Grow Through International Expansion

What's it like for a business traveller to find himself trapped by a major terrorist incident? Not actually hostage at the point of a gun, but holed up in a room on his own, unable to leave as there is a genuine fear that gunmen are hiding in the corridor outside and could set fire to the building, as they have done in the one next door? If it happened to you, how would you feel? Panicked? Lonely? Stressed? Ready to emulate a superhero as best you are able? Just bored? Or all the above? Back in November 2008, our Host, Oliver Dowson, was visiting Mumbai and found himself trapped in his hotel room when a major terrorist incident broke out. 175 people were killed and more than 300 injured in eight simultaneous attacks in different locations. Fortunately for him, after more than 36 hours in his room, he was able to just walk out into the welcoming arms of his Indian colleagues. In all this time, he has never told the whole story of his experience – but now, in this Grow through International Expansion podcast, he paints an hour-by-hour description of his confinement, and the positive lessons he learnt through it. This is the first of a short series of podcasts in which Oliver talks about some of his amazing and unusual international travel experiences, leading up to the publication of his first book, “There's no Business like International Business”, coming out in early Spring 2022.   If you missed earlier episodes, you can find them on our Grow through International Expansion platform, https://growinternational.org . Our platform is independent, carries no advertising and is not for profit – we seek to deliver useful, valuable content, essential for all those who have interest in international business and global trade.

Like it or not, new international business expansion depends on travel. Maintaining and growing existing business too, whatever one’s definition of international business – export, import, outsourcing, licensing, or operations of any kind in other countries. Sure, there are a number of established ways one can do many kinds of business in other countries without leaving home – selling online, using local distributors and agents, and so on – but without actually going there,  seeing and understanding the market for oneself, and making face to face contact with local people one needs to work with, a company will at best miss out on many of the best opportunities and at worst risks reputational and financial damage. Now is the time to REIMAGINE every business. Every business owner knows they need to make changes just to succeed in the New Normal. But social distancing shouldn’t need to mean having to reduce the number of customers that you serve or deliver services with fewer resources. Let’s not allow what’s happened to drive our businesses downhill. True, all around us lies news of companies going into administration or laying off staff or downsizing in other ways – but that doesn’t mean it has to happen to you and your business. How do you adapt? And how can you market effectively and economically, without the need to spend a fortune with agencies and designers? There’s a lot of ways to grow internationally. Right now, the way forward is to exploit digital media as a means to reach markets around the world. It’s easier than you may think; but it’s got to be done right. If you’re interested, I recommend you start by asking for advice from others; a lot of it comes for free, mine included! Feel free to get in touch with me, or, if you want to know more about digital marketing, with my friend Vinicius at VINX Digital. If you missed earlier episodes, you can find them on our Grow through International Expansion platform, https://growinternational.org . Our platform is independent, carries no advertising and is not for profit – we seek to deliver useful, valuable content, essential for all those who have interest in international business and global trade. In the podcast Oliver refers to the digital media company VINX Digital – for more details check https://vinxdigital.com 

Sometimes, something happens that makes a business owner realise that their business really needs a whole new approach if it’s to succeed.  Sometimes, that something is forced upon them. Like now.  In a month, two months, three month’s time, life will begin to return to normal. None of us know, but we all already suspect that the “new normal” won’t be like the one before – the normal of just a few weeks ago. What is that going to mean for your business? Can you just carry on from where you left off? Will your established customers all come back, and will new ones come naturally like they did before? Will your competitors be the same? No doubt for some of us, it’ll be a case of plus change…. But many of us will be looking for a new approach.    In the podcast Oliver refers to the digital media company he and GrowInternational have worked with, VINX – for more details check https://vinxdigital.com 

Since we started this series of podcasts a couple of years ago, quite a number of people have asked me to cover franchising as an approach to Grow through International Expansion. Becoming a franchisee has certainly proved a popular business opportunity for many who have a reasonable sum of money to invest, want to run a business that they can get started quickly, but who either don’t have a ready business concept of their own or simply want the increased confidence that operating an established model brings. However, I admit that franchising is not a topic that I’ve had personal experience of. Indeed, until a few days ago my assumption was that it was limited to fast food restaurants, hotels and quick printing and office services shops. But then I read an article by David Bond and Gordon Drakes of Field Fisher. That was about franchising British schools abroad – definitely not something I had ever considered before.  David and Gordon are lawyers, and have both specialised in franchising for many years. Their article opened my eyes to the opportunities not only for franchisees – those who buy and operate the franchise – but for businesses to become franchisors, and to use that as a route to international expansion. I’m delighted that they accepted my invitation to join me for this Grow through International Expansion podcast. If you missed earlier episodes, you can find them on our Grow through International Expansion platform, https://growinternational.org . Our platform is independent, carries no advertising and is not for profit – we seek to deliver useful, valuable content, essential for all those who have interest in international business and global trade.

There seems to be a general agreement that companies – both in the manufacturing and services sectors – could export a lot more than they currently do. If that’s so, what’s holding them back? My guest in this podcast, Andy Moylan, points to two key factors. One is simply the lack of accurate information and advice backed up by real practical experience. The other is fear of not getting paid. It can be bad enough chasing payment in your own country – but how do you go about it in a far distant one, and what can you fall back on if all else fails? As you’ll hear, Andy is a plain speaking entrepreneur. Over the last 30 years, he has helped many small businesses and household brands to export; from identifying the risk in their export plan to raising finance and protecting their sales ledger. Never content to follow the herd, he and his team have always looked for new solutions, and have developed a range of online tools. Andy is a headline speaker at events around the world, where he shares hard won insights, practical case studies and experience on exporting. If you missed earlier episodes, you can find them on our Grow through International Expansion platform, https://growinternational.org . Our platform is independent, carries no advertising and is not for profit – we seek to deliver useful, valuable content, essential for all those who have interest in international business and global trade.

