Exporting is GREAT week – Time to Make Your Mark

Today marks the start of Exporting is GREAT Week – a national call to action for all the budding UK exporters out there.

Over 90 events will take place across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. I urge businesses of all sizes and sectors to see what events are taking place in your local area. If you need help translating your website for an international audience, or are wondering how your product would look in a Dubai shopping mall – there’s an event for you.

Exporting is GREAT is about inspiring a national movement to promote UK exports. It shines a light on the world of opportunity out there for UK businesses, and energises government and partners to work together to support companies on every step of their export journey.

Research repeatedly shows that exporters, of all sizes, are more productive, innovative and achieve a stronger bottom line than non-exporters. So, whether you’re a sole trader just starting out, a family business that has stood the test of time, or the next internet sensation – Exporting is GREAT will help you dream that little bit bigger and make your mark on the world.

Also today, UKTI announced that there have been over 20,000 applications from UK companies for global export opportunities, via exportingisgreat.gov.uk. This is wonderful news. It shows that the campaign is speaking to business owners up and down the country and feeding their genuine appetite to export.  

So if you’re new to exporting and based in Coventry, why not head up to the Manufacturing Technology Centre, where I’ll be speaking at the Global Opportunities Summit on 21 April.

Or if you’re in the Bristol area on 18 April, our Trading with the USA event promises to provide expert advice on exporting to the UK’s biggest trading partner after the EU.

On the same day, businesses in the West Midlands can hear about opportunities in the Middle East – a fast growing and potentially lucrative market for UK businesses. The list goes on and cuts across specialisms, markets and exporting experience.

Our last week-long series of events, held in November 2015, attracted more than 5500 delegates to nearly a hundred events across the UK. It’s a tried and tested formula and feedback from businesses has been very positive.

If you’re unable to attend we have a comprehensive range of other events and webinars run throughout the year, as well as around 2,000 live export opportunities on the Exporting is GREAT website. Make sure you also follow #exportingisgreat on Twitter to be part of the conversation and benefit from live updates throughout the week.

Right now, UK small businesses are selling tea to China, wine to France and boomerangs to Australia. Let’s not forget that Britain was once the greatest trading nation in the world; exporting is truly in our DNA. Come to an event this week and be part of this exciting national movement.