What You Need to Adapt Your Business to the American Market
Pillar Desouza was only 17 when she and her father opened their first business together in Serro, Brazil. After achieving success in their native country, they decided to expand their business to Everett, Massachusetts—an area just north of Boston, near Malden where the family resides. The milkshake shop, named I Love Milkshake, was a huge success with the American audience. It drew customers year round, despite the harsh and cold New England winters.
In an interview with the Boston Globe, Desouza explains what inspired her to start her company; “We noticed milkshakes and frozen yogurt are really common here in the U.S… But in Brazil you can only find milkshakes at McDonald’s, and they only serve three basic flavors.” Realizing the business potential and market opportunity, Desouza quickly took action. Luckily, it paid off.
The young and talented Brazilian entrepreneur of I Love Milkshake was able to make her business a success by making these 4 smart moves:
Establish a Competition Differential — Like many other successful entrepreneurs in the U.S. Desouza knew that in order for her brand to succeed, she needed to have a competitive advantage. Taking her experience abroad in Europe and in Brazil, she decided her company’s advantage would be allowing customers the ability to customize their milkshake anyway they wanted, with fresh fruit on the side.
Get Extensive Knowledge of the Location — Whether it is managing her store in Vitória, Espírito Santo in Brazil or the Natick Mall in Massachusetts in the U.S., Desouza knows that knowing your location is important. She tells the Boston Globe, “We went to Canada, California, and just about every little town in New England, just tasting and testing what works best.”
Adapt Menu or Product to the Market — Many foreign entrepreneurs struggle to develop a unique menu or product that appeals to the American audience. Desouza found a solution by offering a balance of familiar American combinations with new and unique Brazilian fruit flavors, such as acai and passion fruit.
Most of All, Consult an Expert — In her interview with Exame magazine, Desouza reveals how important and potentially time-consuming adjusting your brand for the U.S. market can be; “you have to understand exactly what the demands are and offer the right items,” she says. For this reason, it is important to contact a consulting firm that is familiar with the type of operation you want to run in the U.S.
While there are often many hurdles and challenges to overcome when expanding your business to the U.S. for the first time, Desouza’s experience shows how making the right moves early on can lead to success. As a result, the young entrepreneur has since been pursuing a franchise expansion of her brand in both Brazil and the U.S.
