Pictured: Craig Biffen: non-exporters are missing
out
West Midlands firms who are not exporting may be missing out on
hundreds of thousands of pounds in lost trade.
The export shy firms may also be overlooking a good chance to
boost productivity and recover from the recession.
That's the view of Birmingham Chamber-based Midlands Enterprise
Europe Network (EEN), a business support organisation for small to
medium enterprises (SMEs), which is fully subsidised by the
European Commission.
EEN says that research* has found that companies who embrace
exporting can boost their productivity by as much as 34 per cent in
the first year alone.
To celebrate 'European SME Week' (3-7 October), EEN is offering
West Midlands SMEs the opportunity to take advantage of free
consultation sessions to help them gain a foothold in the export
marketplace.
The free sessions will focus on helping businesses identify
export opportunities within Europe, and also how to source European
agents and distributors.
Craig Biffen, EEN Project Co-ordinator, said: "There are a vast
amount of European export opportunities available for businesses.
For a company, just one market can no longer be relied upon to
generate 100 per cent of sales.
"Entering more markets means more customers to help grow a
business and spread risk. Usually, the greatest obstacle in
starting to trade internationally is a lack of knowledge, support
and focus.
"EEN has a wealth of experience to guide and support businesses
taking the first steps into exporting. European SME Week is aimed
at showcasing some of the available opportunities."
In less than three years, the EEN has helped more than 2.5m
companies make the most of the Single Market. Its dedicated
business events have been attended by more than 600,000
participants.
EEN has also helped more than 4,500 small to medium enterprises,
in a variety of ways, ranging from business co-operation,
technology transfer, or matching research partners.
For more information contact Craig Biffen on 0121 455 0268 or
email c.biffen@birmingham-chamber.com
*research carried out by UK Trade and Industry