Thinking global: The secret to Yorkshire firms doing business abroad

For decades, multinational corporations have been encouraged to build local roots. If you’re looking to sell services overseas, then you must certainly be aware of cultural nuances and regulations. But it also helps if you’re based in a region which is renowned for its straight talking, no nonsense business community, and commitment to providing great service.

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Some of the key players in the region’s corporate community gathered at The Yorkshire Post headquarters in Leeds to participate in the latest UKTI round table debate. The businesses were drawn from a wide range of sectors, but they all had one thing in common. They had a passionate desire to share their love of exporting.

But are overseas firms more likely to buy your services because of the strength of the Yorkshire brand? The region’s reputation was certainly enhanced when the Grand Depart of the Tour de France came to Yorkshire in the summer of 2014.

Daniel Hughes, a director at Turner & Townsend, the Leeds-based professional services company which specialises in project management, said: “Clients are buying the services that we can provide around our credibility, capability and depth of service.

“The fact we’re from Yorkshire is not necessarily an over-riding point. However, there is recognition from clients of Yorkshire as a region, and it’s seen as a positive.

“The Grand Depart had a huge impact in putting the pin on the map.”

Jim Hart, the owner of Leeds-based One Global, the translation and global marketing company, knows all about cultural diversity. He observed: “We’re working in the States.. and they are not particularly keen about working with any companies outside the US.

“So you have to be very local, even though your head office is in Leeds. You have to be as American as possible to break through.

“That’s the first approach to the customer, and then when they start working with you more deeply and they are doing bigger contracts, they are going to want to know where your head office is. So being in Yorkshire, and being in the UK, is definitely a benefit.

“In terms of the Tour de France, we really should put that video on our website and say,’Look this is where we are.’ It’s a big selling point.”

Sean Gilligan, the owner of the Leeds-based e-learning firm Webanywhere, said: “If you’re in New York City in a taxi and you say you are from Leeds, I think the taxi drivers that aren’t American will know where it is because of football and Leeds United. But if you talk to an American, they will say, ‘Is that near Manchester?’”

Mr Gilligan believes that the work of Welcome to Yorkshire, and the success of the Tour de France, has helped to raise awareness but there is still work to be done, especially in America, to raise the profile of Yorkshire companies.

He added: “Maybe we need a figurehead in Leeds, a charismatic person who can go over to America.”

So how can Yorkshire make waves globally?

It’s the talent base that sets the region apart, according to Mr Hughes.

He added: “The reason we have stayed is because of the talent. As talent comes through the business, they invariably bring others with them.

“One of the biggest barriers to selling overseas is a very simple one; it’s around mobilising teams and establishing teams to work on major programmes. That can be an inhibiting factor.”

Mr Hart observed: “The biggest challenge for us is to localise. so we’re selling to customers in their own language.”

There are many pitfalls facing firms who are looking overseas.

Mr Gilligan said: “There are differing degrees of risk in terms of setting up a business... you can go to distributors and re-sellers, who will outsource.

“We took our market leading product into the US and made so many mistakes... But we returned and last year, 30 per cent of our business was in the US, and this year it will be 40 per cent.

“We learned that you have to do your homework and... second time around we did a lot of transatlantic flights, before putting boots on the ground.

“We actually located our office where most of our customers were. It’s transforming the business.

“Go global, think local’ It’s a cheesy catchphrase but I think that’s the essence of it. You’ve got to eyeball people if you are going to do a significant business deal.”