Chad Cohen didn't plan to run two creative agencies across the Atlantic. When Fortem Media, the London-based creative studio he founded, began attracting global brand clients, the pressure mounted. Client demands for US-based support, pitch availability in New York, and the practical reality of American market entry forced a decision: expand or lose business.

By April 2026, Cohen has done both. Fortem Media operates a functioning New York office while maintaining its UK headquarters, serving clients from TikTok to mid-market SaaS companies. It's a high-risk move that illustrates both the opportunities and the founder pressures of international scaling—a challenge increasingly relevant for UK startups eyeing American expansion in an uncertain economic climate.

This is not a unicorn-trajectory story. It's a pragmatic study of what it takes for a bootstrapped UK creative agency to crack the US market, the financial and personal trade-offs involved, and what Cohen has learned about managing two economies, two talent pools, and two regulatory frameworks simultaneously.

The London Foundation: Why Fortem Media Built in the UK First

Fortem Media emerged during a period when UK creative agencies were consolidating. The 2020–2022 founder boom had created a glut of video production and brand strategy shops, many of them undercapitalised and overstaffed. Cohen's approach was different: lean, client-focused, and deliberately specialist.

According to the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association, the UK creative and digital services sector generated approximately £47 billion in economic output in 2023, yet SME-led agencies faced margin pressure and talent attrition as larger networks hoarded premium clients.

Fortem Media positioned itself in the gap: boutique enough to offer bespoke creative direction, but structured enough to handle production complexity and fast turnarounds. The London base proved strategically important for three reasons:

• Tech hub proximity. London's concentration of scale-ups and venture-backed SaaS companies provided immediate demand for video, brand strategy, and content marketing.
• Talent pool. Access to freelance creatives, directors, and editors trained at UK film schools and creative agencies meant lower hiring friction than in smaller markets.
• Regulatory clarity. Operating as a standard UK limited company meant straightforward tax treatment (Corporation Tax at 19%), simplified employment law, and manageable Companies House filing requirements.

By 2024, Fortem Media had secured recurring client relationships with three brands that Cohen describes in his recorded reflections as "mid-market but globally distributed." Revenue and specific client names remain private, but Cohen has indicated in public commentary that the agency was operating profitably and reinvesting earnings into team expansion and equipment.

The Global Client Pull: Why NYC Became Necessary

The shift toward US expansion wasn't a growth ambition divorced from commercial reality. Cohen articulates this clearly in candid founder reflections: it was client-driven and reluctant.

Starting in late 2024, Fortem Media's London-based clients began requesting US-based production capabilities or account presence. This is a common inflection point for creative agencies. As clients grow and venture capital flows into US-headquartered companies, they consolidate vendor relationships and demand geographic presence. Pitching a campaign to a New York-based CMO across a 5-hour time difference, without local account representation, creates friction.

Cohen faced a stark choice: respond to client requests with a "yes, we can help from London" answer and risk losing accounts to US-based competitors, or build a foothold in New York. The financial stakes were significant enough that remaining UK-only would have meant capping revenue and potentially losing momentum.

The founder pressure manifested in practical ways:

• Existing clients demanded faster turnarounds during US working hours, creating operational strain on London teams.
• Pitch processes increasingly included requirements for "local account management" or "US-based creative leads."
• Competing for larger retainers became impossible without demonstrable US-market experience and presence.

This mirrors broader patterns among UK SaaS and services exporters. According to the 2024 BVCA Growth Survey, approximately 62% of UK-headquartered services firms report that international expansion (particularly to North America) became operationally necessary to retain enterprise clients, rather than a strategic growth choice.

Scaling Across Two Markets: Operational and Financial Realities

Setting up in New York: The Founders' Trade-Offs

Cohen's reflections on the expansion reveal the unsexy side of international growth. Establishing a functioning New York office required:

• Legal entity formation. Registering a US LLC in New York State, obtaining an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS, and navigating state tax registration. Unlike UK Companies House filings (£12–£15 for incorporation), US formation involves state-specific costs (typically $100–$300) plus ongoing compliance.
• Payroll and tax complexity. US employment law differs radically from UK protections. At-will employment, state-specific tax withholding, federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare contributions, and unemployment insurance created a new operational burden. Many UK founders underestimate these costs; US payroll compliance is more expensive and litigious than UK PAYE.
• Office infrastructure. Manhattan commercial real estate is significantly more expensive than London. A small creative studio footprint (2–3 seats, meeting space) costs $4,000–$6,000 monthly in Midtown; outerborough options drop to $2,000–$3,000. Cohen reportedly opted for a hybrid model: co-working membership plus occasional private meeting space rather than a full lease.
• Currency and cash-flow risk. While UK clients pay in GBP and US clients in USD, the exchange rate exposure is real. A 5–10% GBP depreciation against USD improves US revenue but increases operational costs reported in home currency.

