It will take hard work to start but exporting is good for you

In my last column for the Courier/Weekly News, I mentioned that the Chamber of Commerce would be making an announcement on international trade and at our annual conference at Stoneleigh Park we launched our ‘Exporting is Good for Coventry and Warwickshire’ campaign.

In my own business – a translation company – I see every day the opportunities that are there for companies to trade overseas and take advantage of the global market.

Our expertise is in helping businesses to overcome language barriers and that can be in a range of ways – from translating their website into foreign languages to interpreting services.

So I know that the world is not as big or as daunting as some businesses may think and that it is vital that more and more companies start to sell their goods and services overseas.

The point of the campaign is not simply to tell businesses to trade overseas, it is to show them where they can go for support if they are exporting for the first time or, if they are existing exporters, they want to explore new markets.

Why do more companies need to start exporting?

It simply comes down to the numbers. The firms who export are more likely to grow and more likely to take on new staff.

In the chamber’s recent Quarterly Economic Survey, those companies who trade overseas said they are, generally, more confident about the next 12 months.

Of course, businesses will always trade locally and that is something that we actively encourage too, naturally, but this is a chance to bolster our economy with overseas orders and contracts.

The first port of call for general advice on exporting has to be the UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) team at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.

They can help with market research, take companies out on market visits and offer a range of other services that make international trade not only possible but very accessible.

It does take hard work to start exporting, but the benefits are there for businesses and for the wider economy too.