Malta Enterprise has assisted 14 SMEs to develop their internationalisation strategy through an Export Planning Course as part of its Go Global Programme for new exporters.
The first group of participants included representatives of companies involved in a variety sectors, such as food and catering, clothing design, ICT business solutions, furniture, energy, and software development, amongst others.
The Export Planning Course followed a 15-hour free export-readiness audit which assessed the participants’ capabilities for exporting. Upon its successful completion, the participants will now be given financial assistance through the Malta Enterprise schemes to implement their plans.
Amongst others, the course modules dealt with the key strategic issues involved in internationalisation, issues of quality and supply chain, marketing, the role of innovation and technology as well as market intelligence and risk management.
One of the participants, Maria Josefa Buhagiar from Josefa Manufacturing, said she wants to continue building the company’s internal capacity to be prepared for international sales. The company had already exhibited in major Food and Beverages exhibitions with the assistance of Malta Enterprise, but the Go Global Programme helped them to clarify the way they need to position their product in the target market they identify to achieve better results. In the coming months, the company will be embarking on a parallel strategy to build capacity and go-to-market.
Another participant, Kevin Tabone from C. Fino & Sons, said he felt that the course helped him to consolidate a lot of the knowledge the company had generated from their experience in international projects in the Middle East and North Africa, particularly thanks to the trainers who brought together both academic and practical experience. The course in fact included two panel discussions in which experienced exporters shared their dos and don’ts on going international with the participants.
In line with Malta Enterprise’s commitment to assist SMEs prepare themselves better for internationalisation, the Go Global Programme – which is being supported by HSBC – is open again and a limited number of SMEs will be able to join and undergo the same process.
More information is available on www.maltaenterprise.com/export.