What to Do Before You Open That First Office Overseas Crush or be crushed.

It has become a symbol of success when your startup opens its first office across an ocean. But the difference between crushing it and getting crushed abroad is knowing when you're ready to make the leap.

Harry Kargman is bracing himself for the busiest part of his day. It's 3:30 in the afternoon, and the founder and CEO of the mobile advertising firm Kargo is sitting in a small conference room in London, where the company just opened its first international outpost. For the next few hours -- as Kargo's three U.S. offices wake up and come to life -- his schedule is slammed with back-to-back calls with the teams at home.

Related: 10 Questions to Ask Before Expanding Overseas