In this podcast, I’m going to talk about how I see the future of international business in 2021, what those with small and medium businesses should be doing and planning in the months ahead, why nobody should panic, and why it makes sense to go on listening to Grow through International Expansion podcasts and engaging with our articles and other content. We’re faced with two major global crises – coronavirus and climate change. Whilst they are not related to each other, both give rise to considerations about international business. Even Brexit gets tied in here. Don’t panic. I’m staying positive here. The one thing to like about crises is that they focus the mind in a way that nothing else does. If you missed earlier episodes, you can find them on our Grow through International Expansion platform, https://growinternational.org . Our platform is independent, carries no advertising and is not for profit – we seek to deliver useful, valuable content, essential for all those who have interest in international business and global trade.

In today’s podcast I’m talking with Karolina Peret, the International Manager for British Water, the Trade Association for the water industry. Karolina is responsible for British Water's global programme through the International Forum (IF).  With an international background in the aquatics and environment industry, she brings in-depth knowledge of water and waste-water related issues. Karolina's education is complemented by an MSc in engineering, a passion for sustainability, and broad experience in the private and government sector. Karolina leads the International British Water portfolio to seek out global markets and opportunities for UK water and waste water supply chain companies to help them export. That includes events, scoping and business development visits, liaising with multi-nationals, world governments and representing the UK water industry in Great Britain and all over the world. British Water’s aim is to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in the interest of helping develop and promote drinking water and safe sanitation for developing regions of the world.

Our host, Oliver Dowson, first went to set up a business there back in 2006. It had to be a joint venture, and you may have listened to his podcast telling the story of some of the potential partners that he met. Oliver writes “Having decided on my partner, I found it surprisingly easy to get started – in retrospect, so much so that I never asked a thousand questions that I should have done. I’m not saying that anyone was trying to deceive me, but my business would certainly have been more successful had I taken more time to understand the culture and read all the small print more diligently. I should also have talked to someone who had done it all before, and, better still, was based there and achieving success.” One such person is our guest on this podcast, Jim James. Jim’s original business, and his business now, is public relations, but he’s spent most of the last decade in China. He took the iconic  Morgan cars to Beijing as their founder and managing director; still with cars, he got Lotus started there too. Jim also played a leading role in starting a whole string of other companies in China – you’ll need to check out his LinkedIn profile to marvel at the range. Given that, it’s hardly surprising that he became vice-chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in China too.  Now he’s back in the UK, still running EastWest PR, setting up a forum for older business people and... well, let him tell you all that for himself.

When you’re planning international expansion, deciding on the country isn’t enough. Next you need to choose a city or region – and there’s a lot of reasons to consider and, in the bigger countries, a lot of alternatives to consider. Obviously, the priorities depend on what sort of business you’re in and what you want to achieve in the country you’re expanding to. But the fundamentals are almost always the same. Last month, our host, Oliver Dowson, visited the annual Going Global exhibition at the London Excel Centre. It’s a big event, part of the Business Show. For those who are looking at expansion, it’s a great opportunity to see a lot of the professionals you’d need to work with in one place, and to get new ideas for countries and regions to expand to. While he was there, Oliver took the opportunity of recording some short podcast conversations with many of the exhibitors, asking them the questions that potential customers would want to, and we’re including many of those in a special series of our Grow through International Expansion podcasts. So if you can’t wait a year for the next exhibition, this will give you a whistle-stop tour in four episodes, without your needing to get out of your chair. If you missed earlier episodes, you can find them on our Grow through International Expansion platform, https://growinternational.org . Our platform is independent, carries no advertising and is not for profit – we seek to deliver useful, valuable content, essential for all those who have interest in international business and global trade.  

Walking round the Going Global exhibition in November gave visitors the opportunity of talking with representatives of many different countries. As you, our audience, know, here at Grow International we’re firm believers that international expansion to any country in the world can bring real benefits and, specifically, add value in different ways to many kinds of business. Every country, though, brings its own individual opportunities. Our host, Oliver Dowson, writes: “Most of the countries exhibiting were there, I think, simply because they’re not the ones that business people naturally think of when they’re considering expansion. And I love what I call “countries off the usual business radar”. So often they can bring a company better value than the more mainstream developed countries – there’s less competition, the market may be nascent and ripe for development, and it can be easier and cheaper to hire skilled and enthusiastic workers”. In visiting the stands, Oliver took the opportunity of recording short conversations for our Grow through International Expansion podcasts, asking the sorts of questions that interested business people would be asking if they wanted to be convinced of the value of a country to them. In this podcast, we’re featuring four of these conversations, talking about some very different countries. If you missed earlier episodes, you can find them on our Grow through International Expansion platform, https://growinternational.org . Our platform is independent, carries no advertising and is not for profit – we seek to deliver useful, valuable content, essential for all those who have interest in international business and global trade.

Last month, our host, Oliver Dowson, visited the annual Going Global exhibition at the London Excel Centre. It’s a big event, part of the Business Show. For those who are looking at expansion, it’s a great opportunity to see a lot of the professionals you’d need to work with in one place, and to get new ideas for countries and regions to expand to. While he was there, Oliver took the opportunity of recording some short podcast conversations with many of the exhibitors, asking them the questions that potential customers would want to, and we’re including many of those in a special series of our Grow through International Expansion podcasts. So if you can’t wait a year for the next exhibition, this will give you a whistle-stop tour in four episodes, without your needing to get out of your chair. The next three podcasts are themed on countries and regions, but this time here’s three conversations on a variety of topics, all essential thing to think about when you’re considering international expansion. If you missed earlier episodes, you can find them on our Grow through International Expansion platform, https://growinternational.org . Our platform is independent, carries no advertising and is not for profit – we seek to deliver useful, valuable content, essential for all those who have interest in international business and global trade.