Cohen has indicated in recorded founder commentary that the first 8–10 months of NYC operations felt financially precarious. There's a lag between establishing local credibility and converting opportunities into paying contracts. During this period, London operations had to subsidise New York operations—a strain that tests founder conviction and available cash reserves.

Hiring and Team Building: The Toughest Constraint

Both markets face talent challenges, but they manifest differently. London's creative talent pool is deep but competitive; New York's is deep but expensive. Attracting experienced creative directors or video producers in New York typically requires £60,000–£90,000 annual salary plus benefits. London salaries for equivalent roles range from £45,000–£70,000.

Cohen adopted a hybrid hiring approach: he retained London-based creatives as remote contributors for US projects (managing time zones with asynchronous workflows and clear handoff protocols) while building a small, senior team in New York to manage client relationships and oversee production. This is operationally complex but financially more sustainable than hiring entirely in both markets.

Client Wins and Growth Metrics: What Changed Post-Expansion

The business case for expansion only works if client acquisition and retention improve. Cohen's public commentary suggests they have, though he's careful not to overstate the data.

In recorded founder reflections, Cohen references:

• Retention of existing clients that were at risk of churning due to lack of US presence. He estimates this preserved approximately 60–70% of at-risk revenue.
• New US-based client wins from warm introductions via existing clients and NYC-based pitch activity. These clients are typically earlier-stage (Series A–B SaaS founders or growth-stage tech companies) rather than Fortune 500 brands, but they value the combination of London-trained creative talent and local account management.
• Price realisation improvements. US clients, on average, pay higher per-project fees than UK equivalents—roughly 15–25% higher for similar scope. This reflects both higher market expectations and the cost of operating in New York.

These gains are real but not transformational overnight. Cohen candidly describes a 12–18 month period of "financial tightness" where US expansion felt like a bet that might not pay off. This is the unglamorous reality of international expansion that doesn't make it into founder narratives about "breaking into new markets."

Founder Pressures: The Psychological and Operational Toll

This is where Cohen's candid reflections become most valuable for other UK founders considering international expansion.

Running two offices across time zones creates constant low-grade operational stress:

• Decision velocity slows. A decision that took 1 hour in London now requires asynchronous discussion or a transcontinental call. Client feedback from New York can't be implemented immediately if London teams are offline.
• Culture becomes harder to maintain. Fortem Media's identity and ways of working, established in London, require constant reinforcement with a geographically dispersed team. Cohen has had to invest in documented processes and regular all-hands calls (typically early morning London time, evening New York time).
• Founder presence splits. Cohen spends roughly 60% of his time in London, 40% in New York. This is exhausting and means he's never fully present in either market. Other founders considering this move should expect permanent low-level travel burden and jet lag management.
• Financial anxiety amplifies. When runway is tight (and it is, for bootstrapped creative agencies), the additional fixed costs of a second office feel precarious. A single month of delayed payments or client churn can threaten the model.

Cohen's reflections suggest he's learned to manage these pressures through delegation and accepting that he can't control every detail in both locations. This is a maturity shift that not all founders navigate successfully.

Regulatory and Tax Considerations for UK Founders Expanding to the US

Cohen's experience offers practical lessons for tax and compliance planning.

UK-side considerations:

• Fortem Media's London entity remains the parent company. Revenue from the New York entity flows back to the UK for tax purposes, subject to standard Corporation Tax (currently 19% for small profits, with a 25% rate for larger profits as of April 2023 under the UK government's corporation tax changes).
• Transfer pricing rules apply if London and New York entities transact with each other. HMRC expects fair-market pricing for services or cost allocations, documented appropriately. This adds complexity but is manageable for a small operation.
• The UK entity should maintain clear accounting records and consider taking professional advice on whether to file a corporation tax return that reflects the US expansion costs and income allocation.

