Many ed-tech companies based in the United States and elsewhere are vying today to sell their products and services in markets where success might once have seemed impossibly unattainable.

The ease of delivering products and services via technology, combined with relatively open trade policies and other factors, have paved a path of opportunity for vendors into an increasing number of developed and emerging nations.

Yet as encouraging as the international sales landscape looks, obstacles abound for even the savviest vendors.

At the recent Bett ed-tech conference in London, I caught up with a number of education company officials and entrepreneurs and asked them about the biggest shifts in demand they see in the international market today, and the biggest obstacles a K-12 company faces in making sales.

Some of the barriers closely mirror the kind that a company would face selling in the United States—such as figuring out who the decisionmaker with buying power is in a school system, and knowing how much money that system has to spend.

Other hurdles are totally different, and unique to the political, economic, and cultural identities of those nations.

You can listen to company officials’ thoughts about the global education market in the video, above. And check back on EdWeek Market Brief for our coverage of trends in the international school space, and what companies need to know.

See also:

• 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Going Global
• British Startups Look to Upside Amid Brexit Turmoil
• Cracking Open Opportunities in China’s Education Market
• Trying to Make it in K-12 Markets Abroad
• ‘Reseller’ Relationships Are Vital for Growing Your Business in Other Countries