Over the last year, Grow through International Expansion has grown considerably, in content, followers and podcast listeners. Our website, https://growinternational.org, has become a go-to destination for many looking for independent information, guidance and ideas on all aspects of international business expansion. Thousands of others listen to our podcasts on channels such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean and Acast. Now, we’ve launched the Grow International app, available on iOs and Android – so our followers can find all our content in one place, accessible from their phones or tablets, whether at their desks or on the move. Our app is built by SupaPass – a brilliant UK startup, based in Norwich, who have latched onto the need for organisations that have “content” – videos, podcasts and articles – to be able to deliver this via an app at an affordable price. Until the advent of SupaPass, the only way was to build an app from scratch, and that typically takes months and costs many thousands. They’ve also grasped the international opportunity – they already have overseas sales, and are now planning their full global expansion, as there’s obviously a demand for content apps in every country. The story of their development and ambitions is best told by their founder, Juliana Meyer, who in this podcast is in conversation with our host, Oliver Dowson. Juliana is the CEO and co-founder of Supapass. She is an award-winning entrepreneur with an Oxford Engineering Degree and 20 years of experience in the Tech & Entertainment Industry. She is also the co-founder of SyncNorwich.

Without sales, there’s no business – and so it’s easy to argue that one’s sales force are amongst your most important employees. Any executive will tell you that it’s hard enough hiring, motivating and retaining good sales people in your home country – but when setting up an international subsidiary, it’s that much harder. Even where there’s no language barrier, your best sales person may struggle to succeed in another country. Even if you’re successful in hiring a great sales person in your new country, the sales methodology and support materials that work well for you at home may not be right. So how do you get this critical element of your international expansion right? In this podcast, Zach Selch is talking with our host, Oliver Dowson. Zach Selch is the VP Global Sales for a high tech medical company and coaches and mentors Global Sales Leaders. Over 30 years he has sold in more than 135 countries, lived in 6 countries and has driven sales growth, adding hundreds of millions of dollars to the value of companies by building their international footprint. Zach is an ex-paratrooper, a father of 3 and boxes, smokes brisket (beef), and runs a soup kitchen when he isn’t on the road. Zach was in Germany when the wall went down, Jordan when peace with Israel was signed, has breakfasted with the Dalai Lama, and has been in the right place for a surprising number of right times. Growing the international sales footprint is one of the very best ways to grow the value of a company, but when done poorly can also be one of the best ways to sink a small company or cripple a midmarket company. In this podcast, Zach discusses how to build revenue and the value of a company by getting the international sales process right. Zach believes that sales is an art and a science and isn’t something to be acted on impulsively or emotionally. If you missed earlier episodes, you can find them on our Grow through International Expansion platform, https://growinternational.org . Our platform is independent, carries no advertising and is not for profit – we seek to deliver useful, valuable content, essential for all those who have interest in international business and global trade.

Following a previous episode about finding a partner in another country, in this GrowInternational podcast our host, Oliver Dowson, talks from his experience about the benefits and perils of starting Joint Ventures abroad. Whilst Oliver’s specific experience relates to creating operations to carry out administrative services, the lessons he learnt are equally relevant to those looking at JVs as a route to selling or manufacturing goods in a new overseas market. If you missed earlier episodes, you can find them on our Grow through International Expansion platform, https://growinternational.org . Our platform is independent, carries no advertising and is not for profit – we seek to deliver useful, valuable content, essential for all those who have interest in international business and global trade.

Leanne is an entrepreneur herself. Having worked in countries including Afghanistan and Iraq, where she earned valuable experience in advisory roles for both the Iraqi and British governments, she has become an expert on business strategy in challenging markets. Indeed, in recognition for her services, Leanne was awarded the Iraq Reconstruction Medal. Leanne co-founded the Iraq Club and the Future Energy Forum. She has particular interest and experience in infrastructure, energy and engineering projects, and has had extensive involvement with tech start-ups. Leanne has also written an article, “Why I’m backing Iraq”, which you can find on the Grow International platform and which provides a valuable additional insight into business opportunities and challenges in post-conflict economies. For more information: https://vzir.co.uk If you missed earlier episodes, you can find them on our Grow through International Expansion platform, https://growinternational.org . Our platform is independent, carries no advertising and is not for profit – we seek to deliver useful, valuable content, essential for all those who have interest in international business and global trade.

What do you think of when you think of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE (United Arab Emirates)? Time was when it was just oil, but these days it’s also tourism and business in general – witness all those gleaming tower blocks one sees in photos. The growth of the economy has been staggering – and that’s led to ever increasing numbers of businesses planning to expand there. Some simply use the UAE as a base from which to service the whole Middle East and Indian Ocean regions, but there’s an increasing number recognising its importance and value for doing in-country business. Talking to me about it in this podcast is Jenny Hunt. Jenny’s CV is impressive. She is ranked in FORBES' Top 100 Most Influential Women in the Middle East and she is CEO Today's 2019 Business Awards winner. Jenny’s also a best selling author, is an international speaker and regularly provides mission briefings to delegations about setting up and doing business in Abu Dhabi. As the Founding Partner & CEO of the Gateway Group of Companies, based in Abu Dhabi, Jenny helps companies of all kinds navigate the complexities and get established successfully throughout the UAE.  So when it comes to this subject, she knows it all. Take a listen. If you missed earlier episodes, you can find them on our Grow through International Expansion platform, https://growinternational.org . Our platform is independent, carries no advertising and is not for profit – we seek to deliver useful, valuable content, essential for all those who have interest in international business and global trade.

Andoni Silva is a self-styled Awareness coach, based in Spain but working all over Europe. His method is said to help high performers and entrepreneurs achieve a successful, enjoyable and fulfilling work-life balance If you missed earlier episodes, you can find them on our Grow through International Expansion platform, https://growinternational.org . Our platform is independent, carries no advertising and is not for profit – we seek to deliver useful, valuable content, essential for all those who have interest in international business and global trade.

