(FORTUNE Small Business) – Whenever I think of expanding a business into a new territory, I remember the lessons I learned in 1988, when the NBA announced that the Orlando Magic would bring basketball to the town that Mickey built. Nobody was more excited than me. My company, Sports Physical Therapy, was based in Philadelphia but had spread through several states and had made an affiliation with the Magic that we were confident would make Orlando our first venture into long-distance management. No problem, right? Wrong!

We believed our modern equipment, innovative rehab techniques, and aggressive marketing would have patients flocking to our new center in Orlando. We assumed that what worked in Philly would work elsewhere. What we neglected to incorporate into our plans was an understanding of local customs and customers.

One of my best managers, David Cassidy, moved to Orlando to ensure that our business was run exactly the way it was at home. He had a hidden flaw, however. He was not native to the South. Instead of hitting the ground running, we hit with a thud. The first thing we needed was for physicians to refer patients to our clinics. In the Northeast we would knock on doctors' doors, give them prescription pads with our phone number on it, and bombard them with follow-up reports on the patients they sent our way. In the South, however, many docs interpreted our assertiveness as arrogance. Our business suffered, but David adjusted quickly. We took a more patient and subtle approach. We attended medical meetings, got to know the doctors, and made them feel that they were kings and we were respectful courtiers. It took time to build trust, but the docs came around, and business boomed--once we "went native."

Fast-forward 15 years, and now I am venturing farther south, to Key West. This beautiful four-mile-long island offers, beyond its amazing fishing and diving, an eclectic array of tourist attractions, from Ernest Hemingway's home to Harry Truman's Little White House to Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville (one of 400 drinking establishments on this tiny parcel of land).

It is here I am building my Pirate Soul museum, including a shop, restaurant, and tavern, in the city's historic district. Foremost in my mind as the plan began to take shape was the need to "go native."

My first initiative was to contact the real estate agent, Suzy Murphy, who had sold my family our Key West bungalow years ago. I described my vision, and it became her mission to find a building to house the museum within walking distance of the harbor. I remember laughing at her reply: "No problem." But Murphy quickly found me a retail store and a restaurant on a busy corner near the harbor, where the famous Conch Tour train shuttles hundreds of tourists past every day.

I then hired a seasoned local lawyer, who has become a close friend. Jack Spottswood, a sixth-generation Key Wester, saw to it that my bungalow purchase went off without a hitch. Now I needed him to navigate the Conch Republic's official channels to win approval for our proposal to convert a retail commercial building and secure a new zoning classification for a museum. These days Key West officials work hard to protect the look and heritage of their island, so I knew I had to respect their views as we proceeded. Jack suggested we first meet with city planner Ty Symroski and Key West zoning consultant Don Craig to make sure from the start that my dream was doable. These experienced locals were invaluable in guiding me through the process. Zoning passed. Building bought. Round two.

My Key West architect, Michael Ingram, knew what would please locals and tourists alike, and creatively drafted plans to transform the façades of the two buildings in a way likely to win the approval of the Key West Historical Architectural Review Commission. Ingram designed a Caribbean-Colonial-style complex--Spanish roof, wooden signs, rope railings, open beams--with a feel that would fit right in with the historic town. Commission approved. Building bought. Round three.

It may be more expensive and time-consuming to go local--especially if you already have a team of lawyers and architects you've been working with for years--but by doing so, you'll greatly increase the chances that your business dream will come true.

Pat Croce is the bestselling author of I Feel Great and You Will Too! and the recently published Lead or Get Off the Pot!