Exploiting brand Britain

John Jones, partner and head of corporate finance at accountants and business advisors Beever and Struthers, says the stagnating eurozone means businesses should exploit brand “United Kingdom” and look for export deals elsewhere

UK plc can only hope to get anywhere near hitting Chancellor George Osborne’s ambitious target of doubling the value of exports to £1trillion by 2020 if it broadens its trading horizons beyond the 18 member states of the eurozone.

Before 2007 and the onset of the financial crisis, the UK experienced sustained economic growth via cheap imports, easy access to finance and strong confidence in economic prospects.

• innovation and exploitation of new technologies#
• providing a strong value proposition to customers
• a flexible and adaptable business model
• understanding the market

The BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and the MIST countries (Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea and Turkey) account for 35 per cent of global GDP and half of the world population but less than 20 per cent of UK exports, so with traditional markets stagnant businesses should take a look in their direction.

There are also sector and region-specific bodies such as the China–Britain Business Council and the UK India Business Council promoting bi-lateral trade and investment. Beever and Struthers is ideally placed to provide expert advice – we have many clients with overseas interests and connections and are the only accountancy firm in the North West of England to be selected as a member of HLB International, a worldwide network of independent accountancy firms and business advisors operating in more than 100 countries, so we’re never far from a useful local contact.