Get with the Programmers

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“We try to instil a workplace mindset from the beginning, to better prepare students for the real world of work,” said Cassidy.

Any entrepreneur will tell you that the secret of a successful start-up is spotting a gap in a market and filling it. This usually involves solving a problem that prospective customers have been struggling with. For Anthony Quigley, it’s been around education, focusing on increasingly in-demand professional skills that are poorly served by more traditional training. First he did it with the Digital Marketing Institute, empowering marketing professionals with new skills for the social media era. Now, he’s tackled programming.

In 2015, he launched the Code Institute, a bootcamp for coders that sets out to address widely recognised skills shortages, hampering the growth of technology companies. With so many multinationals located in Ireland and a healthy indigenous sector, there was no shortage of local demand but Quigley had an eye on a much bigger market that he could serve with ‘one-to-many’ online courses.

Jim Cassidy, chief executive, takes up the story.

“By 2020, there are expected to be 800,000 vacant ICT roles across Europe and over a million in the US. So it became clear to Anthony that the traditional methodology being used for teaching in universities isn’t fit for purpose”

Founders of the Code Institute are not criticising what third-level technical courses teach; they’re just setting out to do something different. A computer science degree that takes four years to complete will not provide the throughput of skills the tech industry currently needs, according to Cassidy, and the sheer pace of technological change means that a lot of what students learn may be out of date by the time they graduate.

With 48-week full-time courses and 4-month part-time, the goal is to get jobready developers into the market faster and arm them with the skills that companies urgently need. The institute has been built from the ground up to be more agile than traditional colleges and will put on courses to meet spikes in demand. Its Industry Advisory Council, made up of corporates like Accenture and Morgan McKinley, recruits graduates from the institute and provides a useful barometer of the skills in demand. “We continually update, amend and change our courses based on their feedback, which helps us make sure courses are absolutely relevant,” said Cassidy.

Programme director Brian O’Grady is keen to stress that it’s not the aim or ambition of the institute to compete with a full degree. He describes the courses as “narrow scope, deep learning,” as opposed to universities that tend to be “broad scope, shallow on topics”. The big difference is that each course is hugely condensed. “When I did my postgraduate studies, I would have done around 49 hours of coding in a year. We’re doing 600 hours. It’s a very immersive experience as opposed to something that’s spread out over four years.”

The other big difference is that course participants are treated more like employees than students and given projects and practical assignments on a daily basis. “We try to instil a workplace mindset from the beginning, to better prepare students for the real world of work,” said Cassidy. “That’s why it’s project rather than exam-based. When a student is being interviewed for a job, they can show work that they’ve actually done.”

For any courses to be credible, they need to be accredited and internationally recognised. The institute’s diplomas conform to the requirements of the European educational framework and have been recognised by Edinburgh Napier University. Having identified the market and ticked the educational boxes, the focus has turned to growing the business.

In 2016, the institute raised €500,000 syndicated investment from Kernel Capital and Enterprise Ireland, which has been used to fuel overseas expansion. The biggest differentiator from bricks-and-mortar colleges is that 90% of its courses are taught online, which is fundamental to the start-up’s plans to grow internationally.

A number of global partnerships have been established in the UK, US and Saudi Arabia to advance overseas expansion, with more to come in Canada and Australia. “We have identified learning partners in each of these jurisdictions that have the expertise and skill sets to sell and support ICT-based courses,” explained Cassidy. “We have a 600-hour online course, so we need companies with a certain type of support capability.”

Course content is a combination of video and printed materials with interactive elements. The chat and collaboration app Slack is also part of the online set-up. “We try to recreate the social aspect of being in a classroom, which is a very important aspect of learning. Students can interact with each other as well as a dedicated teams of mentors,” said O’Grady. “It’s like having a professional developer sitting at the desk next to you.”

Two courses are currently running, a Full Stack Diploma that teaches the main programming languages (JavaScript, HTML, CSS) and a Diploma in Tech Fundamentals. The first appeals to first-timers with no tech experience as well as people with some programming under their belt.