Susan Heaton-Wright is an impact, communications and speaking trainer for emerging leaders and the creator of the Superstar Communicator™ philosophy. She is an international speaker; the MD of award winning music company, Viva Live Music, podcaster and a former prize winning international opera singer. She delivers seminars, workshops and individual training for many companies including Astra Zeneca, Shell, AXA and Quintiles. She is regularly interviewed on BBC Radio Five Live; BBC2, local radios and international podcasts. Susan has contributed to articles in Forbes, The Guardian, Huffington Post, Thrive Global, The Scotsman and trade publications. Susan is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, The Royal Society of Arts and the Incorporated Society of Musicians. She leads a project of musicians in Greece annually, to deliver music workshops to refugees in Athens as part of the ‘Love without Borders’ charity. If you missed earlier episodes, you can find them on our Grow through International Expansion platform, https://growinternational.org . Our platform is independent, carries no advertising and is not for profit – we seek to deliver useful, valuable content, essential for all those who have interest in international business and global trade.

Jan’s a really interesting person. He was born in Arabia and travelled all his life; he’s fluent in Arabic and German as well as English. He was a soldier in Iraq, Oman, Northern Ireland and Cyprus, before becoming a professional sales and marketing executive for some major companies, specialising in Middle Eastern markets. Now, as Senior Partner of International Culture Pilot, he and his team are helping others adapt culturally to the markets they want to work in – learning how to communicate successfully and in a culturally aware way. Take a listen – wherever in the world you’re headed, Jan’s got some really useful insights to share with us. If you missed earlier episodes, you can find them on our Grow through International Expansion platform, https://growinternational.org . Our platform is independent, carries no advertising and is not for profit – we seek to deliver useful, valuable content, essential for all those who have interest in international business and global trade.

In this podcast, I’m in conversation with another Oliver, Oliver Froment. With his team in Pro Capital, based in London, Oliver is dedicated to helping those smaller companies acquire or merge with suitable targets in other countries and, where necessary, get the financing they need to do that. Oliver has been working in finance for a long time. He founded his company, Pro Capital Ltd, in 1993 after he’d already built up more than 10 years of extensive international financial and corporate experience.  The firm is FCA regulated, starting as a capital market firm transacting debt and equity-linked securities and investment and advisory services. More recently Oliver has focused on Mergers and Acquisitions and raising capital for companies, completing over 1000 transactions in 40 countries. If you missed earlier episodes, you can find them on our Grow through International Expansion platform, https://growinternational.org . Our platform is independent, carries no advertising and is not for profit – we seek to deliver useful, valuable content, essential for all those who have interest in international business and global trade.

One territory that definitely qualifies as “off the usual business radar” is Palestine. It’s clearly not a valuable export market. But, for businesses active in the Middle East, or looking at expanding there, there are some real opportunities to take advantage of its positioning as a hub. In this podcast, our host, Oliver Dowson, is in conversation with Jerry Marshall, Chairman of Transcend, a company founded by partners from the UK, USA and Palestine and with follow on investment from the Palestine Investment Fund. In this Grow through International Expansion podcast Jerry tells us about what they’re doing and why, and introduces the opportunities for overseas companies to tap into that talent pool. If you missed earlier episodes, you can find them on our Grow through International Expansion platform, https://growinternational.org . Our platform is independent, carries no advertising and is not for profit – we seek to deliver useful, valuable content, essential for all those who have interest in international business and global trade.

Do first impressions lie? On paper, the company looked impressive. Out of the six potential partners that we’d shortlisted, and that I’d travelled to Mumbai to meet, this one looked the best on paper. Rajesh, the young CEO who came to meet me at my hotel looked the part too – immaculately dressed, well spoken, and clearly well organised, as he laid out paperwork and photos on the table in front of us. All was well until I said “So where’s your office? Let’s go there”. These days, it’s easier than ever to dissimulate having a successful business. Websites can be created easily and cheaply. Serviced offices can be rented by the hour. Out of country and out of area phone numbers can be got, using Skype, for a few pounds or dollars. So, if you’re serious about doing business with someone, particularly in another country where you’re not going to have day-to-day oversight, you need to check them out in person. As the Americans say, “lift the hood and kick the tyres”. Don’t rely on the word of a local representative in your own country. Don’t accept meetings at hotels. Don’t believe what you see on a website until you see it for yourself. Not all that glitters is gold. If you missed earlier episodes, you can find them on our Grow through International Expansion platform, https://growinternational.org . Our platform is independent, carries no advertising and is not for profit – we seek to deliver useful, valuable content, essential for all those who have interest in international business and global trade.

Back in 1789, Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States, coined a quote that’s lived to this day. “in this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” And nobody wants to pay more tax than they need to, right? We’re always hearing about those big multinationals that make billions of profit but have organised their affairs so that, quite legally, they pay little or no tax. Yet, strangely, a high proportion of small and medium businesses embarking on international expansion don’t plan for it at all – or at least not until they’re already up and running, by which time it may be too late to optimise their taxes. Similarly, staff who get posted abroad – new expats – enthusiastically spend time thinking about their accommodation and benefits but don’t plan their taxes. There are lots of taxes to think about – corporation, payroll, sales, turnover, income and the list goes on - and they differ in every country. Often a company will be liable for taxes in both the country it’s operating in and its home country. Whilst international business yields great results if done right, it can be disastrous with the authorities – and incredibly costly - if it’s not. Tax authorities around the world have more tools than ever to catch mistakes – and the rules can be so complex that it’s easy to make them. Like every other aspect of growing international, tax needs to be planned in advance, and not dealt with in a panic afterwards. In this Grow through International Expansion podcast, our host, Oliver Dowson, is talking with Jimmy Sexton. Jimmy’s an expert in international taxation and, through his company the Esquire Group, has been advising clients for over 15 years. He’s based in Dubai but works and travels across Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. Jimmy’s work has been published by CNN, the Washington Post and Forbes. He’s spoken at the UN and the American Chamber of Commerce. Tax is certain. What’s not certain is how much you have to pay. We think you’ll find Jimmy’s insights fascinating. If you’re interested, you can find out more about Jimmy and Esquire Group at Grow International Website

Those politicians who are enthusiastic about Brexit are always talking about the UK having great opportunities for trade after leaving the EU. Those who oppose Brexit – and many who are on the fence – dismiss those potential opportunities, at least for the short term, and say that the loss of EU trade would more than outweigh any new benefits. Who’s right? In previous episodes of this series of podcasts and articles, we’ve explained the principles and legal framework behind Free Trade Agreements, and looked at some of the benefits and downsides of ones that have been negotiated in the past. In this final episode, I’m going to talk about the reality of the opportunities for the UK to grow its trade and its economy through new Free Trade Agreements struck as an independent country. If you missed earlier episodes, you can find them on our Grow through International Expansion platform, https://growinternational.org . Our platform is independent, carries no advertising and is not for profit – we seek to deliver useful, valuable content, essential for all those who have interest in international business and global trade.

