Establish a Local Entity in Vietnam: How SVR Laboratories Expanded into Asia

Southeast Asia is a prime destination for global beauty brands. Specifically, French dermocosmetic brands find a highly receptive audience in this region. To kickstart its long-term growth in Asia, SVR Laboratories – a renowned French dermocosmetic company established in 1962 – chose Vietnam as its initial launching pad. However, setting up physical operations in a new country requires extensive administrative, legal, and operational groundwork. To ensure a smooth transition, SVR partnered with Source of Asia (SOA) to utilize our comprehensive Vietnam market entry services. Our primary objective was to help SVR establish a local entity in Vietnam while building a high-performing management team

The Challenge: Setting Up Compliant Operations and Local Teams

Expanding a global personal care brand into Vietnam involves complex organizational steps. First, international companies face strict regulatory frameworks. For a cosmetics brand, navigating product registration while simultaneously trying to set up business in Vietnam can cause severe delays if handled without local expertise.

Second, building an entirely new team from abroad is a major challenge. International brands need accurate local market data to attract top-tier talent. Specifically, they require detailed salary benchmarks to structure competitive offers.

Furthermore, setting up a legal corporate entity takes time. Overseas brands often face a critical operational gap when they try to establish a local entity. They need a compliant way to hire and pay local employees before their official corporate entity is fully registered. To bridge this gap, SVR required a trusted partner to handle specialized HR services, including PEO wage hosting in Vietnam.

The Solutions: A Comprehensive Business Setup and HR Framework

To accelerate SVR’s operational readiness, Source of Asia provided a turn-key corporate solution. This framework combined strategic market intelligence with hands-on administrative support.

1. In-depth salary benchmarking and office search

First, our consulting team conducted an in-depth study of the local hiring landscape. We provided SVR with precise salary benchmarking data to guide their strategic hiring decisions. Simultaneously, we facilitated the search for a suitable corporate office space. This step ensured that SVR’s early operations had a physical home in Vietnam from day one.

2. Specialized recruitment and PEO wage hosting services

Furthermore, SOA managed the executive search process to build SVR’s core local leadership. We actively selected and interviewed high-caliber candidates for critical managerial roles.

To ensure SVR could begin operations immediately, we deployed our specialized PEO wage hosting Vietnam services. SOA securely managed the payroll, social insurances, and administrative needs of SVR’s staff. Consequently, the team could legally work and receive wages before SVR’s own corporate entity was finalized.

3. Product registration and legal entity setup

Finally, we coordinated with a dedicated legal partner to streamline SVR’s compliance track. We actively assisted the brand in registering its innovative personal care products with local health authorities. In tandem, we managed the official paperwork to complete their setup business in Vietnam, creating a fully compliant corporate structure.