{"id":42257,"date":"2023-10-20T15:19:54","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:19:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/startupsmart.test\/2023\/10\/20\/how-thinking-globally-from-day-one-helped-expert360-expand-to-the-us\/"},"modified":"2023-10-20T15:19:54","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:19:54","slug":"how-thinking-globally-from-day-one-helped-expert360-expand-to-the-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/uncategorized\/how-thinking-globally-from-day-one-helped-expert360-expand-to-the-us\/","title":{"rendered":"How thinking globally from day one helped Expert360 expand to the US"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Expert360<\/div>\n

From the very first day she founded a startup, Bridget Loudon was thinking globally.<\/p>\n

On the same day online expert consultant marketplace Expert360 was incorporated as a company in Australia, it was also registered in the US, and a move to America was always a part of the founder’s long-term plans.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve always had an American subsidiary from day one and we\u2019ve always been structured to be global from day one,\u201d Loudon tells StartupSmart<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you do have international insight, make sure you build that into your structure from the start. It\u2019s all about thinking globally but acting locally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Expanding to meet the demand<\/h3>\n

It was laying the groundwork early for a global expansion that helped spur the growth of the Sydney-based startup.<\/p>\n

Expert360 has now opened its first international office in New York City on the back of \u201cdouble-digit growth\u201d since its inception in July 2013.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been talking since day one about launching over here,\u201d Loudon says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s exciting to have so much demand from our US clients.\u201d<\/p>\n

While operating an online marketplace means a startup doesn\u2019t necessarily need feet on the ground, Loudon says demand in the US for Expert360 – which accounts for 30% of the platform\u2019s consultants – meant the global office was inevitable.<\/p>\n

\u201cA nice thing about being an online global marketplace is we don\u2019t need anyone on the ground,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur US clients wouldn\u2019t even know we\u2019re an Australian company. But we want to be able to work with our bigger enterprise clients in a hands-on way.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about taking it to the next level.\u201d<\/p>\n

These large clients include the likes of Uber, eBay, Mastercard and Virgin, while over 7000 consultants from around the world are now available for hire via the platform.<\/p>\n

Expert360\u2019s New York office is expected to house 5-10 employees by the end of the year and Loudon says further expansion around the world is already being planned.<\/p>\n

Growth from day one<\/h3>\n

The Australian startup closed a $4.1 million Series A round in July last year from a range of high-profile investors including Macquarie Bank managing director Allan Moss.<\/p>\n

Loudon says the startup’s growth has been rapid from the very beginning.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re a global leader in this segment,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve grown 20% every month since inception two and a half years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

This \u201ctalent-as-a-service\u201d on-demand consulting space is becoming increasingly competitive but Expert360 is well ahead of the pack, she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are starting to talk about how important it is now and we\u2019re seeing a lot of movement in this space, but we started building this business three years ago and we know a lot about this space,\u201d Loudon says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not something we just talk about, companies are doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The local ecosystem on the world stage<\/h3>\n

Loudon says it has become much easier for an Australian startup to expand internationally in recent years as the local ecosystem begins to gain traction and global recognition.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe US is open to, and receptive to, Australian businesses in a way they weren\u2019t even two or three years ago,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey know the big names like 99designs, Atlassian and Invoice2Go and there\u2019s an understanding that world-class innovation is coming out of Australia. It\u2019s a much easier conversation being Australian now.\u201d<\/p>\n

For other homegrown startups looking to expand into an overseas market, Loudon says it\u2019s important to build a relationship with some local experts in the field.<\/p>\n

\u201cFind your best practice advisors. Wherever you think will be a huge market for you, find advisors there from day one,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best advisors in the world in our space are in the US and it was important for us to have them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the high demand in the US and new office in New York, she says Expert360 will remain a proud Australian startup.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re an Australian business and our headquarters will remain in Australia,\u201d Loudon says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is about allowing the global markets to get access to a homegrown Australian product.\u201d<\/p>\n

Follow StartupSmart on<\/em> Facebook,<\/em> Twitter,<\/em> LinkedIn<\/em> and<\/em> SoundCloud.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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