Welcome to episode 16 of my podcast with Mike Wilson of www.goexporting.com

Mike has been in business for some years and began his current company when he felt short of practical tips and a strategy to help him expand in to the export business. He realised there was a gap in the market and now supports companies with practical tools and tips to help them.

Who does he help?

Mike helps all size of business with their implementation and marketing strategy for this type of expansion, but he recognises there are a few things that initially matter. The first is why a business wants to do this. Much like a start up who need to answer that question so that they can work out what they’re doing this for, being able to think it through helps with both the planning and the prevention of mistakes.

Why?

Like any strategy, insufficient planning tends to jump up and bite you, mostly through unforeseen costs and a lack of experience. Some company’s need advice and input, whilst others need more resources and sales expertise. Whatever the need, it can help having this type of advice to hand.

Making mistakes is also costly in business and enthusiasm doesn’t seem enough on its own. We can all think we’d like to do something but managing it, is a different thing. Mike helps people understand what to do and how!

So, is this easy for anyone to do?

Whilst exporting clearly needs knowledge and ‘know how’, expansion doesn’t necessarily mean you need to go international with your product. So, checking out what you do and why makes sense. Having the right product, promoted in the right way, and ensuring a ready supply of goods is a necessity to begin.

What about Brexit?

I also asked Mike about Brexit and the inevitable challenges this is presenting business currently. As you can imagine, Mike is busy supporting many clients through this difficult time. Many companies he works with aren’t as well prepared for this as perhaps they could be. Some of that is a lack of time as the trade agreement was only ready near the end of the year. But some of it is a marked reluctance to ‘face’ the situation perhaps through fear or agitation. It requires a massive effort and a lot of stress for some companies to work out the paperwork they need and the process that involves.

So, if any of this resonates with you, do subscribe to the podcast for this and other episodes. Let me know if there are topics you are interested in by connecting on LinkedIn or email me sue@suefirthltd.com