I would like to start this Tale by exploding a myth.
Independent private international trade consultants can make a real difference
to your business! It’s a matter of matching the project with the right
consultant, because there is no consultant on earth who can offer a total
solution for all your international trade needs. My own business, Exportaid,
focuses on offering practical help in international sales & marketing, in
empowering businesses to get properly organised for their international journeys,
and in taking some of the fear out of exporting. But there are things that we
can’t do, and things that we would not attempt. We prefer instead to refer
customers to one of the many specialists with whom we work.
Exportaid has been in business since 2002, and we work with
a number of companies who can offer a range of specialisms from Strong &
Herd’s regulatory and licensing expertise to MJ Hayward’s deep knowledge of
letters of credit and other bank payment methods. We know that if we refer
companies to our trusted partners they will get good service and quality help. And
we receive referrals in return where our experience and knowledge is better
suited to providing a customer with first class services. And there is a whole
network of us out there!
I work with a company in North Yorkshire who wanted me to
help them with meetings arranged by UK Trade & Investment at two
consecutive Ecobuild exhibitions in London. On the first occasion, we met a
very promising contact from Hong Kong, the Managing Director and his Technical
Director. When I introduced myself as my client’s Export Consultant, their
reaction was that my client must be serious about doing it right if they were
prepared to invest in working with an International Trade Consultant. 18 months on, and with my direct input and
coaching, my client now has an exclusive agreement with one of the major
distributors of building materials in Hong Kong, with offices across China.
There were several occasions during the process where the
Yorkshire company became a little impatient, and concerned about locking
themselves into something they might find it hard to extricate themselves from.
That was borne out of unfamiliarity with the market, lack of knowledge of the
distributor, and the mistrust that can come from that, and a whole range of
other issues. However, I knew that to persist was the right thing for my client.
I learned more about them and found that they also distributed for another
highly respected and possibly complementary UK brand. I contacted them for a
reference, and it was probably the most glowing reference I have ever heard
about any distributor I have had dealings with. A great result.
A couple of years back I was introduced by RBS to The
Customs People, a company of VAT specialists, and they had just saved a client
of theirs £140,000 by scrutinising their VAT returns. David Miller from The
Customs People is now also an Associate of Strong & Herd. David referred
Strong & Herd to a company in Berkshire who were having a significant
Export Licensing issue at the time. By analysing the issues and communicating
effectively with HMRC, Sandra Strong provided a solution that put the company
back on track and gave them a formula for the future that would ensure they did
not repeat the same errors. My accountant
referred one of my clients to a company who specialises in R&D tax credit
claims, and that resulted in a £16,000 windfall net of his commission. A couple
of years ago I referred Virtuoso Legal to an Exportaid client in Scotland, and
Liz Ward, Principal of that company, helped them obtain an EU wide trademark
for their brand of fabrics. And to complete a rather nice loop, it was Virtuoso
Legal who referred Exportaid to the company in North Yorkshire! These are
examples of the kind of deep knowledge and professional support that can only
be found in professionals who have been in a certain line of business for the
whole or most of their working lives.
Finding good quality international trade help can feel like
a bit of a minefield, but there is plenty of help out there, from the UKTI
services outlined in Tale #30 through to the recent and ongoing examples in the
paragraphs above. There are multiple ways in which you can connect with our
informal network of independent and professional international trade
specialists, so give us a call, send us an email, contact us through our
websites, or connect with us via our multiple social network pages. We would
love to hear from you.
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