1) Choice of country: rationale for this choice, and essential elements of a market there (GDP, growth of GDP, size of middle class, per capita income, etc...) 2) Political situation: stable / unstable government, friendly / unfriendly attitude to foreign products or companies, any trade agreements with the US (this impacts the cost of doing business) 3) Foreign exchange availability, stability (or lack of) in foreign exchange rates, ability or inability to repatriate foreign earnings. 4) Social and cultural issues affecting the product. 5) Physical characteristics: infrastructure, transportation, telecommunications. 6) Your selected method of entry into the chosen country. 7) SWOTT analysis: your company''s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats and Trends 8) Contingency plan: how do you get out of the country (businesswise, not personally) if things go wrong.