Entrepreneurs are GREAT!

A fundamental part of the UK’s growth strategy is to get British exports moving. About time – we have run a trade deficit for the last 40 years and we lag behind our EU peers in growing our international trade; 25% of French, German and Italian SMEs export.

Looking at our region in particular, British trade with Emerging Europe is only 3% of the region’s import picture. Wow that’s just not good enough. Last week HMA Barnett and I hit the road in the UK and participated in the British Chambers of Commerce Annual Conference. Hot on the heels of that we took part in the launch of a top 20 global market programme which is being led by the Prime Minister and Lord Green to get Great Britain exporting. We are vying for leadership and creativity in this great new business growth challenge.

The British Chambers of Commerce pulls together over 100 000 UK businesses through a nationwide network of chambers of commerce. Our job at the conference was to make sure they know about the massive commercial opportunities in Emerging Europe – in 2011 the countries in our diverse region punched with the same weight as India and China as regards exports – 2 billion in growth. Our markets are close to home and in many ways whilst offering lots of opportunity do not represent the same risk as the big Emerging markets. Yet you would be surprised just how many markets have overlooked Poland, Czech, Slovak, Hungary and Romania. Time for change. The UK economy desperately needs growth. Our role is to kindle fire in our companies’ bellies to get on a plane and start doing business in our region. It’s only 2 hours away – quicker than getting to London if you live in Manchester.

That’s exactly where the new ‘Chamber for Growth Initiative’ comes in. Our Ambassador has led the charge to put Poland at the top of the launch list for a brand new growth initiative with the British Chamber movement which has been pioneered by Lord Green our Trade Minister. What’s all this about you may ask and how can companies benefit.

The great business challenge we face in Emerging Europe is to get our opportunity message out to the UK business community. I reckon less than 1500 UK companies are doing serious business with the region. Less than a third of that number are exploiting lucrative supply chain opportunities. We’re about to change that and have set ourselves of chasing a 10 fold growth in high potential exporters to Poland by 2020. If we get that right that will enable us to deliver a 3 fold increase in trade. Ambitious, a stretch but not impossible.

The Great British Chamber initiative is a programme of creating a seamless route to export for high potential exporters. There are 3 simple steps:

The Great British Chamber Initiative – Poland takes pole position for a Great launch

(i) Target – First, we actively target UK companies with high potential for growth in strategic sectors of opportunity in Emerging Europe – Energy, infrastructure, services, health, defence and security and retail

(ii) Attract – Second, we proactively engage companies on a pathway of concrete growth opportunity – we work with local distributors and agents to actively attract our great companies to Poland

(iii) Engage – Third, a team of Trade Growth Relationship Managers works with the companies chasing down lucrative distribution contracts

The Great British Chambers for Growth programme starts in April and runs for two years. Watch this space and get ready for a Great export sales journey to Poland, Emerging Europe’s leading growth market.