How to make the most of international trade opportunities

From the website http://www.webchats.tv

An online guidance service to help Britains 150,000 international traders has been launched by businesslink.gov.uk. The new service, available at www.businesslink.gov.uk/internationaltrade will help traders understand the complexities of international trade, and assist thousands of others realise the benefits of trading with overseas markets.

Businesses in the UK are missing out on international trade opportunities because they do not fully understand how to operate in foreign markets according to government research. International trade is the natural step for companies looking to reach new customers but risks associated with new markets and over cautiousness are preventing many from taking the plunge.

So whats the key to getting your business into foreign markets? There is undoubtedly an element of risk and there are innumerable challenges from dealing with international paperwork, transactions, distributors and freights.

To help UK businesses looking to trade overseas, businesslink.gov.uk has launched the first phase of its International Trade Single Window project. It is the first and only place where UK businesses can access key government information they need for international trading. It aims to advise and support small businesses about a variety of issues including:

- What do I need to know to export to my target country?

- What are my duty and VAT liabilities when importing or exporting?

- Which customs procedures and reliefs can help me trade internationally?

- Which Incoterm (International Commercial Contract Term) should I use?

Jonathan Hollow, joins us live online on Wednesday 24th January at 1.30pm to tell us all about this new resource for small businesses