LEP supports November�s Export Week

14.11.14

LEP board member and global manufacturing entrepreneur Eric Hawthorn has urged small businesses in Leeds City Region to take advantage of opportunities in overseas markets through a programme of actions held as part of UK Export Week.

Monday 10th November saw the LEP’s first online Twitchat taking place – featuring an expert panel of exporters from the Leeds City Region - Eric Hawthorn, MD at Radio Design, Victoria Boldison, International Brand Controller at Principle Healthcare, Richard Smith, MD at Surfachem, and Mike Strawson, Senior Associate at Chamber International.

During a lively online question and answer session the panel fielded a wide range of questions from interested potential exporters keen to learn practical exporting tips, and hear how other businesses have managed to successfully crack international markets.

The experts all agreed on the importance of doing thorough market research and the benefit of utilising available networking opportunities such as those provided by the LEP’s own Export Network of Export Ambassadors, UKTI and Enterprise Europe Yorkshire, in order to maximise the advice available.

The Twitchat was followed on Wednesday 12th November by the LEP’s ‘We Are International – Inspiring stories to get you exporting’ event, held as part of the UKTI’s ‘Explore Export’ event at the Royal Hall in Harrogate.

Eric Hawthorn, LEP board member, commented “It’s great to see so much interest being generated in exporting. Since we launched our LEP Export Network last year, we’ve seen more than 300 SME’s taking advantage of the support and advice available. My advice to businesses considering their export potential is -take time to develop relationships and find people of the right ability and skill level as trusted advisors on the ground, as this will prove invaluable. Importantly, the key to success is to have fun as exporting can be challenging but very rewarding.”

Once again the event featured a panel composed of experts in the field of exporting. Eric Hawthorn, MD of Radio Design, and Mike Strawson of Chamber International were again in attendance alongside Jenny Lawson, Manager at Enterprise Europe Yorkshire, with Jo McBeath, International Trade Advisor Manager at UKTI moderating the discussion.

Businesses were able to hear firsthand about Eric’s journey to exporting success – founding Radio Design in 2007 with just 11 employees to now employing 300 people with operations in both India and China, as well as picking up practical exporting tips from the panel.

To find out more about the LEP’s Export Network visit ‘We Are International’ - http://business.leedscityregion.gov.uk/international/international/ or to see what was discussed at the event view http://bit.ly/1xu6nN4