We were recently invited to deliver a talk for UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) on how Wavelength has grown its business in Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia. UKTI is the UK Government department that helps ambitious British businesses develop international markets.
Wavelength’s delivered a talk as part of their ‘How to Grow your Business Overseas’ seminar series. We were chosen as a service based business. Delegates from a broad range of industries attended the morning session where a number of businesses such Birmingham Airport shared their experience of entering and growing overseas markets.
Mark, Sankey, Head of UKTI, Birmingham & Solihull Team notes:
“Darren’s is a pleasure to work with. His passion for doing business abroad business and professionalism in his field, was an inspiration to a group of new to export businesses who attended our export seminar organised by UK Trade & Investment this year. Darren shared his personal experience of doing business in South East Asia in an interesting and motivational way, giving delegates practical tips and advice on do’s and don’ts and how to win business abroad and get the most out of the help and support available from UKTI”
Reflecting on the talk Wavelength’s Darren Coleman outlines:
“To date the majority of our work has been completed overseas which is quite unusual for a small firm. Wavelength’s initial overseas offer was initially quite unfocused dare I say a little haphazard. I appreciate that doesn’t sound overly professional but that’s the reality of the situation and when we started out in in 2009 the UK economy was not in good shape so we had to look further afield. After receiving inquiries from Dubai and Malaysia we built our network, followed up leads, built relationships and then secured work. With time our approach has become increasingly focused and structured which has paid dividends as we’re carving out a niche as service branding specialists.”
“Along the way UKTI have provided very timely support and advice. This has enabled us to move into new markets with greater levels of knowledge, conviction and confidence. Their network of overseas advisors and contacts has also proven to be very helpful at certain moments in time when we’ve faced certain difficulties which we’re grateful for.”
“It was good to network with other managers from export-driven companies and listen to other guest speakers. Paul Kehoe’s (Birmingham Airport CEO) plans are particularly encouraging in terms of connecting Birmingham to other countries and so potential markets. I’m genuinely optimistic about Birmingham’s future in the global marketplace.”