In this series of four Grow through International Expansion podcasts and articles, our host Oliver Dowson explores all the key aspects of Free Trade Agreements, adding in the missing bits that the selective explanations from politicians and many journalists omit, stripping away false optimism and pessimism, with the aim of presenting the full and clear explanations that entrepreneurs, consumers and taxpayers need. There are now more than 400 Trade Agreements in force globally, some of them relatively new but others that were negotiated decades ago. For this episode, Oliver has been reading up many of the academic studies that have been done into the impact of established “deals” – the successes and failures – to see what can be learnt. Such lessons are useful from two points of view. One is governmental – when it comes to negotiating new Trade Agreements, what risks need to be avoided and which opportunities grasped. You, our audience, many of you entrepreneurs, all of you consumers and taxpayers, will be more interested in the second reason for looking at the history of trade deals – which is to get a better informed understanding of what benefits can realistically be expected, and the risks that could turn a trade deal negative. If you missed earlier episodes, you can find them on our Grow through International Expansion platform, https://growinternational.org . Our platform is independent, carries no advertising and is not for profit – we seek to deliver useful, valuable content, essential for all those who have interest in international business and global trade.

Most export-minded business people – and certainly almost all politicians - enthusiastically expect Free Trade Agreements to bring them great business growth. Others, however, fear their impact, and with the growth of populism and “My Country First” ideologies, there’s been a backlash against “globalisation”. One common thread here is that most people, whichever side they’re on, don’t understand the whole picture. That’s hardly surprising, as it’s a much more complicated subject than it might seem. Even if what the news and politicians tell us is not “fake”, it’s certainly selective. So here at Grow through International Expansion, we’re setting out to explain everything that you should know about Trade Agreements, clearly and without any prejudices.  There’s a lot to tell, so we’ve split it across four episodes and articles. If you’re an exporter or importer you definitely need to listen – and it’s well worthwhile if you’re in any kind of business at all. But frankly, everyone should be better informed – in the UK, with Brexit predicated on the promise of future trade deals, and in the USA and other countries where trade wars are being started or threatened because of the perception that previous “deals” have given too much away. In this episode, we’ll look at the recent history of trade deals, cut through the jargon, look at the key principles and, after all of that, get a pretty good understanding of why FTAs are so difficult to negotiate. If you missed Episode 1, which set out the various types of Trade Agreements, you can catch it here.

Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are treaties between two or more countries that dictate the tariffs, taxes and duties imposed on imports and exports, and the regulations that are applied on quality, safety and other relevant matters. Not all Trade Agreements are free – and even in a Free Trade Agreement, it’s not necessarily the case that all imports and exports are zero-rated. Nevertheless, the term is invariably used – and the “free” is just one of the many wrong assumptions and misunderstandings that many people (including many politicians) have.

Introducing the new series on international Free Trade Agreements that we'll be publishing on Grow through International Expansion over the next few weeks

Augmented Reality sounds so exciting. Put on the magic glasses and escape to another world….. But let’s come down to earth. It’s certainly a technology that promises amazing things and, with the right application, can bring huge new benefits to business. In this podcast, our host Oliver Dowson is talking with Patrick Liddy, a founder of UtilityAR. They’ve developed a great application of Augmented Reality – or AR as it’s abbreviated – for engineering. Patrick is an energy engineer by profession, and a true innovator. Back in 2006, he founded Innovation Energy in Dublin, one of the first electricity demand response systems in Europe. He went on to sell that to a US corporation before, more recently, starting UtilityAR. When you have a moment, take a look at Patrick’s video that we’ve posted on our growinternational.org website. It’ll help you better understand what we’re talking about. But right now, imagine you’re an engineer going to fix a complex piece of equipment that you’ve never worked on before. Now, think of putting on a pair of special glasses. You can see that piece of equipment through the lenses, just as you would any other glasses, but as well, you can see diagrams, text and video clips projected into a corner of your vision, and hear instructions from a colleague or instructor  - who may be thousands of miles away. When one thinks of the cost and the huge amount of time spent not just travelling, but negotiating backstage access to sites, it’s easy to understand the advantages of being able to kit out one of the site crew with an AR headset and direct them remotely. It could achieve better results, more quickly and at much lower cost. Even if you don’t relate to engineering, this conversation with Patrick is illuminating. There must be so many practical applications of Augmented Reality waiting to be developed. For more details on UtilityAR, check our website https://www.growinternational.org/  

For decades, Australia has been the migration destination of choice for so many people. If you’re doubtful, you only have to visit to understand why. I’ve often described it as what the UK ought to be like with added space and, of course, sunshine. Nowadays skilled migrants go there from all over the world. In this podcast I’m talking to Chris Carman, a specialist in helping people emigrate to Australia and aiding companies transfer staff there. In doing that, over the past decade, he and his team, looking beyond Australasia, have developed services and software that helps companies successfully circumnavigate the complex world of employing overseas workers and expanding their business operations in all countries of the world. Chris says that in his spare time he loves boxing. He says it forces him to think quickly, react appropriately and stay ahead of the game - all critical skills for business. I came out of our conversation unbruised, but much better informed.

