Digital Mission - Doing Business in the US

It might be Austin, but I almost had to swim to the "Doing Business in the US" Master class yesterday. It is cold and wet over here, no sign of any Texan sun.

South by South West kicks off today, but yesterday was all about understanding the legal aspects of setting up shop in the US. The Digital Mission companies braved the rain to gather at Palm Door to get the inside scoop on entering the US market. It's a very different environment to the UK, but the UK Trade & Investment team are able to point businesses to the expertise required.

After a hearty breakfast (it was lunchtime in the UK after all), the Winston & Strawn team explained the issues involved in setting up in the US. The companies appreciated the insights on dealing with intellectual property issues, as well as the peculiarities of the US labour market.

There were also tips on how to get the best out of SXSW, including great insights from a panel, and some special advice from Shawn O'Keefe, from South by South West interactive. It's all about catching the opportunities to make good contacts. South by South West is about building long term relationships that open doors to doing business in the US. If you bump into someone in a corridor, have the conversation there and then. It's a big place, and the chances of seeing someone again are slim.

After the morning's session, the Digital Mission companies headed off to ready themselves for the onslaught of networking activities, while the Chinwag team set up the Digital Mission stand - compete with water, UK and US power and speedy Ethernet Internet connectivity (no battling with the conference WiFi).

Stop by, recharge and connect if you are at South by South West!