If you’re already exporting, and have a planned and committed approach to accelerating your international growth, you may benefit from working with us as a Focus customer.
Criteria
We’ve worked out that we invest, on average, $150,000 per annum in our Focus customers. In return, to become a Focus customer you need to show us that you’re ready to scale internationally, by meeting prerequisites.These aren’t precise criteria, but they’re important indicators of where you’re at in your international growth journey. When looking at potential Focus customers, we’ll consider your existing business situation along with your potential future growth, and the impact for New Zealand as well as for your own business.
- You need to be willing to engage closely with us, and share a high level of information. This includes sharing your overall business plan, as well as your domestic and international revenue for the last three years.
- You need to commit senior leadership time to working with NZTE, and be willing to partner with us on a detailed plan for your international growth.
- You need to clearly show growth potential on a scale that benefits New Zealand. We measure these potential benefits to New Zealand in terms of new jobs, increased tax flows, contribution to GDP, as well as increased supplier spend and ongoing R&D activities in New Zealand.
- You need to show capability and capacity for international growth. This includes a solid revenue base (usually at least $3 million) and sufficient people and resources to make your planned growth happen. Other indicators include high revenue per FTE or an easily scalable business model.
- You also need to have the ability to fund your growth, whether from a suitable debt to asset ratio, or through capital backing and investors that support your plans.
- You need to demonstrate ambition for international growth. This includes putting in the time and resources of your senior management team, having strategic plans, visiting target markets regularly, and committing to R&D and business expansion – all visible signs that you’re committed to speeding up your growth.
- You need to have evidence of international performance. This includes showing how your international revenue has tracked against your projections, and how you’re gearing up for proposed growth, as well as proof of market validation and international customer demand for what you’re offering.
We’ll also take into account:
- whether your business is built around value-added, knowledge-intensive or premium products and services – generally, we can add more value to these businesses than we can for businesses based around commodity trading.
- wider factors related to your industry or type of business – for instance, in lieu of sales, we might consider customer acquisition rates for early-stage digital businesses, or asset base and future revenue potential for Māori businesses.
Contact our Advisor Team to understand what NZTE is looking for in a Focus customer.
What we offer Focus customers
As you focus on international expansion, you’ll work with a dedicated customer manager who partners with you and taps into our global team to help you achieve your international growth goals. You’ll have priority access to NZTE’s full suite of services, resources and networks, as part of a tailored plan to grow your capability, boost your global reach, invest in your growth and connect to other businesses.