“I’d say 70% of people who take it have no software development background, and they’re looking to find a new career, but we also have a good cohort of people who have been exposed to some level of software development and are now looking to upskill”

The age range is typically 24–35, and, just like traditional computer courses, it’s still male dominated.

The second course is aimed at C-level managers as well as business owners and entrepreneurs who would benefit from a better understanding of code and programming. “Every business is now a technology business,” said Cassidy. “Take the course and you’ll see what’s required to get a business off the ground faster.”

Winning sales through customer engagement

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In the old days, it was all about the sale. But recession bit and business-to-business buying changed, and the time executives spend on buying products and services has diminished. Today, it is estimated that the buying process takes up less than 5% of executives’ time.

Sales strategies have changed to work in this new ambit. Making the sale is no longer at the centre; now, ongoing relationships are core, according to authors of ‘Beyond the Sales Process’ Steve Anderson and Dave Stein. Stein, a coach on the ‘International Selling Programme’ and the ‘Excel at Export Selling’ series, will be well known to many Enterprise Ireland clients.

Co-author and fellow sales guru Steve Anderson quotes a sales manager who said,

“I do my best selling when the customer isn’t buying… When they’re buying, the walls are up, there’s pressure, there’s stress. But outside the time of the actual sale, I can take steps to distinguish myself and my organisation, and they’re much more open with me.”

The Andersen and Stein method – ‘Engage, Win and Grow’ – is a deliberate strategy of engagement that starts with research about your customer, moves on to the relationship and first sale, then consolidates by growing that relationship so that your company is differentiated from other business relationships, and your teams are aligned with your customer’s.

The best time to become a student of your customer, the authors say, is before the sale, when the opportunity is a mere flicker on the horizon. This is the time to do your research: and the best source of information on your customer is the customer – in person, and through the company website, social media – all the places where the customer is revealed and available.

Sound advice for businesses looking to expand their operations into other markets. It pays to conduct grass roots research and analyse typical activity in your sector; this will help your business position itself at the forefront, distinct from other potential competitors.

Case studies in ‘Beyond the Sales Process’ include Siemens, Zurich, Hilton, BNY Mellon and MSD. The study of MSD (Merck Sharp and Dohme), for instance, focuses on this healthcare company trading in a market changing through insurance company acquisitions and hospital consolidations, in which individual doctors have less autonomy in how they treat patients.

For MSD, these changes offer an opportunity: instead of concentrating on products, the company is moving to a longer-term perspective and more global implementation. For instance, one of MSD’s customers, Premier Inc, involves an alliance of 3,400 US hospitals and 110,000 other providers. The study quotes MSD’s Denise Juliano, who has brought the relationship between MSD and Premier from a point when “they couldn’t pick Merck out of a line-up” to MSD being one of its top three suppliers, through, she says, a trusted and transparent relationship.

Irish companies aiming high

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Enterprise Ireland clients Gerry Mullins from pTools Software in Dublin and Paul McCarthy, Full Health Medical in Mayo have Europe, South Africa and UAE on their ambition list.

To learn more about Enterprise Ireland supports and for further information on our international office network click here

Enterprise Ireland companies with Global Ambition

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Attendees at Enterprise Ireland‘s International Markets Week heard from established Irish companies successfully selling globally and had the opportunity for meetings with Market Advisors, available to provide expertise on exporting to new markets.

If you are attending IMW please consider the following:

  • In which markets are you successful and how have you achieved this success?
  • What is your business/value proposition?
  • Why have you decided to target this new market?
  • What market validation have you carried out and what evidence do you have for a demand for your product / service?

Contact the International Markets team at International Markets Week for further information.

Don’t Be Put Off by Chinese Whispers – Demand is Unmet in Many Sectors

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You could be forgiven for thinking China’s economy is running into trouble, if you believed some of what you read.

But a recent World Bank report paints a more accurate picture. It points to growth of over 6pc this year and next, a healthy inflation rate of over 2pc and employment market capacity. China is establishing, “a gradual shift to slower, more sustainable growth”, the Bank says.

