How I Lost Thousands Expanding a Business the Wrong Way

In 2016, I was convinced I had the perfect business idea.

K-pop’s influence was exploding.
Korean fashion and beauty were gaining traction in Europe.
Women’s accessories—bags, jewelry, cosmetics—felt like the perfect entry point.

So I went all in.

I didn’t just start an online store.

I created a new company in Spain.

That meant:

Putting in capital.
Renting a space and paying deposits.
Hiring a lawyer to set up the company.
Paying an agency monthly to manage VAT, payroll, and admin.
Buying domains, setting up emails, and phone lines.

And that was before importing a single product.

Then came the inventory:

I imported premium Korean-style jewelry, designer-inspired bags, and trending fashion pieces directly from Korea.

I spent thousands in PrestaShop to build my e-commerce platform.
I spent thousands on branding, logistics, and marketing.

🚀 The idea? Ride the wave of Korean soft power and capture the European market.
🚀 The plan? Launch big, establish dominance early, and scale fast.

Then launch day arrived…

And nothing happened.

Sales? Almost nonexistent.
Website traffic? Trickled in but didn’t convert as I wished.
Customer interest? There, but not enough to justify the investment.

I had imported before testing.
I had spent before validating.
I had assumed before measuring.

Where Did I Go Wrong?

I look back now and ask myself:

❌ What if I had waited and learned Facebook Ads before scaling?
❌ What if I had tested demand before committing to full inventory?
❌ What if I had started smaller and refined based on actual sales data?

What I do know is that I put up a huge amount of money upfront—without truly making sure it wouldn’t be lost.

The Hard Truth About Market Expansion

This is the exact mistake many companies make when entering a foreign market.

They:
❌ Invest heavily in infrastructure before testing demand.
❌ Assume market potential instead of proving it.
❌ Launch at full scale when they should be starting small.

📌 I learned this the expensive way.
📌 Smart companies learn it before they lose money.

How the Smartest Companies Expand

Eric Ries "The Lean Startup" introduced the Build-Measure-Learn loop.

Instead of going all in, they go step by step:

✅ Build – Launch a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) or Proof of Concept (PoC) tailored to local preferences.
✅ Measure – Track customer response through sales, engagement, and feedback.
✅ Learn – Adapt pricing, positioning, and partnerships before scaling.

This prevents costly mistakes and ensures market fit before major investment.

Who Has Done This Right?

Some of the most successful brands in the world never launch blindly.

🔹 ZARA (Fashion – Asia)

Releases small batches of localized designs.
Analyzes sales data and adjusts in real-time.
Stays ahead of trends while minimizing risk.

🔹 Paris Baguette (South Korea → Italy)

Partnered with Pascucci instead of launching solo.
Gained credibility and local insights first.
Avoided unnecessary friction.

🔹 Korean Beauty Brands (Asia Expansion)

Test products on Shopee/Lazada before going big.
Measure reviews, sales, and customer engagement.
Scale only after proving demand.

🔹 Jente (Korean E-commerce → Europe)

Built partnerships with 330+ boutiques before full expansion.
Validated demand before committing to big investments.

What I Wish I Had Done Differently

Instead of investing heavily upfront, I should have:

✅ Tested small(er) batches first—seeing what sells before committing to full imports.
✅ Used existing platforms (Amazon, Ebay...) to test demand instead of launching a full e-commerce site. (not many choices back then)
✅ Collected customer insights before placing bulk orders.

💡 The biggest lesson?

📌 Don’t ask, “How fast can I scale?”

📌 Ask, “How fast can I learn?”

Lucky for me, I have the skill to unbuild as fast as I build—cutting my losses quickly.

But I keep this experience in my heart as a reminder:

📌 If something isn’t tested, don’t assume it will work.

The companies that follow this principle?
They don’t waste money guessing.
They invest when it makes sense.
And when they do, they don’t just enter markets—they take them over.

so,

📌 Test first—no matter how long it takes—until there’s clarity.