There’s a world out there just waiting for your business to fulfil its needs for goods, products and services. According to one recent survey, many UK small and medium businesses are planning significant global trade expansion in 2022, with 62% of those polled targeting Europe, and 38% looking even further afield.
But how do you tap into these markets? And once you’ve taken the plunge, how do you navigate export and customs complexities, cross-border VAT rates, freight procedures and costs, and routes to market – in countries that often speak a different language and practise a different business culture?
One answer – if your business is based in Bedfordshire – is by taking advantage of the ARG (Additional Restrictions Grant) Go Global Business Support Programme, which is run jointly by Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce and Luton, Bedford and Central Bedfordshire Councils, and will support up to 150 local companies with their international trade needs.
Whether you’re considering exporting for the first time or are an experienced exporter looking at new markets (or indeed simply how to carry on with business as usual in the wake of changes to our relationship with the EU), the programme is designed to make the world your oyster!
So, job done, then? Well, business is rarely that simple, but to get to the bottom of what’s on offer, let’s explore what the programme aims to deliver, how, and when, and what kind of opportunities it is capable
of generating.
How the programme works
Go Global is not just a collection of useful international trade support resources – although it certainly encompasses these.
Firstly, what sets Go Global apart is that it actually gives your business one-to-one access to subject-matter experts who you can consult for solutions to all the most challenging international trade requirements, from export documentation to VAT issues, customs declarations, and more. The programme also includes funded export training courses and workshops to give you a solid foundation of knowledge that will maximise the value added by the experts’ input.
The advice you are given is also captured in written reports, presentations and online repositories, building up a body of insight that you can share within and throughout your organisation, to help create a workforce that is ready, willing and qualified to act on international trade opportunities, with maximum efficiency and minimal error.
Meet your prospects face to face
But secondly, Go Global doesn’t stop there. As well as equipping you with the knowledge and skills to trade internationally, it also actively creates opportunities for you to network directly with targeted prospects in
those territories.
The programme culminates in a virtual trade mission where you will be able to meet international buyers matched to your specific requirements, helping to kick-start the growth of your business in global markets.
This programme is about helping you explore the potential for global trade, preparing your business for it, and anticipating the challenges and triumphs. But it is also about supporting, in a global guise, the critical process on which all trade depends – connecting a viable buyer to a viable seller, to drive revenue first and foremost.
Our member businesses have already demonstrated they can achieve this by trading on their home soil. There is absolutely no reason why, with Go Global’s help, they shouldn’t expand that success beyond our borders.
What’s it going to cost?
Of course, a reasoned cost-benefit analysis of any initiative is key to ensuring it delivers on its promises, but on this occasion, there is not much needed in the way of intricate calculations – because the programme is delivered to you fully funded, at no charge.
How do I go global with Go Global?
Programme membership is available to 150 businesses from the Bedfordshire area, and you can register your interest quickly and easily by sending an email to export@chamber-business.com
Once you have completed this process, we will be in touch with you promptly to discuss what you need to do to progress to the next stage.
There are already plenty of resources for you to consult in the dedicated global trade section of our website and in the international trade-focused webinars that appear on our general webinar page.
And Go Global also enables you to participate in our export and international trade online workshops – at no charge.
And, of course, we’re here to help businesses who are UK-focused only, too – so whether you’re contemplating distant horizons or sticking closer to home, if you’re not talking to us already, why not get in touch and start a conversation?
After all, the world’s a stage, and every business is a player – wherever and whatever it sells.
Justin Richardson
CEO
Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce
Find out more about global trade at www.chamber-business.com/exporting
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For international trade-focused webinars, visit www.chamber-business.com/webinar-page
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To find out more about export and international trade workshops visit
www.chamber-business.com/exporting/international-workshops
