“The onset of a downturn is as much about mood as it is about money,” says an August 2019 article in The Economist, concerning fears over a looming recession.
It’s a sentiment that’s as pertinent to recessions as it is to exports.
With the B-word dominating headlines on a daily basis, it’s of little wonder that British businesses are concerned about exporting.
Survive and Prosper in a New World Market
Tony Goodman MBE, marketing and export advisor and Chairman of Collatia Partners, is keen to dispel the myths around British exporting.
In an upcoming White Label Expo seminar, How to Survive and Prosper in a New World Market, Goodman addresses the fears and misconceptions around exporting.
He will also discuss the myriad opportunities available to British businesses.
“Brexit is just another excuse not to act,” says Goodman. “Exporting is simply selling. From my experience of exporting around the world, when approached sensibly, it’s much easier than most people would imagine.”
Encouraging Exports
“Regardless of your viewpoint on Brexit, the Government wants to increase exports as a percentage of GDP. They have been promoting it very heavily,” explains Tony.
“In Britain, exporting currently makes up 29% of the UK GDP, which is significantly lower than the European average of 44%, with countries such as Germany performing particularly well”
Tony Goodman MBE
“There are ample opportunities for Britain to export further afield” says Goodman.
“There’s no reason why Germany should be exporting any more to the Far East than us.”
Structural constraints
Beyond Brexit fears, Britain’s reluctance to export is partly structural. “The UK has more of a service economy than other countries and it isn’t just in Financial Services.”
“Take an industry like tourism. We don’t think of ourselves in the same way as the Costa del Sol, but both internal and external tourism are significant contributors.”
“Beyond all the other factors, we have simply forgotten to try.”
UK Constraints
Citing a quote from former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Australia, Alexander Downer, Goodman warns that we are at risk of not seeing the opportunities available to us.
“There’s a misconception, particularly with the talk of Brexit, that we are a very Eurocentric country, when in truth, we export a lot more to the rest of the world than we do within the EU”
Tony Goodman MBE
“Alexander Downer said that the UK simply forgot how to try to export outside of Europe once we joined the EEC.”
“The biggest mistake we made was to abandon our trade with the Commonwealth,” concludes Tony. “While we have felt these effects severely, there is no reason why Britain cannot survive and prosper globally.”
Tony Goodman’s seminar, How to Survive and Prosper in a New World Market, is at the White Label Expo in November.
To discover more about the event, or to register, please click below or visit whitelabelexpo.co.uk/.
