Midlands Export

This is Midlands Export the podcast brought to you by the Department for International Trade in the Midlands.My name is David James and in this episode I’m talking to Alex Makino-Farrell, Adviser at the China Britain Business Council about the exciting opportunities in the worlds biggest online market.I caught up with Alex at the DIT’s Go Global event in February this year. We talk about how CBBC can help you successfully enter the Chinese market, why everything you’ve learnt about digital marketing in the UK is largely irrelevant and why talking to Chinese students and tourists could be really good for your business.To find out more about doing business in China and the rest of the world go to Great.gov.uk and click on the ‘Contact an International Trade Adviser’ link which is on the front page.

If you have consumer products using an established online marketplace could be a great way of not only selling to British customers but also to consumer around the world.In fact using marketplaces for cross border e-commerce is one of the very easiest ways to begin your export journey.This is Midlands Export the podcast brought to you by the Department for International Trade in the Midlands.My name is David James and in this episode I’m talking to Cas Paton, Founder and CEO of OnBuy.com the world’s fastest growing online marketplace.I caught up with Cas at the DIT’s Go Global event which took place in February this year.We talked about how OnBuy has been built specifically to provide sellers with the best possible service and the best possible price. And the global ambitions of this fast growing British company looking to disrupt the world of e-commerce.If you want to talk through how to use e-commerce to take your products global visit Great.Gov.UK and click on the ‘Contact an International Trade Adviser’ link which is on the front page.

The UK’s digital marketing industry is perhaps the most advanced and competitive in the world. This means that compared to other nations we’re much better at things like search engine optimisation, social media marketing and paid search advertising.So when British companies work with their digital marketing agencies to promote their business internationally they can outperform even the market leaders in their own country.So if you are finding the cost of your pay-per-click advertising is eating into your margins you might find you can get a much cheaper cost-per-click for the same search term in another country. With relatively cheap next day delivery available for much of the world why limit your e-commerce ambitions to the UK?My name is David James and this is Midlands Export the podcast brought to you by the Department for International Trade in the Midlands.In this episode I’m talking to John Chacksfield the Owner digital agency SharpMonkeys to get an overview of best practice for international digital marketing.This episode was recorded at the DIT’s Go Global event in February this year.If you would like help using digital marketing to take your business global go to Great.Gov.UK and click on the ‘Contact an International Trade Adviser’ link which is on the front page.

If you’re an online retailer who’s had success selling to customers in the UK you will be interested to know there’s a way to easily export to 40 additional markets through an online marketplace called Fruugo.So if you’re finding the increased cost of paid search traffic in the UK is eating into your margins or you're just looking for new growth opportunities you’ll be interested in this episode of Midlands Export.My name is David James and I got the chance to talk to Håkan Thyr, Chief Revenue Officer at Fruugo, at the Department for International Trade’s Go Global event in February this year.Håkan explained that although in Britain we’ve got used to buying from UK based marketplaces like Amazon.co.uk with goods coming from warehouses in our own country. In lots of other countries, including many European nations, online shoppers habitually buy from suppliers based across a border - hence the term cross border e-commerce. For instance 75% of all online orders in the Middle East are cross border - which means huge opportunities for British e-commerce retailers. And as you’ll hear in this episode Fruugo make it super easy to turn this opportunity into increased revenue. For more great advice on exporting by e-commerce and digital trade visit Great.Gov.UK and click on the ‘Contact an International Trade Advisor’ link which is on the front page.

This is Midlands Export, the podcast from the Department for International Trade in the Midlands.In this episode we’re talking to Ed Williams and Jamie Laing Founders of Candy Kittens, a high end confectionery company that launched in 2012. Ed and Jamie have some great advice on how they launched and grew their business through a combination of retailers, e-commerce and export.My name is David James and I caught up with Ed and Jamie at the DIT’s Go Global event which took place in February this year.If you want help to take your start up global visit Great.gov.uk and click on the ‘contact an international trade adviser’ link which is on the front page.