In this podcast I’m talking with Dan Simmons of Propelia about how he helps company founders and CEOs navigate through new challenges – let’s call them disruptors – that conspire to upset the status quo of their business. Over the last 20 years, Dan has helped many Start Ups and Scale Ups strategically leverage their thinking, brand and IP to disrupt new market sectors. He is a recognised Thought Leader in how disruption can be repositioned from a creative, strategic and planning point of view. There’s always been disruption in business. It was hard scribes when Gutenberg invented the printing press around 600 years ago, and for carriage makers when Ford brought in the Model T. But everyone can agree that things have never been changing as fast as now. But what’s that got to do with international expansion, you may ask. Well, setting up an operation abroad or simply starting to export to other countries is disruptive in itself. Businesses inevitably need to make some changes just to make the most of their new international opportunity, and it’s perhaps an ideal time to take a new, hard look at one’s entire business model. So how do you go about that? As a true Thought Leader, Dan’s invented whole new approaches to what he terms “the Almost Now” – basically, rethinking business in an innovative and efficient way. He’s branded Propelia’s methodologies as Flightpath and Airspace, for reasons you’ll understand when you listen to our conversation. I’ve worked with good businesses that failed to change, so simply faded and failed. I’ve met consultants who charge top dollar, but only tell you what you already know, or – worse - leave you feeling that they know a deal less than you do. This process strikes me as really different – and I believe can usefully be considered by every type of business that wants to survive and grow, regardless of their global ambitions. I’m sure you will find my conversation with Dan great food for thought.

France is such an interesting country. Politically and economically, it’s one of the strongest countries not only in Europe but the World. It’s a market of 60 million, and although a large country it has great infrastructure. It has a reputation - perhaps unparalleled - for culture and gastronomy. It has a beautiful and varied landscape. With 87 million visitors a year, there is no other country in the world visited by more tourists. Many are British, of course, because physically, it’s the nearest country for most of us. Many buy second homes or retire there. Like me, more Britons learnt French at school than any other language. So you’d think that it would also be Britain’s major trading partner in Europe. It’s a big one, of course, but not the biggest and, in terms of trade per head of population, is quite a way down the list. But when businesses talk about expanding to Europe, France rarely figures as a must-go-to destination. Maybe that’s the result of natural reticence born of centuries of a mutual love-hate relationship. But it’s probably more because it’s seen as a more difficult market – culturally, linguistically and in business style. Businesses are cautious, and don’t want to invest heavily in international expansion unless they’re really confident of success. In this podcast, our host Oliver Dowson talks to Bernard Hot. Bernard works for D&A, a French business consulting firm. They’ve developed services for business development – aka sales – that could be a great way for foreign companies – British, American or from anywhere else – to build a market and establish a foothold in France quickly and economically. Bernard is an interesting guy. He’s a business strategist with over 20 years of experience, who started his career in London in after university. He worked in the City in banking and Law and then into business consultancy, advising Telco multinationals in Africa. After that he went into education as a lecturer, and established an internationally-accredited corporate training centre with operations both in the UK and in Africa, training students in Cameroon and Senegal engineering and medicine. He’s recently returned to London, joining D&A as their UK Business Manager. You can find more information about D&A at http://www.dabusinessdev.com/eng/index.html Also on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/d&a-business-development/ and  https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernard-hot-8b331618/

I'm not in London this week, but I've been following the Extinction Rebellion with interest, especially having spent most of my career playing a small part in helping corporations reduce their energy consumption and improve environmental impact. There's a lot that needs to be done, but in my opinion, the priority is not in the UK but elsewhere - and that should be a clarion call for startup businesses that are developing solutions to move immediately to international expansion. I've made a video with my thoughts - what are yours?

One of the European countries that I visit where I’ve seen the greatest changes and most rapid development is the Czech Republic. I first went to the then Czechoslovakia in 1977, long before the fall of the Iron Curtain, so obviously you’d expect the changes since then to be massive. But I’m actually referring to just the last decade. When I first set up a company in Prague in 2009, with a Czech colleague who remains a great friend, it was a relatively quiet city. The Czech Republic had only joined the EU in 2004, and it was still in a way searching for a business identity. The economy wasn’t very strong, but it was growing. Now, 10 years later, it’s become something of an economic powerhouse in Europe. Most people, of course, only know Prague as a tourist destination – and it’s certainly become one of the most visited cities in Europe. Even on a Monday evening in early April I had to fight my way across the Old Town Square and the Wenceslas Bridge was a sea of people with selfie sticks. The government is doing its best to encourage tourists to visit other parts of the country. But back to business. It may surprise you to learn that Prague figures in the Top 10 regions of the EU for GDP per capital – ahead of Paris, Copenhagen and Stockholm. The unemployment rate is practically zero. However, elsewhere in the Czech Republic there are plenty of opportunities for international businesses, especially those in the industrial sector. Although it’s right next to Austria and Germany, and a great central hub country in Europe from which to do business, costs are lower and there are a lot of good reasons to consider it for international expansion. When I was in Prague recently, I met Petr Heczko of CzechInvest, the government body promoting international trade. Also in our meeting was Marketa Havlova, who manages support for the many exciting Czech startup companies, mostly in the IT sector. She steers a really interesting programme to help those businesses expand internationally right from the word Go. In this podcast, I’m talking both with Petr and Marketa about a whole range of opportunities for international business in the Czech Republic. More information about the Czech Republic and CzechInvest can be found at https://www.growinternational.org

Most ambitious small business owners who want to grow big know that they need to plan international expansion. Most times, though, they’re not sure where to go, what to do or how to do it – or they have preconceptions (and sometimes prejudices) that direct their thinking towards a specific market or country. Entrepreneurs who seek independent advice either don’t have such preconceptions or are prepared to have them blown away. They’ve mostly already talked to the normal sources of advice, for example the government department in their country that encourages and supports international trade. Our Host, Oliver Dowson, often gets asked how he goes about advising these people, and how his approach differs. In this podcast, he shares a soundclip from an introductory meeting that he  recently had with Sheila, a business founder. She’s originally from the USA but now lives in the UK, where she runs a small, growing and successful business in MedTech, and is really ambitious to take it to the next level. Kindly, she agreed to having part of her first meeting with Oliver recorded for this Grow through International Expansion podcast series. However, as we’re sure you’ll understand, she’d prefer not to give out her full identity or company name.

