Develop your export strategy

As part of its membership offer, UKFT Scotland, helps new and established business to make sense of changing markets around the world. We can help companies to build and review their sales and export strategy to make the most of their limited budgets and to reach out to new customers and markets.

The UKFT team has extensive practical experience of working with Scottish fashion and textile manufacturers, designers and brands. We know what has worked for which companies and where the pitfalls lie. Working with members on a one-to-one basis, we can help companies to understand which elements of a combined B2B and B2C strategy are necessary for you to be successful and will allow you to work within your budget. We have a track record of helping companies to avoid very expensive mistakes!

We can guide you through the essential research you will need to build your own database and contacts, without getting caught out by GDPR and other privacy laws. We can help you with essential questions on the practicalities of exports, getting the paperwork right, understanding duties and tariffs, which markets would be most suitable for your collection or products, which tradeshows to look at to conduct research and/or reach international buyers. We can help you to protect your intellectual property, designs and trade marks to build the foundations of a successful brand and advise on the legal documents you will need to have in place as you start. The full list of our one-to-one services includes:

• Export Strategy and research
• Business planning
• Working with agents, distributors and direct with buyers
• Routes to market
• Labelling requirements
• Care labelling licences
• Legal requirements for specific markets
• Export documentation, such as CITES and ATA Carnet
• Customs and Duty
• Terms and Conditions
• How to get paid
• Wholesale range-planning and pricing
• Multichannel strategy and issues

Much of this work we do in-house, but UKFT also has a group of trusted affiliates who can help you with specialist legal and financial knowledge.

Where government funding is available, for example on participating in international tradeshows, we can help you through the process.

Scottish Development International (SDI)

Scottish Development International is Scotland’s foreign direct investment agency. Their aim is to encourage more overseas businesses to set up a location here, invest in Scottish businesses or buy Scottish products.

They do this by providing information, partnering with businesses and investors who want to set up or invest here, and helping businesses find the connections they need.

SDI's public sector economic agencies – Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise – can offer funding to help you get set up, as well as ongoing support once you’re here.

This can include:

• Funding for R&D, exporting, improving productivity and more
• Advice about exporting, training, efficiency and growth
• Access to resources, templates and market research
• Business events