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September 12, 2014

UKTI to help firms “sell while they sleep”

UKTI to help firms “sell while they sleep”A new government e-Exporting Programme promises to deliver a suite of services to help UK businesses take advantage of online commerce and boost international sales.

Through the e-Exporting Programme, UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is working with the world’s leading e-marketplaces to help UK companies fast-track international sales.

Trade minister Lord Livingston said: “The UK leads the world in cross-border online sales, but there is still much more we can do to help British business seize this huge opportunity.

“Trading online is a great way to start exporting to a new country, enhance distribution in an existing market and effectively sell while you sleep. This is why we are launching the UKTI e-Exporting Programme to help businesses thrive abroad in some of the world’s largest markets.”

UKTI offers businesses detailed information on over 400 of the world’s e-marketplaces and it is working with a number of major players including Tmall China, Amazon China and Japanese e-commerce platform Rakuten.

According to UKTI, operating through these e-marketplaces presents a cost-effective way for firms to increase their reach to the generation of consumers who are increasingly influenced through online channels.

Dan Wagner, CEO and founder of mobile payments company Powa Technologies, said: “The UK is rapidly becoming a global centre of excellence for e-exports. The support provided by the UKTI’s e-Exporting Programme will enable businesses of all sizes to rapidly expand their operations, creating new jobs and wealth both at home and abroad, and cementing the UK’s position as an innovative, world leading exporter of quality goods.”

The programme is being billed as the first of its kind in the world and it follows a successful pilot scheme introduced in November 2013. It is expected to help approximately 50,000 UK companies establish online trade channels. The e-Exporting Programme is part of the government’s ongoing commitment to meet the UK trade ambition of £1 trillion by 2020.

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