SCOTLAND’S small businesses are missing an exporting trick, according to a recent survey, the results of which demonstrate “nervousness” about selling globally.
But the truth is as long as you have a laptop and an internet connection, you can export your product or service.
The YouGov survey published by Amazon revealed that only one in four (27 per cent) is currently selling products and services outside the UK. Findings also show that the bigger the company’s annual turnover, the more likely it is to export, whilst companies with small annual turnover appear to shy away from exporting. Roughly 60 per cent of SMEs with an annual turnover of £10 million or more are exporting, compared to 41 per cent of companies with an annual turnover of between £1m and £10m, and just 24 per cent of companies with a turnover of less than £1m.
Emma Jones MBE, founder of Enterprise Nation, commented: “Scotland is a great place to run a business, with strong heritage and a skilled workforce. However, it’s clear from these findings there is still some nervousness from SMEs in the country about selling globally, despite the huge opportunity it brings.
“With the uncertainty of Brexit and the resulting uncertain UK economic landscape, it’s really important to spread your risk and broaden your customer base. Exporting more delivers this.”
One Scottish entrepreneur who recognised this opportunity early on is Appointedd founder Leah Hutcheon, who launched her start-up after becoming frustrated with the inability of businesses to let her arrange appointments outside their opening hours.
Appointedd initially focused on small operators like hairdressers, but after receiving enquiries from overseas customers Hutcheon realised the scale of the opportunity. Large enterprises who need to be able to book team members for appointments, sometimes across different time zones, is now where she is focusing her efforts.
“The internet has revolutionised the way that companies in Scotland can operate. Being an online business means Appointedd can transact business anywhere in the world from here in Edinburgh — it was born international,” says Hutcheon. “Our software is the only package in the world that’s able to schedule appointments across multiple time zones. That makes it invaluable to international enterprise companies or those who operate across large countries such as the US or Australia.
“We’ve been able to scale quickly through building partnerships with large enterprises where we can capitalise on their existing infrastructure. Being able to provide our software to large businesses across the world is where our growth will come from.”
Her advice to SMEs considering exporting? “Think big. Don’t let the UK’s borders constrain you. Being a UK business is a strength, not a weakness and if you’re an online business these borders don’t really exist.”
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