LEAD FEATURE

I’VE GOT A GREAT IDEA

Struggling to get from ‘eureka’ moment to successful trader? David Parsley takes a look at some of these helping

W

hen launching your business, whether from the kitchen table, industrial manufacturing unit or

an offi ce complex, few entrepreneurs wish to create a company that does not harbour global ambitions. While the thought of growing into a worldwide powerhouse in your sector may initially appear daunting, it has, thanks largely to the internet, never been easier to market and sell your services or products outside UK borders. With Global Entrepreneurship Week taking place between 14-20 November there’s no better time to consider how your business can go global. With 40,000 events taking place in 104 countries, it is anticipated that an incredible 10m people will participate in the week.

And with endorsements from world political leaders such as President Obama, UK Prime Minister David Cameron and President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, there is no doubt that attending one of the events during the week meets with international approval and is sure to lead you on the path for global success.

12 | springboard | www.ukti.gov.uk

To get you thinking global, springboard spoke to three companies heavily involved in helping businesses reach beyond their own domestic borders.

DESPERATELY SEEKING… A SUPPLIER

BUSINESS SOLUTION: ALIBABA.COM Founded in 1998, Alibaba.com has become one of the world’s premier online marketplaces, and offers businesses, large or small, a level playing fi eld upon which they can offer their products or services to 22m registered users in 240 countries. It doesn’t get more global than that. Linda Kozlowski, director global marketing and customer experience at Alibaba, says: “You can list your business in our directory for free and be listed in your sector for no money whatsoever. But, for an annual cost of $3,000 [£1941.44 at time of writing] Alibaba will create a premier listing for your business with its own dedicated web page on the site as well as the all crucial search engine optimisation. “We offer a level playing fi eld for businesses to access global markets,” says Kozlowski. “You don’t need huge budgets to market your company around

the world. If you become a Gold Supplier, you will benefi t from unlimited product listings, more keyword searches and priority listings. Basically, we pretty much take care of the risk and your business comes to the top of listings in your sector.” Alibaba, which has 146,000 users in the UK currently, is also a useful place to fi nd your next business partner, explains Kozlowski. “Our mission is to try to make it easy to do business anywhere in the world,” she says. “What we’re trying to do is remove the physical borders to business and to get the world working together. For example, your business can fi nd its business partner when expanding into a new country. Or, if you’ve made your prototype product you can fi nd a production partner to produce the volume you need to convince buyers you can produce what they need.”

EXPORT SUCCESS: BOGINABAG Entrepreneur and mum of two, Kate Castle from Hampshire, spotted a gap in the camping/festival market and devised an ingenious new product to fi ll it. But when it came to putting her idea into production, she struggled to fi nd