Another hugely successful Export Week is over but our drive to increase exports is not. As far as we at UKTI are concerned every week has to be export week if we are to grow our economy.
There is a huge appetite for the products and services our firms can offer – the East Midlands is a leading centre of health and life sciences, high tech manufacturing and has a world class reputation for education, heritage, discovery and innovation – so we need to make sure that our firms have the skills and knowledge to fulfil the overseas demand.
During this special week of high growth market promotion, from 13 to 17 May, about 300 businesses attended six events across the region to learn about international business opportunities in these markets and how to secure them.
From prestigious visits by HM Ambassadors to Brazil and Colombia to Derby, to a presentation by the Chair of the UK India Business Council Patricia Hewitt at an Indian opportunities event in Leicester, to a call by RBS director David Houghton in Nottingham to encourage professional advisers to work together, there was something for everyone and it was great to see so many of the region’s businesses attending the Export Week events
A few key themes emerged from the week. It soon became clear that if companies want to grow, they need to look beyond these shores to where the growth is. The High Growth Markets are where it’s at and over the week we heard from businesses that are winning big contracts in places like Colombia and Mexico. The opportunities are plentiful and profitable for UK companies and one of the points that was repeatedly made is that, despite any initial trepidation, you just need to take advice from UKTI and go for it.
There were also a lot of questions about time-scales: how long it takes to secure initial orders in these markets. The message is that it’s true, some of these orders don’t appear overnight, but perseverance pays and time invested in building relationships is time well spent and often rewarded handsomely.
A key point made to firms was to be focused. Know what you want to achieve and prepare well for it. There are potentially millions of new customers out there for you, if you get it right. You need a strong strategy and to take advantage of the support UKTI can offer to help you get going.
I hope we have given some of our local firms the help they need to get exporting and have inspired more of the region’s businesses to take up the exporting for growth challenge. We continue to hold regular exporting events across the region and to offer free advice and support to customers to help double exports by 2020; a challenge set by Trade and Investment Minister Lord Green. Export Week may be over but the drive to increase exports is most definitely not. We want and need the UK to succeed.
If you're in my region, the East Midlands, contact UKTI East Midlands or ring 0845 052 4001. If you're in other regions of the UK, find local UKTI contacts here