Last week Canberra’s exporters were privileged to hear Carol Cooke (CIC Group) and Brent Juratowich (Recruitment Systems) share their extensive experiences doing business in Singapore.
Speaking at the ACT Exporters’ Network breakfast, held at Kamberra Wine Company in Lyneham, Carol and Brent highlighted the advantages of exporting to Singapore, as well as some things to watch out for!
Carol talked about some surprises she encountered when first winning contracts in Singapore, but explained that overall the CIC Group has experienced positive outcomes. Carol’s advice for those thinking about doing business in Singapore, as with any market, included making sure that exporters thoroughly research culturally-specific business practices, the contract and distributors, but highlighted that while in Singapore, the friendly and hospitable people, the coffee, the food, and the shopping all helped make up for any hiccups!
Brent spoke of the importance of building relationships, and his experiences of working with an Agent in Singapore, which requires research to ensure that you find the right agent for your business. Brent also advocated the value of getting professional advice on the best type of legal agreement to cover your relationship and understanding the ‘bottom line’, he also suggested it is important to have someone who knows the players in the industry.
In line with the Network’s current focus on our local region, Brent advocated markets like Singapore as they are easy to travel to and to get around. Like Carol, Brent noted that Singapore boasts great people, coffee and food. The negative of these positive attributes, however, is that Singapore is a very competitive market where a lot of people are pitching against you so your innovation, quality and design need to be strong.
As usual, the breakfast also gave exporters, export supporters and Network sponsors to join in the discussion following the presentations and ask questions, as well as share some of their own experiences.
The next Network breakfast is being planned for April 2011, and will be looking at working in emerging markets, such as PNG, Solomon Islands and Timor Leste.
Austrade US Public Sector Mission to Washington
Explore the US market. Meet key influencers. Engage potential partners.
Austrade is inviting exporters to participate in its US Public Sector Mission to Washington during May 2011. This mission will allow participants to gain direct market insight into what is often referred to as the largest single customer globally – the US Government.
For companies looking to start selling to the public sector or expand existing business, this trade mission is a great opportunity – the US Austrade team, market experts, and potential customers will guide you through the complex and often-costly process of selling to the US public sector.
This mission will allow you to:
For more information and to register click here.