Cross border e-commerce is an increasingly important method of exporting. If you already sell products or services on your own e-commerce website, a few minor changes may be all that is needed to begin attracting and selling to customers all around the world.One of the changes you will want to make is allowing overseas customers to pay using a method they know and trust and in their own currency.Anyone who has run an e-commerce site will know the frustration of abandoned shopping carts where a potential customer has selected the products they want, registered to buy and then stopped their purchase right at the check-out.My name is David James and in this episode of Midlands Export I’m talking to Mat Everitt, Vice President of Strategic Sales at World Pay about how you could be losing over 50% of your international sales by not providing alternative payment methods.Speaking at the Department for International Trade Go Global event in February this year Mat tells us that although we all use Visa and Mastercard based payments, even for things like ApplePay and one click purchasing, this is not the way things work everywhere, even in major economies like France and Germany.Listen to this episode to get a good understanding of how much money you are leaving on the table if you don’t offer alternative payment methods and how APMs can help make your business more efficient and more profitable.To get more great advice on how to use the internet to export visit Great.Gov.UK and click on the ‘Contact an International Trade Adviser’ link which is on the front page.

Alex Wyatt, Global Project Manager at SimplyVATUsing cross border e-commerce to export around the world is a relatively easy and very efficient way to begin your export journey.One thing you need to be aware of is that although you can initially sell cross border without registering for VAT in the country you are selling to, there are different thresholds for different countries after which you will have to register for and pay VAT in the destination.My name is David James and in this episode of Midlands Export, which was recorded at the Department for International Trade’s Go Global Event in February this year, I’m talking to Alex Wyatt, Global Project Manager at SimplyVAT.Alex tells me that although there’s a single market in the EU there aren’t common VAT regulations so you would have to register to pay for different taxes in each of the countries.Unfortunately the rest of the world is no easier with the USA having a sales tax rather than VAT which differs from State to State and town to town.Fortunately you can get help from companies like SimplyVAT.com who can deal with the complexities of international VAT for you.You can also get support from your very own International Trade Adviser. Just go to Great.gov.uk and click on the ‘Contact an International Trade Adviser’ link which is on the front page.

One of the most important relationships you will have as an exporter is with your freight forwarder. Freight forwarders are businesses that can facilitate all the logistics and paperwork required to get your products from your factory or warehouse to your international customer.If the additional administration needed for customs clearance and international shipment is putting you off selling overseas go and talk to a freight forwarder as they can make the process very straight forward.This is Midlands Export the new podcast from the Department for International Trade in the Midlands.My name is David James and in this episode I’m talking to Rachel Morley, Export Champion and General Manager of Leicestershire based Spatial Global.We find out what freight forwarders do, how to find the right forwarder for your business and the type of paperwork you will need to be aware of as an exporter and how freight forwarders can do a lot of it for you.To start or accelerate your own export success story visit great.gov.uk and click on the ‘contact an international trade adviser’ link which is on the front page.

Welcome to Midlands Export the podcast from the Department for International Trade in the Midlands.My name is David James and in this episode I’m talking to Malcolm Hall MBE Export Champion and owner of Nottinghamshire based Hall-Fast Industrial Supplies.Hall-Fast began in a spare room of the family home in 2006 and now sells a product range of 45 million items to 82 different countries.The really interesting thing about this export success story is Malcolm ignored nearly all the perceived wisdom about how to sell overseas and followed his own path, which has seen the company win multiple awards.Find out how Malcolm’s unique approach has seen the company do no international paid advertising but by building over 15,000 web pages gain thousands of international customers but he doesn’t sell anything internationally online.It’s a fascinating story that just goes to show there’s definitely more than one way to make a success of selling overseas.To start or accelerate your own export success story visit great.gov.uk and click on the ‘contact an international trade adviser’ link which is on the front page.

