International business opportunities

Business Opportunities

RBS

This section contains information and guidance for companies seeking to develop new international business. Generating international business involves getting your products and services noticed by potential end users and/or intermediaries. Not only that, but the potential benefits of your products and services must appear to be highly attractive compared to current alternatives if buyers are to be persuaded to switch.

Much of the information in this factsheet relates to following the correct procedures to ensure that the exporter’s products reach their destination safely, comply with local requirements and that subsequent payment is effected successfully. However, no business can succeed in exporting until it has identified the most appropriate business opportunities and responded to them accordingly. Understanding and responding to market demands is a challenge for every business, but especially those trading internationally.

In recent years, the largest single challenge, that of effectively communicating your message to potential customers has changed drastically with the widespread introduction of new communications technology, in particular the internet. What such facilities do not address however, is how would-be exporters get to grips with the cultural and linguistic distinctions and barriers that either stop their message getting to its intended audience, or else mean that if heard, the message is not understood or gives a totally different message to that intended.

Locating potential customers globally can seem like a needle in a haystack problem, but there are many ways of identifying demand, assessing the value of the potential business, selecting the best opportunities and responding to them.

Promoting your products internationally

In most cases, global promotion of products, services or brands is beyond the capability of all but the largest and most powerful corporations. Small and medium sized organisations that seek to develop international business will usually do so... continued on page two >

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