Who Can Use It?

For well-established and larger companies, accessing new markets in foreign countries is normally something that can be achieved within their existing resources (staff, budgets etc) and with help from state, regional, and national export agencies. However, for early stage, and innovative companies, particularly those which supply special niche markets, that same process can be much more challenging, as they simply do not have the internal staff or financial resources to afford expensive market exploration activities, and often need more hand-holding that export agencies can offer.

Who is it for?

The i3Network is available to be accessed by start-up, small, and medium-sized companies from anywhere across the globe but the services it offers to enterprises are particularly appropriate to:

• Innovative and high-technology start-ups
• Early-stage companies with potential for high-growth
• Small firms which lack dedicated market research expertise
• Companies that are exporting goods or services for the first time and want to identify or be introduced to potential distributors or customers
• Business people who want local knowledge and a short-term base for market assessment work
• Businesses that want to develop exports via market collaboration, but are several years away from establishing subsidiary companies in foreign countries
• Companies that need local support and advice from within the potential foreign locations from intermediaries they can trust
• Firms that need to source local legal, financial, or marketing expertise; or perhaps need reliable introductions to local investors

How will it benefit companies?

In summary, the i3Network can offer companies a whole host of valuable support services, including:

• Hosted trade visits with bespoke schedules of high-level high-quality appointments
• Pre-visit market access services via network contacts, to identify potential customers and trading partners
• Hot-desk facilities for short-term (1-3 week) market development visits
• Introductions to local professional service providers, investors, and business premises locations
• Briefings on doing business in other countries and understanding local culture
• Support to set up trading operations or subsidiary companies in foreign locations and to manage the legal and financial issues associated with that
• Help to find suitable business locations
• Networking opportunities with other companies and organizations, and links to other resources such as university research facilities

All of this is offered with an understanding that company participants often have limited human and financial resources and yet need to be engaged in international markets to drive growth and sustainability.

Learn more about how the i3Network works or Contact us.