US → DACH Market Entry
Celik Advisory helps US companies enter the DACH market and build their German team. One advisor, on your side, who knows both rooms.
The problem
Most US companies don't fail in DACH because the product is wrong. They fail because the market runs on rules nobody told them about — and by the time it shows up in the numbers, budget is gone.
German buyers expect German — product pages, support, contracts, invoices. Translated-looking copy reads as foreign and costs conversion.
Distribution, buying cycles, trade structures and marketplace dynamics don't map onto US playbooks. The same offer needs a different route to market.
Return rates in German e-commerce are structurally higher and legally protected. Pricing and logistics have to be planned around that, not surprised by it.
Invoice, direct debit and Klarna carry the volume. A card-only checkout quietly loses a large share of German customers.
VAT registration, OSS, packaging and electronics registers, imprint duties, product labelling — small items individually, blocking issues together.
Consent, data processing agreements and tracking setups are scrutinised here in a way US teams rarely plan for.
How it works
Start with the assessment. Continue only if the case is there.
Fixed fee · about 3 weeks
A focused diagnostic so you can decide on DACH with evidence instead of assumptions.
Monthly retainer · done with you
We build the entry together — your team stays in control, I do the local work.
Placement fee on success
The entry only holds if someone local owns it. I recruit your first German hires.
Who it's for
Any industry — consumer brands, e-commerce, industrial suppliers, software and B2B services. What matters is intent: you've decided DACH is next, and you want it done properly rather than tested half-heartedly from overseas.
Typically that's a founder, a CEO, or a Head of International / Expansion who needs a trusted person on the ground before committing headcount.
About
Denis Celik founded Celik Advisory and works with every client directly. German upbringing, Turkish father, Brazilian mother. Four years as a college athlete in the United States. An MBA in Finance and retail management at Lululemon. Trilingual in German, English and Portuguese.
That mix is the work: reading two business cultures at once and translating between them — not just the words.
Read the full storyGet in touch
A first call is a conversation, not a pitch. If DACH isn't the right move for you yet, I'll say so.
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