Historically, Free Trade Zones were confined to manufacturing and warehousing, but in recent years they’ve also been housing office operations, liked the shared service centres we were talking about in an earlier episode of Grow through International Expansion. Where they exist, Free Trade Zones bring some obvious advantages to businesses setting up in another country. To start with, the “Free” means free of taxes – essentially they are zones physically within one country that treat every economic activity within them like being in a duty free shop – there’s no tax as long as everything created or manufactured is then sold abroad in another country. Some countries also allow sales within the country, though they are usually restricted in some way, typically by proportion of turnover or for a limited number of years. But there are other advantages to Free Trade Zones too, such as being co-located in the same campus or complex as other similar businesses. That can help a lot with shared resources such as meeting rooms and catering, and helps with recruiting suitable staff too. When our host, Oliver Dowson, was in Uruguay a couple of years ago, he was introduced to the different types of Free Trade Zones in the country, and was really impressed. Uruguay is different to other South American countries in that it’s the only one with Free Trade Zones. It’s a small country that’s used FTZs and leveraged its position and economic strength to become an attractive hub location for doing business all over Latin America. On a recent return visit, Oliver took advantage of being there to revisit four very different Free Trade Zones. For this Grow through International Expansion podcast, he talked to the directors of each of them about the opportunities they offer and the differences between them. The FTZs featured in this podcast are Aguada Park - director Francisco Ravecca – www.aguadapark.com Zonamerica - director Leandro Bonilla – www.zonamerica.com World Trade Centre - director Ignacio Del - http://www.wtc.uy/wtc/ Parque de las Ciencias (Science Park) –General Manager Enrique Pueblo - http://www.zonafrancapdlc.com/

One of the most exciting and active sectors of business for new startups all over the world is FinTech – Financial Technology. Briefly, that’s the application of information technology to the world of finance. The term FinTech really shot to fame – or perhaps infamy - with the rise of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin in the last two or three years. But, whilst there are a lot of recent startup companies working with such cryptocurrencies, it would be a big mistake to assume that’s the whole story. If you use a mobile app for banking or make a card payment with your mobile phone, that’s FinTech at work. If you transfer money to friends or family abroad over the internet, that’s FinTech at work too. It’s become the norm rather than the exception. And it’s revolutionising money management in developing countries. There are now easy to use tools that can be used by people in remote villages who’ve never had access to a bank. Some of the most successful new FinTech apps and services have been developed in countries that are themselves developing, or have reached full development but still recall the stages of development they went through to get where they are today. There are so many new developments in so many countries that big international meetings to present and discuss the latest – FinTech summits – seem to happen almost every week of the year somewhere in the world. One of the biggest and most important in Latin America is the annual Montevideo FinTech summit. Uruguay is a good example of a country that has itself developed over the last 20-30 years and is now really active in building new IT tools – not just FinTech – that are particularly apt for developing countries in Africa and parts of Asia.   When our host, Oliver Dowson, was there recently, he met with Martin Naor, the President of the Uruguay FinTech Chamber. He’s also the Founder and CEO of Bankingly, where they’ve developed digital tools for financial institutions, no matter how small and no matter where they are. In our conversation that we recorded for this podcast, Martin talks with Oliver about this development, how Uruguay is leading in Latin America in development of Fintech solutions, and why international delegates should plan on attending the Montevideo FinTech forum

A story of discovering why cohesive corporate identity matters Walk through the doors of any branch in the world of a major retail chain, and you might forget which country you’re in. They really are all the same. Those multinationals have spent millions on brand identity – and replicate it wherever they go. Not so the offices and factories of other types of business. The sign over the door may be the same, but very often, that’s where it stops. This podcast is a solo by our host, Oliver Dowson, who tells a story from his early international business life, how he experienced the “missed trick” of a failure to adopt a common corporate identity in the company he then worked for and in others that he visited, and why he thinks it’s a mistake that should be avoided. It’s an entertaining story with a moral.  You’ll also find his article “The Elusive Prize”, on the Grow through International Expansion website at https://bit.ly/2YgJoY1

If your company sells abroad, you’ll probably be getting paid in a different currency to your own. And you’ll certainly be aware that there’s a lot of volatility in exchange rates. You work out the price today, when you send out the quote, but you might not get paid for months – and by then the exchange rate could be very different. Maybe in your favour, but you could easily lose out. There’s a potential solution, currency hedging. But isn’t it something that only huge multinationals can do? In this podcast, Oliver Dowson talks with Barry McCarthy, an expert in currency hedging who has developed solutions that even SMEs can take advantage of. If you ever need to deal in two or more currencies, you’ll find their conversation quite enlightening.

What do you know about GDPR? You’ve almost certainly seen a buzz of publicity about it in the last year, and will have received dozens of emails asking you to “opt in”. It’s not just email. Any business that holds personal data on a computer – so every business - has to comply with GDPR. It’s about to become more complicated. For example, non-EU companies – including the UK after Brexit – have to appoint a GDPR administrator within the EU. To unravel the rules, Oliver Dowson talks in this podcast with Henry Herbert, a legal professional who advises SMEs on GDPR compliance. Whether you’re into international business, or simply just want to understand GDPR better, you’ll find this a must listen.

“Who ordered the battered cod” doesn’t sound like a book about exporting. But it is, written by a real expert in the field, Doug Jackson. We think it’s a must-read for anyone in business thinking about exporting – and even those who are seasoned exporters will find many useful insights. Doug explains the important methodologies of export through a whole panoply of his own anecdotal experiences, as well as those of others. In this podcast, Doug talks about his book and life experiences with our host Oliver Dowson.

