Export event highlights opportunities for west businesses
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June 23, 2016
An estimated £900 million each year is up for grabs for West of England businesses who become exporters and embrace the language of their target market, based on HM Revenue and Customs figures released in June.
That’s the message from GetSet for Growth – West of England, an organisation funded by the Government Regional Growth Fund.
They’ve teamed-up with UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) to organise a workshop on 29 June 2016 to encourage businesses to take advantage of UK export and import opportunities and overcome legal, cultural and logistical barriers to doing this successfully.
One of the key workshop themes is for businesses to embrace the linguistic and cultural challenges of trading abroad if they are to take full advantage of the opportunity on offer.
Phil Stott, Project Director for GetSet for Growth, said: “Each year, we estimate that language differences alone cost South West exporters almost one billion pounds in lost trade. But this figure also represents an opportunity for West of England businesses thinking of entering the export market. This trade is potentially up-for-grabs for those willing to embrace new languages and cultures.
“What’s more, the West of England is an export success story which bucks the national trend. Surprisingly, our regional export market grew by over 10 percent in 2015 and is now worth over £15 billion each year. As a result, small and medium size businesses who approach us view exporting as their number one opportunity to grow.
The event is being held at Engine Shed, Bristol from 10 am – 12 pm. It is free to attend but places are limited.
