Photograph: Ralph Freso / Reuters/Reuters
As one of the UK’s largest manufacturing bases, the north-west has historically been an exporting stronghold. However over recent decades, as traditional industries have declined, businesses across the north-west have been looking for new opportunities to export their goods abroad.
Boosted by devolution and the support for the northern powerhouse, the new digital economy is providing SMEs with the opportunity to export to customers across the world through the power of the internet.
At the Amazon Academy – a one-day event for SMEs, startups and web developers hosted by Amazon in Manchester – a panel of experts discussed whether the growth of small businesses from across the region can ensure that the north- west is once again seen as an exporting powerhouse.
Damian Waters, director of the CBI North West argued that, “small firms should have a bright exporting future because the region has a lot to offer, but there are barriers holding them back.”
Fear can be one element. Growing businesses are often fazed by the different rules and regulations they face when selling into different countries. However Emma Jones, founder of small business support group Enterprise Nation, insisted that SMEs have the ambition and hunger to start selling their goods abroad. “So many UK small businesses are operating within incredibly global marketplaces, picking up business they hadn’t necessarily targeted.”
Michael Taylor, from Manchester Metropolitan University, talked about the role that universities can play in helping SMEs achieve this international outlook. “One of our vice chancellors for research is currently in the US with a group of entrepreneurs and business owners from the north-west, marking the launch of Virgin Atlantic’s new Manchester to San Francisco service.”
The new service is seen as a major boost to the region’s tech businesses, providing direct access to and from Silicon Valley. “Internationalisation means having an international outlook,” says Taylor. “Particularly in light of Brexit, it is vital that the UK does not see itself as an isolated island nation, turning its back on Europe.”
Devolution will be an important factor in raising the north-west’s export game. The transfer of power from the government to ten greater Manchester districts means that spending decisions, including those around business support, skills and training, are made at a local level.
Grace Blakeley from the think tank IPPR North agrees that devolution could help on a more local level, particularly in the area of skills. “Severe skill shortages in the north, and across the whole of the UK, will impact on SMEs’ ability to export and grow,” she said.
Investment is another hot topic. “With the bulk of national public investment going to London, we need to focus on providing things like transport and digital infrastructure in the north,” says Blakeley. “Devolution can bring all of that together, and this year we are starting to see a pickup in spend in the north-west, with more investment coming in: a devolution dividend.”
With the triggering of Article 50 taking place recently, Emma Jones encouraged SMEs not to forget that for the next two years we still have trade deals with 27 EU countries – “it is business as usual as European buyers and consumers absolutely want to keep buying British goods.”
However, she stressed that now is the time for SMEs to get themselves “Brexit ready”, whilst also exploring opportunities in new countries to grow their business. She highlighted how Amazon’s suite of digital tools and services are designed to help SMEs export to customers across the world, and that this can help to further boost opportunities for growth in the north-west.
Content on this page is paid for and produced to a brief agreed with Amazon
