Khensani Mathebula, Laura Devine Immigration, & Floor Bergshoeff, TABS Inc., on the reality of expanding business to the U.S. | The Dev is in the Details #21 | S02
► How to successfully expand your business to the U.S.?In the new episode of The Dev is in the Details, our guests, Khensani Mathebula from Laura Devine Immigration and Floor Bergshoeff from TABS Inc., share their expertise on the U.S. expansion process and highlight what leaders often underestimate.Although expanding into the U.S. may seem easy and fast, it gets more complex if not done right from the start. We discuss the differences between the European and American markets: business models, taxes, and hiring, and explain the immigration process and the complexities of the visa system.Khensani shares her in-depth knowledge of the U.S. immigration system and pinpoints what founders need to understand before starting a business. Floor explains the operational aspects of setting up an entity in the U.S. market or expanding from Europe.► Our guests:Khensani Mathebula: a U.S. Immigration Attorney at Laura Devine Immigration, helping companies and individuals navigate complex visa and immigration processes. Khensani brings a highly specialised expertise to the table with a deep understanding of the legal entanglements, risks, and effective visa strategies for specific cases.Floor Bergshoeff: Head of Business Development and Relations at TABS Inc., supporting Europe-based businesses in entering the U.S. market with confidence and providing support across HR, tax compliance, hiring, and more. Floor showcases a broad understanding of both markets and the business side of running a company.► In today’s episode:Insights on the U.S. market and what non-U.S. founders usually underestimateExplaining different visa approaches and the operational side of setting up a business entityCooperation models, employee benefits, health insurance, taxation, and costsExamples describing how these models and approaches work in real-world cases► Decoding the timeline:00:00:00 - Complexities and what founders usually underestimate about U.S. expansion00:03:40 - The risks of treating immigration and visas as a secondary step00:06:13 - The most common visa routes when expanding to the U.S.00:12:18 - What to consider before hiring or relocating someone to the U.S.00:13:15 - Support from immigration firms vs. internal coordination with operations00:14:27 - Is setting up a company in the U.S. fast and the immigration impact00:17:43 - Employee vs. independent contractor model in Europe vs. the U.S.00:18:54 - The lasting impact of operational decisions on financial exposure and navigating these complexities00:20:36 - Benefits, employer costs, and health insurance00:26:33 - The right structure setup, legislation, and what else founders should be aware of in the compliance area00:29:52 - Misalignment between immigration, HR, and business timelines00:38:40 - The real-world, recurring mistakes and how to mitigate them00:49:15 - Who can mostly benefit from this conversation?► Resources:TABS Inc.Laura Devine Immigration***The Dev is in the Details is a podcast where we talk about technology, business and their impacts on the world around us.Do you want to recommend a guest or discuss with us further?Connect with Lukasz on LinkedIn or write to us at podcast@llinformatics.com.
