Do you have the expertise in your business?
It’s important to have staff with the right skills and experience to manage your export activities.
Some important skills include:
- understanding how to work with freight forwarders and customs agents
- language and intercultural skills
- how to prepare goods for export (paperwork, packaging and labelling)
- ability to research, profile and evaluate overseas markets
- arranging export finance and insurance.
If you don’t already have these skills in your business ways there are several ways to obtain them including:
- training existing staff
- employing new staff with the skills you need
- hiring an export consultant
- seeking the services of a mentor with exporting experience
- having specialist export advisors on your Advisory Board.
Training staff
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise offers a range of business training services, or your local chamber of commerce may run exporter training courses. Tertiary training in exporting is available at institutions such as the Export Academy of New Zealand and the New Zealand School of Export. ExportNZ also runs a series of training courses on exporting.
Even if you are an experienced exporter, it’s essential to keep up to date with changing regulations and best practice.
New employees
Employing staff with the skills you need is a good way to fill a skills gap. If you are trying to plug a gap in your own knowledge as well, a recruitment consultant can help you pick the best candidate for the position. Hiring a new employee can be expensive, so ensure your export activities can support the additional cost.
Take time to hire the right person, as it can make or break your export initiative. If possible involve the owner of the business iin driving export sales until the business has built up enough to hire a full time export manager.
Share knowledge amongst your employees and develop a succession plan if you don’t already have one. This will ensure that if a highly skilled employee leaves, you can fill the gap quickly.
Using consultants
Using an export consultant can be a quick way of getting required expertise into your business. A consultant will already have experience and knowledge of your business sector or of a particular country or region.
Before you commit to using a consultant take the time to check their references thoroughly. Make sure they have strong connections in the country or region. Be wary of consultants who ‘will take care of everything’.
Seek legal advice when drawing up your consultant agreements.
Finding a consultant
Your local Chamber of Commerce or Economic Development Agency may be able to assist you to find an export consultant. You can also contact ExportNZ in your region for referrals in your area. Alternatively try seeking a referral through your own business networks such as your accountant, lawyer and bank manager or other New Zealand exporting companies.
Business mentors
Business mentors are experienced and successful business people who are willing to share their expertise to help you and your business grow. They can also serve as a sounding board for your ideas, and help you to develop them.
There are a number of different business mentor services in New Zealand ranging from fee paying to free services. They all normally involve closely matching clients with mentors depending on the knowledge and skills required.
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