So Irish businesses thinking of entering the world’s second largest economy should not be put off by Chinese whispers. There’s business to be done here, provided you are geared up for the challenges.

More than 300 million people have increasing purchasing power in China and a taste for western goods and services. And Chinese businesses have a growing appetite for technology, systems and infrastructure that cannot be satisfied domestically.

Food is Ireland’s major export to China but for the last few years, prospects have been developing for Irish businesses in: aviation, education, ICT, healthcare, industrial, financial services, clean technologies and agritech. Companies like Movidius, Arralis, Cubic Telecom and Aerogen have broken through in recent years and our educational institutions are also active in China.

Of course, that’s not to say that businesses outside those sectors cannot also succeed. A company with strong innovative technology addressing a real gap can do well.

Advice for Irish companies exporting to China

Generally, the Chinese have limited knowledge of Ireland. Nevertheless, the Irish Embassy and State agencies have been developing awareness of our capability across key sectors. Already, we are known for our high-quality food and dairy and are developing our reputation across the aforementioned sectors.

To avail of these opportunities, the wise business needs to prepare carefully and be patient in more ways than one. There are still a few hurdles to overcome.

For some sectors, ensuring compatibility or obtaining necessary licences can be slow – which is the way with many aspects of business here. Getting the first sale therefore takes time and can be resource consuming. Frequent visits – or better still, staff on the ground – are a must. That means having the finance to make a sustained commitment.

But if Irish companies offer something the Chinese cannot yet provide, they will be welcomed.

China’s private sector is more open with regard to the origin of a product or service. But the Chinese government tends to prefer local services in some sectors, notably pharmaceutical engineering, which requires foreign companies to partner with a local design firm.

The Chinese concern when considering smaller, foreign partners is responsiveness, flexibility and smoothness of communication compared to their Chinese counterparts. If you can assure your potential customer that these are not barriers, you will have a better chance of winning contracts.

Partnership can bring a number of crucial advantages; for instance, tapping into established networks, access to resources that can be critical in winning sales, or even enabling bidding for projects that are closed to foreign companies.

For example, the partnership between small Irish cleantech company MicroGen Biotech and a subsidiary of the largest cleantech conglomerate in China, CECEP Dadi, enabled the Irish firm apply their technology to (otherwise unreachable) state-funded contracts.

But just as a good partnership opens doors, bad ones close them. Do your due diligence. Before you commit to any partnership, be certain it matches your long-term objectives.

So my advice to anyone thinking China for export, is prepare then commit – you cannot flip-flop your way to success in China. Ensure you are adequately resourced, willing to invest time to get a return, and finally, be open to the cultural differences. The Chinese are quite an indirect people and remember that in business, relationships are often more important than words on a page.

David Byrne is Enterprise Ireland director for Greater China, and is based in Shanghai

This article originally appeared in the Sunday Independent

Strong Supply Chain Propels Irish Aerospace and Aviation Industry

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Sean Long, Senior UK Market Adviser for Engineering & Electronics at Enterprise Ireland, describes current trends and opportunities for Irish exporters in the aerospace and aviation sector.

Worth over €4.1bn to the Irish economy, Ireland’s aerospace and aviation industry is soaring to new heights. Irish lessors manage €80 billion in assets worldwide and today there are more than 250 companies actively involved in the aerospace, aviation and space sectors in Ireland, providing employment for approximately 42,000 full-time workers.

That number is set to grow further, as Dublin Aerospace, Ireland’s largest independent aircraft maintenance provider, announced that it will create 150 new jobs over the next three years. Supported by Enterprise Ireland, the expansion of Dublin Aerospace’s workforce is part of the company’s strategy to double its turnover by 2023.

With over 50% of the industry’s global spend managed by aircraft leasing companies headquartered in Ireland, which is also home to 30 international leasing operations, Ireland is uniquely positioned to help drive the industry’s innovation forward.

