Pictured above: Rachel Oliver

Staffordshire software company eg solutions plc has all the tools needed to crack the US market - thanks to a prestigious scholarship programme supported by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI).

Rachel Oliver, marketing manager at the Dunston Business Village firm, has just returned from a two-week placement on the UKTI US Marketing Scholarship Programme, which is co-sponsored by the Ellis Goodman Foundation.

The programme enables British small and medium-sized companies to attend a top level executive marketing course at one of the USA's most distinguished business management schools, the JL Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Illinois.

The course is specifically designed for delegates to learn the most effective marketing principles for the US market.

Rachel said: "In being selected for the scholarship and participating in the programme, I have benefited greatly and brought that experience and learning back to our business that gives us an excellent launch pad for reaching the USA. 

"The marketing strategies and information gained at Kellogg School of Management will prove invaluable to us when we decide to enter the market. The programme has identified how we should address exporting to the US, including effective segmentation, targeting and positioning, showed us that the best channel to market is through partnerships and opened up doors to enable us to do this in a structured and an effective way.  

"Expansion through export is difficult to get right and this programme has certainly delivered value. It was highly cost-effective in terms of both time and money and enabled us to gain access to networks that we would never have reached on our own.

"Gaining the same level of knowledge without UKTI's help would have taken several years and included trial and error research, whereas we now have an export strategy ready to take forward. 

"Since our decision to export, back in 2006, UKTI has supported and opened up markets to us, especially the Nordics and South Africa, continually advising on our expansion and growth programme. 

"Our international trade adviser, Rob Lawley, is a fantastic source of advice and information."

Specialising in back office optimisation solutions to enable blue-chip companies to improve their performance, eg solutions provides software and training services to deliver a consistent approach to managing work, people and processes anywhere in the world.

UKTI international trade adviser Rob Lawley, based at North Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, said:  "I have been working with eg solutions for a number of years now. 

"The company has always been extremely proactive in seeking business overseas in a strategic manner and it's great that UKTI has been able to help. I am delighted that Rachel won the scholarship and I know she will put the skills and knowledge attained during her time in the US to excellent use."