Holy smoke. I could not believe my eyes when I read this slogan on an email of online export marketeers. Untill now they only promoted China, Brazil or other countries that claimed to make entrepreneurs dreams come true. Did they?
Finally our believe in X-Channel business has been given a boost; what my business partner and I have been preaching for many years, now has become the centre of attention. I visited a business exhibition “Going Global” in London. First I worked my way through the ground floor full of loud IT and Social Media gurus, clever men that made visitors believe in fairy tales like “How to become rich in 1 hour”, “Put Dynamite under your Website”, “How to crack the Cyprus Market” and “How to put a virtual bomb in your competitor’s PC”
The pleasant surprise came when I climbed the stairs to the gallery and found myself among modest stands from areas in Spain, France and other West-European countries. I missed my home country Holland, but we are known to be arrogant at times; plus Holland is so small that they don’t need promotion on a small, down-to-earth scale. A chance missed?
I walked into the friendly arms of the Alcalde (Mayor) of Malaga who welcomed visitors with a sunny smile. He was pleased to hear that I was going to move to his area and open an office in 2017. He invited me to come and see him. This is what I preach all the time, promoting your country or region in a simple way. I call it streetwise marketing. A mayor spearheading the presenting of his home town. And the message on the brochure said it all: “Welcome to Malaga, a place to enjoy your business”.
It reminded me of my years as board member of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands where I cooperated with one of the most genuine, witty and intelligent Ambassadors I have ever worked with: Björn Scala. He marched in front of anybody or anything that was promoting Sweden. Whatever I asked him was granted; he even to allowed me to use his residence for events inviting Dutch/Swedish industrials, he even played the piano for them.
Maybe the Malaga Alcalde and his staff can make use of our experience as other countries did before. It is promising that suddenly French and Spanish provinces openening up, marketing their regions in a direct way. I call this “Streetwise” marketing. I never advised prospects to go for the whole of Germany or the large cities like Berlin or Frankfurt. No start for example in the province on Nordrhein-Westfalen; a region full of industry and mega companies. And if you want to start up in Spain, why go to the congested cities of Madrid or Barcelona, begin small in sunny Andalusia or in the hard working province of Biscay.
So now also the online export marketeers discovered Western-Europe; they still could do with our streetwise research,knowledge of local financial regulations and hands on execution; guiding the entrepreneurs entering a new foreign market.
Long before the referendum I said that a Brexit would not change much, neither for UK companies nor for the continental manufacturers. All they want to do is trade with each other. The fact that now Europe’s provinces are coming out to make themselves seen proves that Brexit will not stop European traders from signing up new deals with the UK. And we, AngloContinentalExpansion will support them all the way.
AngloContinentalNews 