More countries off the usual business radar. Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia…. Most business people don’t know much about them, except they were long ago part of the USSR, and are popular for weekends away in summer months. In this podcast, Oliver Dowson talks to Martins Tiknuss, CEO of Gateway Partners, based in Riga, Latvia, about business opportunities across all three of the Baltic states, and also in Bulgaria, Romania and less travelled but rapidly emerging countries such as Georgia and Moldova.

What do you know about Bosnia and Herzogivina? Chances are, not very much. And certainly there don’t seem to be many business leaders talking about international expansion who’ve got it on their radar. Maybe that’s a significant oversight. Oliver is often telling people that they shouldn’t just consider the “usual suspects” but look more widely, as there can be real advantages in expanding in countries that the competition have also not yet reached. Recently he was able to update his own knowledge about the country and was honoured to meet with Zlatan Vujanovic, the Minister of Trade for Bosnia-Herzogovina.

In another recent podcast we talked about why businesses expand to the United States. But it’s a huge country with 50 states and they’re all different – not just geographically, but in terms of laws, culture and doing business generally. So where do you go? Well, that depends on why you’re setting up in the States, what sort of business you’re in and what markets you’re trying to reach. Recently I met up with Joe Anwyl to talk about one state in which he specialises, Southern Virginia. Joe’s professional background is in engineering project delivery, team management, and business development, and he has first-hand experience of trading in USA, UK, Europe, Middle East, South America, India, China, ​and Malaysia. In our conversation, Joe’s talking about the advantages of Southern Virginia and the businesses it should appeal to. However, whatever your business, and even if that state is not the right destination for you, I think you’ll find Joe’s commentary really interesting and helpful. Since 2013, Joe has been working to support UK and EU firms expanding to Virginia. He’s worked closely with Rolls-Royce North America and has helped a dozen firms establish companies in the US. Most recently Joe has been helping international companies make the engineering and tech-centric location of Southern Virginia their operational base in the USA.

BPO offshore operations have continued to mature. Staff are experienced, local management has progressed and they have expanded to take on more advanced work such as R&D. They may no longer be sited in the lowest cost countries, but strategically located to deliver the best value based on skills, languages and time zone. They’ve also gained a better name – Shared Service Centres. On a recent visit to Montevideo, Oliver Dowson met with Nelson Gonzalez, General Manager of Travel Leaders Group’s Global SSC. It’s a great example of how Shared Services Centres can play a key role in business success.

UK companies, faced with the uncertainties of Brexit, are rushing to establish bases in the EU. Germany is a favourite, but it’s not so easy - business methods, finance and laws are all very different and complex. So it’s essential to get clued-up, and to have a guide to make sure that you do everything right and to make the difficult things easy. In this podcast, Oliver Dowson talks to Burkhard Schneider of Basch Consult about how he helps businesses set up in Germany.

Those of us born in English speaking countries have that great advantage that we can make ourselves understood just about anywhere. The problem is that it also makes us lazy about learning other languages. In business, we can’t just rely on English. Obviously legal documents have to be in the language of the country we’re working in. So do all our operational materials and of course marketing and sales. We’ve all seen “howler” translations – most obviously on menus in restaurants. At least then all we do is laugh or wonder. Like a lot of business people, the menu writers have probably relied on online translation software – that’s getting better all the time, but it’s a long way from perfect. Just imagine how one’s business can be damaged by bad translations. And even in conversation, it’s easy to assume that someone with great English understands everything we’re saying – yet most of us have suddenly found that we’ve been misunderstood, or, worse still, unintentionally said something we shouldn’t. So there’s a very important role for professional translators. In this podcast, Oliver Dowson talks to Helen Provart, the Managing Director of Peak Translations, about the need for getting it right.

Almost every business with international ambitions wants to expand to the United States. It’s easy to understand why. It’s the biggest economy and market on earth. It’s English-speaking, it’s got great people, great communications and since its founding has always been considered as the Land of Opportunity. But how easy is it? And, with all we hear about the backlash against globalisation epitomised by the “America First” policy, the tariffs and the fear of trade wars, is now the right time for foreign companies to really be considering expanding there? In this podcast, Oliver Dowson talks with Gary Leskun, the President and COO of Cross Border Advisory Services, about these issues, and how companies can best expand to and from the USA. Gary has impressive qualifications and a vast range of international business experience. He and his team have helped many companies to identify export markets and recommend market entry strategies for products and services to get the best return on international investments.

Think of Kuwait and one thinks of oil. It’s got the world’s sixth largest oil reserves. But there’s a lot more to it than that. It’s one of the oldest countries in the region, at the top of the Arabian Gulf, bordered by Iraq and Saudi Arabia. But it’s not really like either of them. In this podcast, Oliver Dowson talks with Hessa Rashed Bouresli, the Head of the Communications Division of the Kuwait Direct Investment Authority, about the opportunities the country has to offer to international companies. Kuwait, with a population of around 4 million, has a high-income economy – and, indeed, according to the World Bank, the Kuwaiti dinar is the highest valued currency in the world and the country has the fourth highest per capita income. It’s a democracy and it’s liberal – women are empowered and make up more than half the workforce. It’s even arguably the cultural centre of the Middle East, with arts festivals and even the largest opera house in the region. But back to business. Kuwait is working to seriously reinvent itself, aiming to transform the country into a financial and commercial leader in the region. It’s making institutional reforms, investing in infrastructure and actively supporting growth of the private sector.

One reason people fear international expansion is bureaucracy. It’s always there. But you shouldn’t be discouraged. International expansion brings so many benefits, worth the effort. You just need to be prepared.

Most countries, and many big cities and regions, have Investment Promotion Agencies (IPA), that promote Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) through advertising and exhibitions. If the target has already decided on the country, and it’s a matter of promoting one region or city, perhaps these help. However, I don’t think this is the right way to get new converts. Here's why...