Small businesses should seize the opportunities that exist online to untap their exporting potential, an industry-led commission says.
The E-Commerce Trade Commission was convened by the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade in June 2023 to advise the Department for Business and Trade on increasing the number of British SMEs trading internationally via e-commerce platforms. The commission has a two-year remit and was assembled on the recommendation of a report by the Social Market Foundation, which found that encouraging 70,000 small businesses that don't currently export to do so using online platforms could generate £9.3bn in additional value for the UK economy.
To encourage and inspire businesses to leverage online channels for growth, the commission is hosting a free webinar on 9 October, where e-commerce experts including Alibaba will share practical tips and advice.
"There are ample opportunities in the inherently global digital market for businesses to grow their international sales and customer base," says Grace Thompson, UK public affairs lead at the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade.
The webinar is taking place at 2pm UK time on Wednesday 9 October.
Thompson will be joined on the panel by Alibaba's EU strategic partnership manager Margherita Mistura and exporting company Coffeelink's trading and procurement manager Sarah Carrington.
The webinar is free to attend and businesses can register for it here.