Business Help: How I made the decision to export

Engineering solutions company SFM Technology Ltd had a shrewd idea that there was an overseas market for its advanced soft fruit harvesting machinery. With the help of the International Trade Team at his local Business Link, sales and marketing director Keith Tridgell put the company’s ideas into practice. The company has already shipped its first machine to New Zealand and another is en-route.

What I did

Get the right advice

“We couldn’t have achieved what we have without the help of the Business Link Somerset International Trade Team. Previously we’d been reactive rather than proactive when it came to exporting, but the International Trade Team really got us focused.

“The first thing they did was to assess our readiness for exporting with an export health check. We were given the green light and accepted for the Your Passport to Export Success program, which is funded by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), an agency of the DTI. The program provides mentoring, training and matched funding for novice exporters and includes help with all aspects of exporting. The contacts provided by our local export mentor, as well as his overall advice and input, were invaluable.”

Research the market

“Armed with a list of contacts, we spent months researching the market and putting together an export plan. We wanted to concentrate initially on New Zealand, since they produce a lot of soft fruit and have similar growing conditions to the UK. We also wanted to start in a market where there was no language barrier.

“The Your Passport to Export Success program put us in touch with the British Consulate in New Zealand and from there I planned my first market visit, which the Passport scheme partially funded. I made three subsequent trips, which we paid for ourselves. Local knowledge is everything and each visit turned up new information, information we would not have gathered without face-to-face meetings.

“Among many other things, the visits enabled us to research competitors, investigate a sales support system and talk to potential customers in depth. Having UKTI support opened doors and put us in direct communication with all the key people.”

Appoint an agent

“It soon became clear that we would need an agent to handle things for us in New Zealand. At that distance it’s hard to do everything yourself, even in these days of email and the Internet. The network of contacts built up during my market visits enabled us to find exactly the right person. Our agent provides on-the-spot customer contact, handles front-line maintenance issues and helps to streamline the paperwork. As well as several meetings in New Zealand, we arranged for our agent to visit our UK site. This underlined his confidence in the product and cemented the relationship.”

What I’d do differently

Allow plenty of time for visits

“On my first visit to New Zealand I thought I’d allowed plenty of time, but it wasn’t enough. That first visit is crucial and you can save yourself time and money later by making the most of it.”

Invest more

“When exporting is unknown territory it’s easy to be over-cautious. The resources we allocated were adequate but perhaps, with the value of hindsight, we should have had the confidence to make a bigger initial investment.”

KEITH’S TOP TIPS

“Understand your target market and make sure you research everything from competitors, through pricing to logistics.”

“Commit resources and think about the investment you need to carry on once you finish a Your Passport to Export Success program.”

“Communicate regularly with your contacts in the country, since this will make sure your network remains fresh and new opportunities are taken.”

SELAMAT BERUSAHA, BERINOVASI, BERIMPROVISASI DAN SALAM SUKSES BUAT KITA SEMUA.

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