Ahead of the next Export Action Plan competition final, taking place at the Swiss Embassy on November 2nd, we’ve spoken to some the export experts who will be making up the judging panel.
In this fifth and final instalment, we talk to Michael Ruckstuhl from PwC about what he’ll be looking for from the finalists.
What are you most looking forward to about judging the Export Action Plan competition this November?
I am most looking forward to hearing the stories of 10 interesting companies and am looking forward to meeting the persons behind the story. It is always interesting to hear stories from entrepreneurs and to understand what is of relevance in their industry and what drives them personally.
Why do you think competitions like this are so important for the UK’s exporters?
On the one hand I think it is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to get external feedback on their plans but also to get connected with peers. I believe it is important to build and enhance a network between companies with similar plans to share best practice, success stories, lessons learned.
In what ways does PwC help UK exporters to prepare for selling into Europe and beyond?
PwC can act as a one stop shop for an exporter setting up shop outside of the UK. We can support companies starting with incorporation of a company, to developing and establishing a business model which is fit for expansion up to the ongoing supporting in maintaining your operations (such as accounting, tax returns, payroll and much more). Due to our enormous experience in setting up foreign companies in Switzerland we are often also in a position to connect companies with local providers/customers and to help them integration into the local economy.
What 3 tips would you give to both the finalists and potential future entrants to the competition about what you look for in a winning export plan?
- Develop a long term plan but remain agile to quickly react to disruption;
- Set priorities (start lean and expand);
- Be open to failure, try to learn from failure.
