“Exporting should be everyone’s cup of tea”
The catchy title comes from an article in the Sunday Times (29 May 2016) which asked why some 70% of businesses have no interest in exporting, according to the UK Trade and Investment organisation. Claire Burrows, who runs a luxury shoe business, is already selling to Germany and Japan, a mere 18 months after launching her company. Did she find it difficult to get started? “Today it’s so easy to have your website translated and to trade in a different currency,” she says and hurrah to that. Here at Anglia Translations we are keen to help companies dip their toes into world-wide markets. Ms Burrows is very matter of fact about the so-called hazards that many companies believe (wrongly, in our view) stand in the way of successful exporting.
One of these problems was allegedly the amount of time and money involved in doing the basic research. Claire Burrows rejects these concerns: “The old way of doing things meant having to invest quite a lot to explore a market. Now you can dip your toe in the water quite effectively and cheaply.”
Jane Malyon, who set up the English Cream Tea Company with her husband, found that there were obstacles hindering her initial export drive. “With each country, she says, “I need to find out about new legislation, which products I am allowed to sell, and whether I need to change the labelling to meet local requirements and legislation.” This can make exporting a little bit more complex and Ms Malyon wonders whether it would be better if somehow local knowledge about particular markets could be readily obtained instead of the general guidance that official bodies such as the UKTI inevitably (and understandably) offer.
At Anglia we think we have come up with ways of solving these problems. Firstly we can easily translate your website. Initially, it doesn’t have to be anything more than an introduction to your company and its products. This can whet the appetite of would-be customers or agents in your chosen target market(s). Next, we can provide a short letter / email of introduction to prospective clients or agents. If you wish, we can also telephone them to obtain more information about what they can offer you. Finally, when you proceed to the next stage, of actually meeting with them to discuss business, we can provide fully qualified and experienced interpreters.
Contact us to see how we can help you dip your toe into world-wide markets
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