Sean Phelan, Director at QCD Solutions, a global sourcing supply chain and Lean consulting company, describes the scale of the opportunity facing Irish exporters: “The world fleet of commercial aircraft is forecast to nearly double to 40,000 aircraft by 2036, with a projected value of $5.5 trillion. There is additional demand for 35,000 aircraft over the next twenty years, to replace existing aircraft and support new aircraft requirements. That creates significant opportunities for Irish aerospace supply chain companies to secure long-term contracts on the aircraft programs that will meet this demand. As of September, the aerospace industry has a backlog of firm orders for 6991 Airbus Aircraft and 5659 Boeing Aircraft already placed. Bombardier’s potential deal with Airbus also promises additional opportunities to the Irish aerospace supply chain.”

Ireland has approximately 115 active Enterprise Ireland-backed companies within the sector, including CAE Parc Aviation, The Botany Weaving Mill, Ohshima, Eirtech Aviation Services, Inflight Audio, Takumi Precision Engineering, Dawnlough, DPF and Eirecomposites, paving the way for other start-ups to consider Ireland as a location to conduct business. Speaking at the Dublin Aerospace announcement, the then Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Frances Fitzgerald TD, affirmed the national importance of the sector, “The aerospace and aviation sector is extremely important for Ireland, contributing more than €4 billion to the economy.”

Ireland has a growing reputation for innovation and service excellence within the aerospace and aviation industry which is itself experiencing rapid growth. Its established supply chain includes both prime and tier 1 companies, including Bombardier, Rockwell Collins, and Thales. The growth of the aviation and aerospace sector has been driven by the unique strengths Irish companies offer these partners, including a continuous investment in developing the skills of a highly-educated and adaptable workforce, and a focus on research, development and innovation, which strengthens their competitiveness in the sector. These strengths are central to what Enterprise Ireland defines as the Irish Advantage and help companies within the sector to achieve business wins across the world.

David Quin, Supply Chain Director at Rockwell Collins, echoes the advantages of working with companies in Ireland, “At Rockwell Collins in Kilkeel, we procure over €20 million from our Irish supply base. This success is based on a responsive and collaborative approach to our supply chain solutions and the reliable delivery of high quality parts.”

Boasting a competitive and innovative aviation and aerospace sector, there is significant potential for Irish exporters to further build ambitious and successful partnerships in key international markets. Enterprise Ireland supports that work with presences at the world-renowned Farnborough, Dubai and Paris Air Shows, including a dedicated Aviation Aerospace Ireland pavilion. To support the development of Irish aerospace supply chain programmes, Irish companies are encouraged to expand their quality processes, procedures and management styles in line with established international aerospace standards such as SC21 and AS9100, endorsed by mentoring programmes from key prime and tier 1 companies, such as Bombardier and Rockwell Collins.

 

This article was originally published in the Sunday Independent

Top 10 Tips for Exporting to Asia

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Asia is one of the fastest growing markets for Enterprise Ireland clients with companies such as Corvil, Fexco, Cubic Telecom, Dublin Aerospace and Arralis succeeding in areas such as Fintech, ICT and Aerospace. It may be the biggest and most populous continent in the world, with the strongest emerging markets, but its scale can be addressed by choosing the right base to diversify into other markets.

One

Preparation: Possibly the most important tip before entering Asian markets. Being well informed on the different rules and policies of the investment destination is vital. For example, doing business in mainland China can sometimes be complicated and bureaucratic, with vaguely written regulations interpreted differently by different bureaus. Exporters should be aware that setting up a company takes several months and requires a 12-month office lease to be secured at the initial stages. Companies should prepare for the cost involved. Singapore and Hong Kong are comparatively easier. A company can be set up within a few days or weeks. However, these regions have their own obstacles so research and seeking local advice is recommended.

Two

Local Practices: Business practices in Asia are vastly different from Ireland. In most regions, especially China and India, relationships are key. Deals with locals are usually determined by how well you know the counterparty. Many smaller local businesses (eg suppliers) might be uncomfortable dealing with a foreign business and change their prices accordingly. Knowledge of local languages and practices is key. Having trusted local employees certainly smooths things over when dealing with suppliers and clients.

