Overseas trade is not limited to big business
sophie
By Sophie Howe, Mid-Warwickshire branch chair of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.
With all the doom and gloom surrounding the Eurozone and GDP, it’s great to listen to the radio, watch TV or pick up a newspaper and be reminded of what a great success story Jaguar Land Rover is across the world.
The knock-on effect that has for the local economy is extremely positive with so many companies in the supply chain benefiting from its success. That is something we want to see replicated with all of our major companies across Warwickshire.
It’s vital that small and medium-sized firms understand and are aware of opportunities that are available to become suppliers to bigger firms and that is a priority for this branch of the chamber.
For the sake of the local and regional economy, we need more and more big companies doing business with SMEs.
Another reason Jaguar Land Rover’s success should be hailed is the fact that it has seized on the opportunity of international trade and have strengthened their market share in countries such as China and India.
One could argue that it’s easy for a large, globally renowned company to do that but it’s not quite so easy for an SME.
But when you see the support available through UKTI at the chamber, it becomes apparent that everything from one-person businesses up to the larger organisations have the capability to trade overseas.
There are countless examples of how firms have been assisted in international trade from mainland Europe to China and, only this month, the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber is leading a UK delegation to Toronto for a major international business conference held by Microsoft.
So overseas trade is certainly not limited to big business and I would urge any firm looking to grow to contact the UKTI team for help. It might not lead to the kind of sales that Jaguar Land Rover have enjoyed but it will certainly provide a significant business boost in the current climate.
I invite anyone who wishes to join the mid-Warwickshire branch of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce to email angelat@cw-chamber.co.uk.
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Wednesday 19 June 2013
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