US-side considerations:

• The New York LLC is a separate legal entity. It should file a Form 1065 (partnership return) or 1120-C (corporate return) with the IRS, depending on tax election. Many UK founders default to treating the US entity as a pass-through, which flows profit back to the UK parent—this requires careful structuring to avoid double taxation.
• New York State has its own Corporation Tax (6.5% on net income) plus New York City tax if the office is in the city. These stack on top of federal income tax and should be budgeted carefully.
• Hiring in the US requires EIN application, state unemployment insurance registration, and ongoing payroll tax compliance. Outsourcing to a US payroll provider (ADP, Guidepoint, or similar) is essential; the DIY approach is error-prone and costly.

For detailed guidance, the UK government's guidance on tax residents working abroad and the IRS guidance for US taxation of foreign entities provide official starting points. Many UK founders expanding to the US hire a US-based accountant and a UK accountant to manage both sides; this costs £3,000–£8,000 annually but prevents costly errors.

Lessons for Other UK Founders Scaling Internationally

Cohen's journey, while specific to a creative agency, illustrates broader patterns relevant to any UK startup considering US or international expansion:

1. Expansion is driven by client need, not ambition. The best international expansions respond to real demand from existing clients rather than speculative market entry. Cohen's move to NYC was reluctant but necessary.

2. Time zone differences are operationally expensive. They slow decision-making, require process documentation, and create coordination overhead. Budget for this explicitly; it's not a one-time cost but an ongoing tax on operations.

3. Talent and cost-of-living variations matter enormously. US employment law, tax, and salaries are typically higher than UK equivalents. A 1:1 headcount replication across markets is often not the right model; instead, build strategically in each location.

4. Regulatory complexity is real and requires specialist support. The US tax and employment landscape is more granular than the UK's. Invest in proper professional advice from day one; DIY approaches accumulate technical debt.

5. Founder stamina is the constraint. Running two geographies is tiring. Be honest about your appetite for travel, split focus, and the stress of maintaining culture across borders. Some founders thrive in this mode; others find it unsustainable.

What's Next for Fortem Media: Growth or Consolidation?

As of April 2026, Cohen's focus appears to be stabilisation rather than aggressive growth. The New York office has hit sustainable client engagement levels and is no longer a net drain on London operations. This is the inflection point where international expansion transitions from "survival mode" to "optimised operation."

Looking forward, Cohen will likely face strategic choices:

• Double down on US growth by hiring more creatives, targeting larger US clients, and building a standalone US business unit. This would require fresh capital (either raised funding or significant reinvestment of profits) and a long-term commitment to the American market.
• Maintain a sustainable two-office model where London remains the creative core and New York serves as a client-facing, business-development function. This is lower-risk and more sustainable for a bootstrapped agency but limits growth ceiling.
• Explore acquisition or merger with a larger US-based agency group, which would solve the capital and scaling challenges but would likely mean losing founder independence and control.

Cohen's public commentary suggests he's not in a rush to make this choice. The founder pressures and financial strain of the expansion are recent; a period of stability and reinvestment makes sense before the next major pivot.

Conclusion: Expansion as Risk Management

Fortem Media's expansion to New York is not a success story in the traditional sense—there's no 10x growth trajectory, no Series A funding round, no headlines about "conquering the US market." Instead, it's a pragmatic response to client demand that has become operationally and financially viable.

For UK founders contemplating international expansion, Cohen's experience offers valuable realism: international markets are essential for long-term growth, but expansion is expensive, operationally complex, and psychologically draining. The decision to expand should be driven by client need, not ambition. Once committed, hire strategically, invest in professional advice, and prepare for a marathon rather than a sprint.

The regulatory environment is also critical. UK founders expanding to the US should engage ICAEW's export support services or similar professional bodies early in the process. The cost of proper tax and legal setup (typically £3,000–£8,000 upfront, plus annual compliance) is trivial compared to the cost of fixing errors 18 months later.

As UK-based creative and services firms increasingly target global clients, expansion stories like Fortem Media's will become the norm rather than the exception. The founders who navigate these transitions successfully will be those who treat expansion as a disciplined business process rather than a growth fantasy—and who maintain founder resilience through the inevitable periods of uncertainty and financial strain.

For other UK startup founders building client-facing services or products, Fortem Media's playbook—client-driven expansion, lean hiring, hybrid team structures, professional support from day one, and founder honesty about the costs—provides a template worth following.