There is a false impression amongst American & UK companies that once an American business makes the successful leap over the "pond" to the UK, that their European aspirations are underway. This just simply isn’t the case. Their UK aspirations may be underway but their European ones have hardly started.

6th June 1944. After months of planning, preparation, co-ordination, exercises and immense logistics, the Allies invaded Fortress Europe on what has become known as D-Day. Having used the UK as a springboard, the invasion involved moving 1.45 million people and all their necessary equipment and support across almost 100 miles of English Channel to establish a beachhead of operations on mainland Europe.

Today, many American and English businesses engage the same tactics in attempts to gain entry into the European business market with their service or product offering. However, what may have worked successfully in 1944 doesn’t necessarily work successfully in 2011.

A good colleague of mine who lives in Austria summed this up very nicely. “When I want to do business with the US or the UK, I speak English. But when a company from the US or UK wants to do business with me, they need to speak German.”

Continental Europeans do business very differently and they are proud of their individuality. Therefore to do successful business in Switzerland or Spain requires a whole new set of tactics than those that were a success in California and New York. The French and Germans are very particular about the way that business is initiated and by whom. Endeavours to find partnerships and market foothold in these countries often fall flat on their face because of certain protocols that weren't recognised, followed or perhaps even just simply overlooked and/or brushed aside.

The US has a luxury in the fact that English is the primary “business language” spoken across 500 million inhabitants across North America. Language and customs don’t get in the way of business in North America. The 750 million inhabitants living in the 50 countries that make up Europe, have almost as many different languages and even more dialects.

Unless they are a polyglot, understand cultural anthropology, have a degree in European history, European politics AND speak the local dialect, a UK-based English-speaking person trying to open new channels on the “mainland” is going to find the going tough!

Europe is a diverse and complex place to build channels and partner networks. Throw enough money at Europe and of course some of it is going to stick, but if your company isn’t Google, Apple or Microsoft then you are going to have to do business more efficiently and smarter.

If your company is seeking to establish a European Beachhead in the UK, with a view to do successful business in Europe, please reconsider. You’ll make more efficient headway, save time and cost, as well as save yourself a lot of aggravation by engaging and working with local partner network of resources on the mainland.

After all, it took over 11 months (336 days) for the Allies to achieve their objectives after D-Day. How long does your business have to achieve its objectives in Europe?