West Midlands businesses can learn how they can capitalise on export opportunities with help from a joint initiative between HSBC Commercial Banking and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI). 

The HSBC / UKTI initiative, now in its second year, aims to provide training events and additional trade assistance for businesses looking to enhance their ability to grow their international export business. 

In the West Midlands, HSBC and UKTI will hold an international trade workshop to help demystify how to do business internationally and successfully trade overseas.

The West Midlands workshop will be held on 7 September at Maple House on Corporation Street, Birmingham, B4 6TB. Registration is at 8.30am for a 9am start and the event will run until midday. It is free but places are limited.

The breakfast workshop is aimed specifically at SMEs who are looking to export or businesses which already do so. The interactive event will be presented by experienced UKTI Trade Advisors and HSBC Trade & Treasury Specialists who will provide advice on the opportunities and challenges in exporting, and help companies understand how to prepare their international strategy and avoid some of the common pitfalls. 

The event will cover:

• the process of trading internationally;

• how you can enter the market of your choice more effectively;

• understanding the risks involved in trading overseas and how to mitigate them;

• how to finance international growth; and

• management of currency risks.