OUTPUT

Today's fast and ever-changing competitive market demands global action and like it or not, without realising it you're probably already competing internationally with foreign-owned competitors who are all fighting for your market share. So, our advice: turn this competition to your advantage – get to know the landscape and be proactive about tapping into markets across international borders – a process that is easier than you may believe.

We are already distributing our own product, Ultra Board, in Europe and have also established links in South America and Australia. Not bad for a company based in Cambridge. However, rather than having to establish operations abroad, which would be time consuming and costly, we chose to work with a number of trusted global resellers who distribute Ultra Board on our behalf. Although you may feel like you are introducing a middleman into the relationship, we have found that it really is the best way to get your product on to the international market and makes reaching customers overseas simpler.

Why is this? Well to start with, it can help you avoid many logistical problems, helps to avoid the dreaded time delay issues, breaks down any language barriers, and reduces costs and other trade-related risks. All of which we think are worth losing a small cut of your profits to your reseller partners overseas.

It is important, however, to not become complacent and rely solely on your resellers to push your product abroad – remember your product won't sell itself. Educate your distributors and provide them with the correct information, so they can help you market your product globally. Make sure you leave budget to develop new promotional materials, invest in travelling to foreign locations in order to build relationships and bear in mind the costs to ship your product overseas.

Given these reasons, we believe the decision to embark on international trade should be done with eyes open.

Tony Moscrop is chief executive of recycled paper honeycomb manufacturer Dufaylite. Parts two and three of Going global are now available on Output.