Guest blogger Paul Smith, Chairman, Harvey Nash Outsourcing and Council Member UKASEAN Business Council, tells us why UK companies should brag about their success more. You can meet Paul at Asia focused UKTI events next week at Haydock Park (Weds 17 Oct.) and the Kia Oval (Thurs 18th Oct)
During my recent visit to Vietnam to support the Lord Mayor of the City of London Alderman David Wootton's visit to the country, it became apparent that there is a new "competitive spirit" about British business looking for export opportunity in the ASEAN region.
Lord Mayor David Wootton said "I hope that business links forged on this visit will add to our countries’ ambitions of increasing two-way trade to US$4 billion by 2013"
UKTI have adopted "GREAT" as the strap line for British events abroad....about time in my view because we are bloody good at making things, innovating, designing and providing world beating services. Our companies and particularly SME's are fabulous at delivering some of the best products in the world.
Did you know that the American Nation will be watching the live news feeds across the country during the Obama:Romney elections, on technology developed by a GREAT British company (Harvey Nash) in its Vietnam software centre!
But good old British modesty often prevents us from shouting about how good we are, how we are able to compete head to head with the very best in the world. How we can beat the Germans, the Japanese, French and the Americans in export markets. So for me putting the GREAT into our SME's is about realising we have to throw off the shackles of our modesty and start bragging more.
As you see above, I have no problem bragging about our business with Vietnam, it is an export success employing 4500 staff and delivering software services throughout the world, earning substantial revenues for Harvey Nash Group (HVN.L) and UK plc. Our success in Asia has helped us weather the global economic storm.
Funnily enough the ASEAN markets think British Businesses is GREAT and wonder why our SME's are not flocking to their doorsteps to sell "Made in Britain", Whether it is our designer labels, our technology, our digital skills, our PPP expertise, infrastructure expertise (hey! look at the Olympic Park), our fantastic service skills and the diverse, superbly engineered and innovative products, they would like to by GREAT British products from GREAT British SME's.
You can start at the same place we did in the year 2000: by learning from how others have succeeded in the region. Now there are some incredibly helpful events run by UKTI and the UK ASEAN Business Council. You can get all the help and support you need by talking to experts and other businesses who are succeeding in the region, build contacts and find open doors to new opportunity.
Find out more for yourselves by visiting some outstanding events:
Wednesday 17 October Doing Business in Asia: Meet the Experts, Haydock Park Racecourse
Thursday 18 October The practical toolkit for doing business in South East Asia, Kia Oval, London
1 comment
Comment by PR Smith posted on
Nice post Paul.
Co-incidentally our export product is called The Great Sportsmanship Programme (we inspire young people into global citizenship whilst boosting their English Literacy skills and also theri interest in sport). Working in Dublin, London & Dubai.
Our 4 minute 'Anyone For Olympism?' video explains all http://tinyurl.com/d7tu6rp
Best wishes
Paul
PR Smith (former UKTI advisor, trainer & mentor)