It struck me recently at a party, that as the music plays a pattern emerges. The occasional party tune is heard and a throng will get up and dance, yet when the song is over a silent accord is reached and the floor empties. This might happen two or three times, but as the night wears on, the number on the dance floor grows steadily until the final tune where you can see more of the chairs than you can of the laminated wooden square in the middle of the room.
The comparison I suggest; to companies selling overseas is similar, with a few dynamic businesses taking charge of opportunities that come their way. Acting reactively to the enquiry from Israel or Norway or wherever. But as time goes on, a fashion develops. We realise that actually there is little reason why we shouldn’t all get up and dance and when we are there it doesn’t seem so bad. Why did we wait so long? Scared? Maybe, but when you do get up and dance you always take someone with you, and that is what Export Week is all about.
All around the country UKTI and its partners are gathering trade officers from Embassies around the world, businesses from all around the UK and putting them all in one location near you, to encourage and advise you. To impart that, actually the perceived barriers of VAT, Export Documentation, Agents & Distributors, for example, are not that hard to break through. I know, because as an International Trade Adviser to many micro-businesses, I have seen them grow from kitchen table to the world. Some make more margin on their product in Mainland Europe than they do in the UK.
Another common element is the advice and support from UKTI. With approximately 400 advisers all over the country ready to freely advise you on your potential to export it still surprises me to hear business leaders say, "...I had no idea this level of support was available..." Well it is, and it comes with so much more. I am reminded of a company, a small family business that was approached by an agent in Germany to sell their product - a reactive leap onto the dance floor if you take my analogy, but with the help, support and funding from UKTI this company is now taking that opportunity and expanding it into other European states with a plan to have 25 percent of their turnover overseas inside 12 months. They believe in their product, as do you I’m sure, but had never considered export because they didn’t believe they could do it. Not bad for a husband and wife team.
At every Embassy the British Government has, there is a trade team to help you understand that particular market. And for this company to ask these trade teams questions about their market sector was invaluable. So why not get to one of these events and find out for yourself, or talk to an International Trade Adviser on a one-to-one basis. Why not EXPLORE EXPORT?
For more information on Export Week events taking place across the South West from 11-15 November , visit www.exportweek.ukti.gov.uk