Keep up to date with the latest news from Kazakhstan and the team at Kazopp.
Posted 23/02/2015
The price of oil has fallen by more than half since June 2014 and the shock waves are emanating out across the global economy – but what impact does this have upon potential exporters to Kazakhstan? What appears to be bad news at first sight, could in fact be masking reasons to be optimistic about the opportunities out there….
Posted 22/01/2015
Zana Zhylynyzben! Or Happy New Year! (in Kazakh) Will 2015 be a great year in business for your SME? The answer is almost certainly yes if you can tap in to lucrative export markets and see your business grow at a far faster rate than if you continue to focus purely on the domestic market. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be busting the myth that exports are the preserve of the big corporates and showing you why SMEs can steal a march in the export market to Kazakhstan!
Posted 12/12/2014
Last week, the Government announced the launch of the Business Growth Service, which incorporates the existing GrowthAccelerator and Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) programmes.
It is hoped that the Business Growth Service will “make it easier for businesses with the potential, capability and capacity to improve and grow to access expert advice and support.” The new service will also offer export advice, so this week , we take a look at what it means for local SMEs, particularly those interested in export.
Posted 03/12/2014
It was revealed during Export Week last month that if SMEs led by women exported at the same rate as the average of small businesses, the number of exporters in the UK would rise by 100,000.
According to statistics, the percentage of women-led businesses exporting was only 13% in 2012, compared with 19% for all SMEs.
So what is it that makes women in business reluctant to branch out into overseas markets?
It was suggested that some of the key barriers to women exporting include lack of access to finance, not having the mind-set to move into exports and not having the necessary business contacts and experience.
A further perceived barrier could be cultural issues, but in fact none of these reasons should deter female SME owners or leaders from grasping the growth potential available to their business via export.
Indeed, UKTI were keen during Export Week to highlight the fact that none of these factors need be an issue for entrepreneurs. They held a series of Women in International Business Forums with all-femael panel sessions with a view to breaking down these barriers and encouraging women to start exporting.
There are, of course, already some very successful female entrepreneurs, many of whom are UKTI Export Champions, but there is plenty of scope for more women-led businesses to realise their export potential.
Another key focus of Export Week was encouraging businesses already exporting to expand into new markets. If every current exporter in the UK achieved this, it would go a long way towards meeting the Government’s target to double exports to £1 trillion by 2020.
So how can female entrepreneurs overcome the perceived barriers set out above? By linking with a partner company, like Kazopp, which already has experience and knowledge in country, the process of getting started in export can seem a lot less daunting. With already established contacts and business relationships, a partner can help to get products or services to market in the quickest time possible. This can save potential exporters months or years of research and groundwork, having to get to grips with local regulatory and tax requirements and other work that would otherwise be necessary to get started and which often puts business owners off pursuing growth in export markets. With the right advice, companies can also avoid the prospect of making mistakes early in their export journey into a new country.
If you like the idea of bringing your products or services straight to a vast new market, get in touch – we have nearly twenty years of experience of running and helping business in Kazakhstan with a vast array of contacts and advice to help your SME hit the ground running!
Posted 11/11/2014
The UK GDP may be growing steadily as the economy gradually improves, construction and manufacturing are on the rise and unemployment falling, but export remains key to the continued recovery of the UK economy. The UK government is always keen to encourage businesses to either grow their business overseas or expand their export operations by looking to new markets. The Chancellor, George Osborne, has set a target of doubling the value of exports to £1 trillion by 2020. The Government aims to get 100,000 more companies exporting by then. Hence UKTI’s 6th Export Week which is happening this week all over the UK.
Export Week sees UKTI hosting a range of free events around the country with the aim of encouraging companies, especially SMEs to make the most of their overseas potential, either by branching out into exporting for the first time or by adding more countries to their export portfolio.
At seminars, networking events, workshops and via one-to-one meetings, businesses are able to obtain information and advice which will hopefully inspire them to give overseas markets a try.
Each area has its own specific focus, for example, in the North West, the focus is on getting current exporters to reach out to one more market on the basis this could increase the area’s GDP by around £2 billion. In the South West, UKTI are calling upon women entrepreneurs and business owners to turn to international trade to boost their profits.
More often than not, it’s about encouraging small businesses that export is not just for the large corporates. UK Export Finance, which has been working in various forms for nearly 100 years to boost UK exports as a means of keeping the economy buoyant is increasingly focusing upon helping small businesses to obtain financial support to enable them to tap into fast growing markets, such as Kazakhstan.
We’ll be attending UKTI South West’s ExploreExport event in Bristol on Thursday 13th June, so if you’re planning on attending, look out for our MD, Graham Potts, who will be happy to talk to you about current opportunities for export to Kazakhstan. Alternatively, get in touch via our website.
Why not get out there and give exports a try?!
Posted 15/09/2014
Often export success stories involving businesses tapping into the huge potential market in Kazakhstan cite the need to take the long term view. Many large corporates emphasise the importance of taking time to establish local partnerships and relationships.
Companies who have built up experience within the country place high value not only on partnerships, but also upon another virtue – patience. The volume of government regulation can appear daunting initially, especially for those without local help or experience.
But how many SMEs can afford the time and expense involved in developing business relationships? And will it all be worth it?
When you realise that you’re talking about a country which is geographically larger than the whole of Western Europe – a fact which alone commands attention – potential rewards are exciting. Kazakhstan has a population of 17 million people and has been led by President Nazarbayev since becoming independent of the former Soviet Union in 1991. Notwithstanding its own size, the country is dwarfed by its neighbours, China and Russia and yet scored ahead of these superpowers on its borders in a 2014 World Bank survey on the ease of doing business in various countries.
The fact that several countries, including China, Canada and some from Western Europe continue to eye the country’s potential, attracted perhaps by the wealth of its natural resources, particularly oil and gas, speaks volumes. In addition, the government has begun to implement reforms in the energy sector and simplify regulatory requirements, for example, as to visas, which should make it even easier to do business there.
As for the business relationships, the easiest way to get around this is to let an agent with the relevant knowledge, experience and contacts represent you, your products or services. This way any burden upon cash flow can be neatly avoided, not to mention a raft of time consuming research and business relationship building. Exports can be directed straight to the right buyer and market and with the additional advantage of accessible advice as to local business practices and procedures, there need be no sleepless nights worrying about business faux pas.
Makes sense, right? Let us do the talking for you. What have you got to lose?
If you’re interested in setting up exports to Kazakhstan or getting help with doing business there, get in touch.