Sales ahoy

According to the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, strong domestic businesses that expand inter-nationally have the fastest growth rates. Yet how do you know there is a market out there for you? Particularly for members of the sign industry, the idea of plying trade abroad must be a daunting one.

The initial task for any major business development is always to do plenty of research. From various internet sources to trade magazines, following the trends in your sector and keeping a close eye on what is happening internationally will let you build a knowledge base that will help target and grow your business.

There are a good number of publications providing detailed and accurate economic analysis that will help you identify a broader view of the market and see where future demand is likely to be. Reaching out to your business network, building and rebuilding relationships with key contacts at home and abroad, will be another important way to start the process of trading abroad.

You could, of course, take a more costly approach and outsource your market research. If you do not have the right skills in-house, a specialist consultant or market analyst could deliver the right knowledge and experience, and this could prove invaluable. At the very least, they can assess the relative attractiveness of various business offers and relate them to the strengths and weaknesses your business has. This cost can be a hard one to accept for many businesses and it is true that many entrepreneurs prefer to conduct market research themselves.

Show me the money

Another way to test the market in different countries is to look at trade shows. Frazer Chesterman, director and co-owner of FM Brooks, is an organiser of major international shows such as InPrint 2014.



He explains: “Trade shows are a great way to showcase your business, meet potential buyers, distributors, and resellers, and also carry out some priceless face-to-face market research with customers. You can acquire a huge amount of key information in a very short time at a good trade show and this can make a huge difference to how successful you are when approaching new markets.”

As well as making contacts at inter-national shows, it is important to keep records of all conversations and follow them up as soon as the show is finished.



Chesterman continues: “Momentum is so important. An awful lot of enthusiasm can be generated face-to-face at a show and this can go a long way to securing key relationships. But they must be acted on quickly before they go cold.”


Trade with your peers

Another excellent way to broaden your range of contacts across international borders is by getting involved in appropriate trade associations. John Ellery is executive director of FEPE International, a worldwide association of outdoor advertising companies.

He comments: “FEPE International engages in worldwide lobbying for outdoor advertising. We develop key relationships with authorities, international organisations, political opinion formers, and the communication media, which provides our industry and our members with a louder voice.”

Joining a trade association like FEPE puts you into a network of businesses that are working together for the good of your industry. This engenders greater trust in customers and can open the door to an increasing number of opportunities.

Ellery adds: “Our members are very active and we work together well to develop the standards and integrity that ensure our industry continues to thrive and grow. We come together regularly at our congress meetings and these are an excellent opportunity to further develop business relationships and improve our overall approach to the marketplace.”

All down to experience

With 25 years of experience on the indoor and outdoor advertising markets, Prismaflex International has become a leading manufacturer of advertising displays and provider of wide-format digital printing services. The company’s diversified portfolio and worldwide presence means over two-thirds of total sales revenue comes from its international activities. The Group has its head offices in France and eleven subsidiaries worldwide, five of which are equipped with wide-format digital printing machines.

Innovation has always been a driving force for Prismaflex International. The Group devotes 3 percent of total sales revenue each year to research and development, which has culminated with green and digital as the key themes for future development projects and the launch of its green and digital centre. This brand new 1,000 sq/m site based in St-Clément-les-Places in France showcases two of its star brand products: Blue Tech, for the green element, and Prismatronic for the digital.

O Factoid:  The global printing market size reached $880 billion (£524.5bn) for the full year 2013. O

The new centre is a tool that will enable Prismaflex International to present its latest technological innovations, such as Blue Tech and the first ever solar-powered energy autonomous displays, alongside the full range of Prismatronic signs and the most recent updates (new functions and resolutions). The centre has also been designed to promote the skills and expertise developed by Prismaflex International.

Tom Weaver, managing director of Prismaflex UK, says: “Each year the group prints over 6 million sq/m on its 45 print machines in five printing sites around the world and, when coupled with the company’s expertise, this places Prismaflex as the forerunner on the international market. The Group also stands out from the competition on the events imaging market by designing and printing exclusive monumental displays for major names in the advertising world and for major international events.

“From the very outset, Prismaflex International was looking to export, in order to increase its market presence and guarantee growth. The company’s activity developed fast throughout Europe followed by North America and South Africa. Today, to pursue this policy of external growth, the company is looking to expand its activities even further into Scandinavia, Russia, and also South America.”

Russia is a market with great potential for Prismaflex with already a number of the company’s displays up and running throughout the country. To handle the flood of projects and installations this year, namely for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games, the Saint Petersburg sales office officially became a subsidiary. The role of the new subsidiary is to integrate part of the manufacture of the signs and to strengthen the customer service offering by handling the administrative import formalities and optimising customs duties.



Acquisition is another important element in the potential for international growth and Prismaflex recently acquired German Distec GmbH, which had long been a competitor, with a strong position in the high-potential German and East-European markets.

Jean-Philippe Delmotte, managing director of Prismaflex International, explains: “Prismaflex is extremely export-orientated and our international markets represent over 70 percent of total sales revenue. We are constantly on the lookout for high-potential markets for our hardware production. Once we have identified a potential market, we look for the best solution to establish our activity there. The people are the most important. We may decide to work with a local distributor or set up a small company structure.”

Toe dipping

International trade certainly is not for everyone, but it can be a huge opportunity to create new and additional business revenues when sales are getting stagnant at home. You may have a niche skill or a very specific product that is relatively limited in terms of scope, but that same scope is available in other countries. Identifying and acquiring a suitable company, perhaps one similar to you but maybe in need of further investment, is a good ‘quick fix’ option for inter-national growth. The trade show or industry association approach will require more effort and greater net-working skills, but may also result in greater returns and a more rewarding success.



Investigation is everything. Dipping your toe in the water is a sensible approach that could lead to some key early contacts and interest. Shows like InPrint, FESPA, Viscom, SGIA, and ISA are all excellent international forums for creating and building contacts. And when the time is right to make some significant investment, work with the organisers to get a presence at a show, at an appropriate level of cost and exposure.

Whether the move abroad is forced on you by lack of local business or you have seen the opportunity and are determined to capitalise, remember to keep firm control of finances and do not sabotage your local business for the sake of growth. Be brave and smart, taking key opportunities as they arrive and building on the contacts that you think will work best for you. Always remember that whatever you do in life, from business to personal, your relationships with people will always have the most value and the most potential.

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