Startup and internationalization: mission (im)possible?
The Click & Boat case
The high operating cost of boats combined with a very low rate of use was the key problem that brought Click & Boat to life.
Created in France in 2014, the Click & Boat platform connects private boat owners and renters. It offers 8,000 vessels in 362 ports in 22 countries from Croatia to Italy, Spain and Greenland. In less than three years, already 40% of boat owners using Click & Boat were from abroad.
And from the renters’ side, the startup has even more international traction with reservations coming from South American or U.S. clients.
Click & Boat’s founders went further by acquiring Sailsharing, the sector leader created just one year earlier in 2013. They invested deeper in this international growth by raising one million euros in capital, which makes Click & Boat the best financed European start-up in the sector.
After opening Click & Yacht for luxury reservations, Click & Boat plans to launch new platforms for other segments. Clearly, the start-up’s ambition focuses on international growth to achieve leadership in its sector.
Adjusting the internationalization strategy to the business situation
Any enterprise, even start-ups, has several internationalization options, depending on its competitive positioning and its stage of development. Click & Boat shows some examples:
Acquisition:
Click & Boat buys out its competitors by acquiring Sailsharing, the market leader.
Strategic business units:
Click & Boat creates Click & Yacht to be closer to customers in a new market segment.
Pure-player strategy:
Click & Boat applies a model that is 100% digital, which allows it to optimize localization and product/service availability anywhere in the world.
SMEs and startups need exports to grow faster
Domestic markets are not enough to sustain a development pace comparable to that of Chinese or U.S. companies.
However, the further the markets where SMEs and startups internationalize, the higher the risks and costs. On the other hand, digital & cross-border exports allow companies to achieve new business in closer markets first and through digital models such as e-commerce or marketplaces, either B2C or B2B.
This is the best export strategy for SMEs and startups in terms of costs and risks. The challenge then is to accelerate this strategy at the right pace in order to benefit from the great business growth and competitive power that export brings.
