Course details

The aim of CATALYST is to provide participating SME Managers with the necessary skills and knowledge to allow them to develop effective Export Focused Growth & Development Plans for their business in addition to developing Personal Development Plan for themselves as managers.

Who should attend?

The Programme is designed for SME Managers. Within organisations who are at the early stage of exporting or who are preparing to begin exporting.

Modules

Good Foundations

  • Introductions / getting to know you
  • Programme structure & objectives
  • Overview of the management of SME’s
  • Typical case histories
  • Becoming a customer-focused organisation
  • Are you ready for exporting

Strategies & Planning

  • Strategic planning for export-focused SME’s
  • Key Performance Indicators
  • Building business plans to optimise results
  • Management & leadership

Financial Management

  • The key elements of managing finances
  • Financial information & systems
  • Pricing, margins & profitability
  • Hidden costs: insurance, tariffs, distribution & commissions
  • Managing time, costs & cash flow
  • Getting paid& elements of contracts

Marketing, e-Marketing & Export Marketing

  • The principles of marketing for SME’s
  • Barriers & challenges to exporting
  • Understanding cultures, behaviours & practices
  • E-Marketing strategies for international business
  • Web optimisation, analysis & management
  • Doing business & getting paid online

Market & Customer Research

  • Researching & selecting markets
  • Researching & selecting customers
  • International market research & sources of information
  • Sourcing goods & services in a global market

Protecting Intellectual Property & Overseas Visits / Trade Shows & Exhibitions

  • Protecting your intellectual property (IP)
  • Planning your overseas visit
  • Optimising the value of trade missions & exporting services
  • Getting the best from trade shows

Selling & Presentation Skills

  • Selling skills & closing the sale
  • Making professional sales presentations
  • Customer care, relationship building, management & records
  • Follow-ups & managing the relationship

Managing Agents & Wholesalers & Logistics & Licences

  • Finding & appointing agents /representatives / wholesalers
  • Training, developing & managing agents
  • Understanding the elements of logistics & distribution / licences / permits / documentation / legislation & compliance

Bringing It All Together & Keeping It Going

  • Sustainability of the business model
  • Cultivating innovation, creativity & thinking
  • Managing self & personal development
  • Review of ‘The Plan’ & managing its implementation
  • Final review
Updated on 08 November, 2015

About Optimum Results

Since our foundation in 1995, We_They has been “Dedicated to Improving the Business Performance of our Clients” through the design and delivery of a wide range of results-focused training and consultancy services. We have worked with over 9000 clients across 11 Countries and are generally regarded within the industry as one of Ireland’s leading Training Companies.

In 2013, We_They was selected as a significant contributor to the development of new “Best Practice Guidelines in Training” by the EU’s European Training Foundation (ETF) and the company was also selected as “an exemplary host company” by the JobBridge Internship Programme evaluation consultants, Indicon.

We have worked with all of the Business Development Agencies on the Island of Ireland and operate from purpose designed office and support facilities mid-point on the Dublin / Belfast economic corridor. We employ 20 fulltime staff and 22 Quality Approved Associate Trainers / Consultants (QAAs), a quality standard which has been developed by, and is unique to, our company.

We_They has consistently maintained the highest of International Quality Standards, including ISO9001:2008 (since 1996), BS 8555 ‘Environmental & CSR’ best practices standard (2005) and Human Resource Excellence (2012). The Company is also an Accredited Centre for the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) and The Institute of International Trade (IITI), (both subject to Quality Assurance Audits).

In addition to our work in Ireland and the UK, our export work has seen projects over the past decade in Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, The Czech Republic, Romania, Malta and Jordan. In 2013 we commenced a series of substantial SME First Time Exporters programmes in the UAE.

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