See
Dec 3, 2025
3 min read

YES YOU CAN !!!

you absolutely can expand overseas even as a one-person operation. In fact, many of our clients are small businesses and solo founders who successfully go international. The key lies in smart strategy, partnerships, and leveraging what you already have. Here’s how you can think about it:

1. Start with a Scalable Model

Not all types of businesses are ready to scale across borders — but many are if structured well. Ask yourself:

Can your product or service be delivered digitally or via partners?
Do you have something unique that other markets might want?
Can you standardize processes to make it easier to replicate?

If you run a training business, digital product, education service, or even a franchiseable brand — overseas expansion becomes more feasible. If you are not sure how to scale…. Well better talk to us. Our most obscure client is in the manufacturing of trailers and EVEN THAT we managed to create a scalable business model.

2. Find Local Partners

A trusted local partner can help you navigate unfamiliar markets, languages, laws, and customer behavior. You bring the know-how or brand; they bring the network and access.

You can:

Join business matching programs
Tap into your LinkedIn or network for introductions
Attend trade missions, expos, or virtual business events

The right partner can reduce your burden significantly.

3. Use Licensing, Franchising, or Distributors

You don’t need to open offices or hire full-time staff overseas. Instead, consider:

Licensing: Let a partner use your brand/content/process in return for a fee or revenue share.
Franchising: Replicate your business model with guidelines and branding, letting local franchisees invest and operate.
Distributors/Resellers: Especially useful if you're selling physical products. Let someone else handle the sales, inventory, and fulfillment in their country.

This way, you stay lean but still grow. But our advice for a start is just partner someone locally first , build a proof of concept, develop trust in the market AND THEN, franchise or license.

4. Leverage Digital Channels

If you're in e-commerce, tech, education, media, or creative services — the internet is your launchpad. You can:

Run international ads
Translate your website or app
Accept foreign payments
Use global platforms (e.g., Amazon, Shopify, Fiverr, Gumroad)
Offer virtual consultations or classes

Digital-first strategies are ideal for solo founders.

In that light. yes, you can expand overseas. What our office has helped with our clients is not just bringing them overseas, but they have outsourced their local operations from marketing to client liaison to us so it clears some headspace for them to think about strategy and growth.

If you have a great product or idea, our suggestions are to get cracking and get into the market. You don’t have to get it right the first time, but adjust as you go along.

About Us

Curt & Co. Pte. Ltd. is a consulting company started amongst a group of business owners who were looking for a consulting company themselves for advice !

Our offices and our focus markets are in Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia. With clients ranging from 1 man operating SMEs to listed companies, we are proud to have helped our clients across different industries gain market entry into the South East Asian region.