Local Sales Suffering? - Look further Afield

It's inevitable some areas of the UK are suffering more than others. If you're in one of these areas, you have to work harder than others may do in order to achieve the same results.

Although there is plenty you can do by ways of marketing in your local area, why not look a bit further afield?

Why not export your products to Europe (or further)?

The current market conditions are actually helping you here. The pound has plummeted against the Euro, to such an extent, our European friends are treating UK exports as a kind of 'Bargain Basement'.

Before you go white with fear about export regulations, breaking into markets (literally) foreign to you, there are plenty of good people out there who are more than happy to help you.

These are Import & Export Agents. Many of them are self-employed and sell on behalf of a number of companies to buyers they already have a relationship with.

Therefore, you don't need to break into a new market, because they have already done that for you. They can also help you with any regulations you would have to adhere to.

And best of all...

They mostly work on a commission only basis!

Sometimes they can be a bit tricky to find. Most old-school guys (the one's with years worth of contacts) have yet to embrace web 2.0 so it's not just a case of Googling them or checking them out on Linked-In.

Best bet is to ask your local wholesaler or business link. Alternatively, if there is a trade-fare on near you soon, they tend to be milling about there and often pop their cards on notice boards.

If this fails, drop me a line, I know a couple.

The underlying message here is - you have to play your hand as best you can.

Your product is much cheaper to European buyers right now than it was a few months ago. So in effect, you have a sale on (a sale which actually doesn't eat into your margin).