Local business support organisations are coming together this month to host a unique event as part of an ongoing initiative to help local businesses find out about, and harness, the support available to do business overseas.
This comes after two recent surveys found that Scottish businesses want to grow internationally, but feel that they are held back by a lack of resources.
Entitled ‘Internationalisation: Reaching Customers Overseas', the event will take place at The Ironworks in Inverness, between 9:30 and 13:00 on Friday 26 September as part of Highland Business Week.
Highland Opportunity's Enterprise Europe Network and Business Gateway services, the Inverness Chamber of Commerce, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and Scottish Development International will be running the event.
The event will feature a video case study showcasing the unique ways in which each of the partner organisations can assist local businesses, stalls from the partners with further information and resources, two interactive workshops, and networking opportunities. On the day, attendees will also be able to book a one-to-one clinics to get advice specific to their business and begin working on a plan of action.
The event is in response to two recent business surveys: the Scottish Chambers of Commerce's survey of businesses, and the Bank of Scotland’s survey of the Food and Drink sector. Both studies found that many businesses have ambitions to grow internationally (40% and 58% of respondents, respectively), but feel they are hampered by a lack of time, resources, funding, and market access.
Thomas Prag, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Planning, Development and Infrastructure Committee, and Vice Chair of Highland Opportunity, said: "There is a lot of assistance available to help businesses to internationalise, but these recent surveys suggest that many business owners are not aware of this and therefore do not feel confident enough to begin doing business overseas.
"Together, these organisations are now addressing this issue by showcasing and clarifying what is available in terms of internationalisation support. Whilst they cannot solve every issue a business may come up against, I’m confident that those people that come along to the event will be very pleasantly surprised by the value and comprehensiveness of the support available.
"There are lots of global markets out there that want to tap into the fantastic products and services we in the Highlands have to offer. I hope the delegates that attend this event will leave feeling supported, inspired, and more confident to harness these opportunities."
As well as this event, the partner organisations will also be creating an informative video to highlight to a wider audience the internationalisation support available and provide an ongoing resource to support businesses on their internationalisation journey. The video will be made available through each of the partners after the event.
This new event and the video are being funded by the European Commission, so are free for local businesses.
All attendees are asked to book places in advance. For more information, please contact Ilona Warburton, European Information Manager, Enterprise Europe Network, at 01463 715400 or ilona.warburton[AT]highland-opportunity.com
More information is also available through the Highland Business Week website: www.inverness-chamber.co.uk/events/event/highland-business-week-2014