This is Midlands Export the brand new podcast brought to you by the Department for International Trade in the Midlands.Our aim is to provide businesses in the Midlands with the inspiration and information they need to make a success of trading overseas.My name is David James and in this episode of Midlands Export I’m talking to Paul Morris, Export Champion and Founder of Staffordshire based AddMaster a company that makes performance additives for plastics and paints.Paul’s additives provide antibacterial protection for all manner of things including hospital walls, light switches and beds as well as supermarket bags for life, bird feeders and hand dryers.Paul puts his success down to watching trends and figuring out what’s going to happen next or predicting where the ball will bounce next as he puts it.This approach has seen AddMaster generate 65% of its business from exporting and winning two Queen’s Award for Industry trophies in the process.To start or accelerate your own export success story visit great.gov.uk and click on the ‘contact an international trade adviser’ link which is on the front page.

When you think about UK exports you probably think about British manufacturers loading products onto boast, trucks or planes. But did you know British companies sold over two hundred and eighty billion pounds of services to overseas customers in 2018.So if you are a service based business and think exporting is not for you, think again.This is Midlands Export, the brand new podcast brought to you by the Department for International Trade in the Midlands.My name is David James and in this episode I’m talking to Jane Shepherd MBE, Export Champion and Director of Staffordshire based Shepherd PR about how she exports communications services to clients in Austria.Jane explains how she approached overseas exhibitors at UK based trade shows to win her first clients which is a simple and effective strategy we could all benefit from.To start or accelerate your own export success story visit great.gov.uk and click on the ‘contact an international trade adviser’ link which is on the front page.

This is Midlands Export the podcast from the Department for International Trade in Midlands. We’re here to provide you with the inspiration and  information you need to make a success of trading overseas.My name is David James and in this episode I’m talking to Philip Duggan, Export Champion and Business Specialist at Dudley based Boss Design.Boss Design produce furniture for a wide range of prestigious UK and international clients including Jaguar Landrover, Etihad Airways and Microsoft.Philip tells us how the Department for International Trade has helped Boss Design win new clients, how British design and quality is highly sort after in many countries and why innovation and keeping your brand up to date is vital for sustained success.To start or accelerate your own export success story visit great.gov.uk and click on the ‘contact an international trade adviser’ link which is on the front page.

This is Midlands Export the podcast brought to you by the Department for International Trade in the Midlands.Our mission is to provide you with the inspiration and information you need to take your business to international success.My name is David James and in this episode I’m talking to George Paul, Export Champion and Owner of Derbyshire based Bradburys Cheese.George is relatively new to exporting having started just five years ago but in that short time Bradburys Cheese now do eight and a half million pounds with of international business in 32 different markets.George has some really great advice about how to pitch, follow up and build relationships with high value customers and some top tips on how to prepare for international success.To start or accelerate your own export success story visit great.gov.uk and click on the ‘contact an international trade adviser’ link which is on the front page.

Welcome to Midlands Export the brand new podcast brought to you by the Department for International Trade in the Midlands. In these podcasts we aim to provide you with all the information and inspiration you need to turn your business into an international success.My name is David James and in this episode of Midlands Export I’m talking to another of the DIT’s Export Champions; Dr Nik Kotecha, CEO of Loughborough based Morningside Pharmaceuticals.Dr Nik has taken his business from a start up in his garage to winner of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise and export has been fundamental to the company’s growth and  success.Dr Nik talks to us about how important the British brand is when doing business overseas, how he successfully manages risk in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East and why he’s so passionate about getting out on the ground to meet his customers.To start or accelerate your own export success story visit great.gov.uk and click on the ‘contact an international trade adviser’ link which is on the front page.

Welcome to Midlands Export the brand new podcast brought to you by the Department for International Trade in the Midlands. We’ll be talking to a selection of our Export Champions who are some of the Midlands’ most successful small and medium sized exporters.We’ll be asking them about how they win and serve international clients so you can learn from their experience. We’ll also be investigating some of the countries and sectors where Midlands based businesses might have the best export opportunities.My name is David James and in this episode of Midlands Export  I’m talking to Andy Jones, Head of Export for Cambridge Weight Plan. We’ll get some fantastic tips and advice on how to deal with the complexity of selling food and consulting services in 45 different markets.We talk about how to gather the right intelligence for market entry, how to find the right distributors, how to write international distributor contracts and how to deal with food standards legislation in multiple territories.To start or accelerate your own export success story visit great.gov.uk and click on the ‘contact an international trade adviser’ link which is on the front page.