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Southeast Asia market entry:
from country selection to a live entity

For companies that have not chosen a country, or where the internal debate is unresolved. We do not sell incorporation first — we help you decide whether to go at all.

Book a free consultation →See deliverables

What usually goes wrong

Four things nobody tells you before the money leaves

The country is chosen by hearsay

A friend says Vietnam, a forum says Singapore. Nobody has modelled your sector, customer base and capital path.

The structure doubles the tax bill

Rep office, JV, wholly foreign-owned or acquisition — the same business can carry twice the tax and compliance cost.

Incorporated, then refused a bank account

The company exists but the bank will not open an account without local substance. The entity becomes a shell.

Three vendors, nobody accountable

One incorporates, one banks, one handles tax. When something breaks, they point at each other and you absorb it.

Scope

Eight capabilities in four groups

Select, build, stabilise, expand. Every expansion needs all four; skipping one means paying for it later.

SELECT · 01

Market selection

Scored against sector, customers and capital path; country and city recommended.

SELECT · 02

Entry structure

Trading, rep office, JV, WFOE or acquisition, with tax modelling.

BUILD · 03

Incorporation

Singapore ACRA and Malaysia SSM, including nominee director and registered address.

BUILD · 04

Banking

Multi-currency corporate accounts, substance narrative, interview preparation.

BUILD · 05

Corporate secretarial

Company secretary, DPO, officer changes and annual returns.

STABILISE · 06

Tax structure

Tax residency, transfer pricing, regional HQ incentive applications.

EXPAND · 07

Showroom

A permanent overseas display space, in front of your buyers.

EXPAND · 08

Local access

Banking, accounting, capital, chamber, warehousing and government introductions.

Process

Five phases, each with sign-off

PHASE 01

Diagnosis & screening

Objectives clarified, both markets scored, country recommended.

1–2 weeks

PHASE 02

Market analysis

Macro, competition, ownership limits, tax and cost modelling.

3–4 weeks

PHASE 03

Entry structure

Five structures compared; ownership and tax design; year-one cash outflow.

2–3 weeks

PHASE 04

Entity setup

Incorporation, banking, tax registration, premises, hiring.

4–8 weeks

PHASE 05

Operations & risk

Filings, FX and policy monitoring, ongoing local access.

Ongoing

Deliverables

What you actually receive

Documents you can file, show a board, or hand to a bank — not a verbal briefing.

Feasibility report

Macro and sector analysis, competition, foreign ownership limits, three-year cost model

Scoring matrix

Eight weighted dimensions: market size, tax burden, access, talent, logistics, customer density, policy stability, execution difficulty

Structure diagram

Ownership layers, capital path and tax residency position on one page

Incorporation pack

Constitution, board and shareholder resolutions, certificate, business registration, company seals

Banking pack

Business narrative, source-of-funds statement, contract templates, interview preparation

Execution Gantt

0–6 months, week by week, with owners and dependencies

Compliance calendar

Annual returns, tax filings, EP renewals, licence renewals — with responsible parties

Why us

Anyone can say the same things

So we only say what can be checked: who does the work, where, and what happens if it fails.

✓ China-based team, on-the-ground network — you deal with Shanghai, execution is by licensed local firms

✓ A closed loop — we do not close the file at "incorporated"

✓ The quote is the total — scope changes require written confirmation

What we do not do

We do not guarantee approvals, we do not promise a passport in three months, and we do not publish unverifiable success rates. What we can do goes into the contract; what we cannot, we say upfront.

FAQ

Questions we get asked

Should I choose the full programme or a single service?

If the country is undecided or the internal debate is unresolved, take the full programme. If the country is set and you only need execution, take the single service. The value of the programme is deciding before spending — it prevents executing correctly in the wrong market.

Are the reports templated?

No. Sector weighting, cost modelling and target-customer structure differ for every project. We do not sell template reports.

How much of my time does this take?

Three to four checkpoints of one to two hours each: kick-off, solution review, structure sign-off, delivery acceptance. Day-to-day execution is ours.

Can we stop part-way?

Yes. The programme is split by phase with an acceptance point at the end of each. Work not started is not billed, and the exit terms are in the contract.

Can you arrange just a business visit?

Yes. A field visit is a standalone service covering itinerary, park and institutional meetings, interpretation and minutes. It excludes incorporation and execution.

What do you charge?

We do not publish a price list. A pure holding company and an entity that needs an EP, a multi-currency account and transfer pricing are three times the work. We run a diagnostic, then quote in writing against actual scope.

Decide first. Then spend.

60 minutes, free. You get a clear yes, no, or not-yet.

Book a free consultation →

Southeast Asia market entry:from country selection to a live entity