Three

Recruitment and Labour Law: Recruitment of local staff requires care. Online platforms and agencies can help but always check the background of candidates. Be aware that labour law in China is biased towards the worker so ensure an employment contract in Chinese is signed by all staff, with strict internal rules backed up by a staff handbook. Also, ensure Income Tax and Social Insurance are withheld and paid by all employees.

Four

Don’t assume operating to be easy: This is especially true for China, India and Vietnam, with the latter two becoming increasingly popular. Despite the high level of risk that has always been perceived by foreign investors in India, recent policies aimed at improving ease of doing business could represent an attractive change. The recently liberalised FDI caps, the presence of a skilled and low-cost labour force and high English literacy in the country are advantages for foreign investors.

Nevertheless, particular attention must still be paid to the Indian environment. Opening companies in the country can be lengthy and complicated and assistance could be needed. The choice of the location is fundamental due to the numerous regional differences in terms of business licences, overhead costs and consumer behaviours.

Vietnam represents an attractive business environment for foreign investors when compared to other Asian countries. They have a relatively stable government; increasing consumer confidence and domestic consumption; extremely cheap labour force and facilities; and abundant natural resources. However, Vietnam often ranks low in ease of doing business. The complexity of legal processes and the presence of several state-owned enterprises should alert investors to look for professional assistance whenever entering the market.

The country is becoming one of the biggest manufacturing hubs in the world and many investors are still unaware of the great potential of the local consumer market, with one of the fastest growing middle classes in South East Asia.

Five

Corporate responsibility: When doing business in China, make sure you choose a reliable and trustworthy legal representative. They will have full access to the company, cash and capital; and can enter into contracts on behalf of the company.

Six

Banking: Ensure the chosen bank has experience dealing with foreign companies and handles matters such as currency exchange and profit remittance regularly. In Hong Kong, many banks have implemented a ‘know-your-client’ scheme in which it is no longer possible to set up a corporate account remotely or with a proxy. Therefore all directors/shareholders must be present in the bank at time of opening an account.

Seven

Address/Capital/Scope/Name: The four core pieces of registered information for a Chinese company are business name, address, scope and registered capital. Each should be thought out thoroughly prior to investment as changes are time-consuming, costly and would almost certainly interrupt business operations.

Eight

Offshore status: Apply for Offshore Status, if applicable. A company in Hong Kong can be established without substance, that is, with no office or staff, and can be operated remotely. Currently, if all the income is sourced from abroad then a Hong Kong company may not liable for local tax.

Nine

Taxes: Be aware of taxes due. Despite recent reforms, China’s tax system is very convoluted and rates are quite high. Corporate Tax is 25% and VAT rates vary. Hong Kong’s Corporate Tax rate 16.5% and Singapore’s are 8.5% and 17%.

Ten

Due Diligence: No matter what part of the region you are investing in, if a major deal is being made with a local company, or equity is being purchased for a merger, always perform a full corporate health check and due diligence to ensure no liabilities are assumed. Hiring a professional consultant is crucial and can help avoid bad debt or tax liabilities being unknowingly transferred. Any company that refuses an investigation should not be dealt with.

Burnside Autocyl’s Relationship with Enterprise Ireland Ever-evolving

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With supports ranging from grant assistance to identifying potential customers and training, Enterprise Ireland has travelled with Burnside Autocyl on its German journey.

Enterprise Ireland has been instrumental in Burnside Autocyl’s success in Germany since 1990 – when it was known as Córas Tráchtala – according to the Co Carlow-based engineering company’s sales director Caroline Kelly.

“Grant assistance from Enterprise Ireland was important in the early days but the support ran much deeper than that,” she says. “Market advisers walked the beat with us, helped to get us appointments with the right people and made introductions for us. When our German wasn’t that good, they interpreted buyers’ needs for us and stayed involved after we had secured business.”

One of the most important pieces of advice Enterprise Ireland gave Burnside Autocyl about Germany was not to go into the market unless a product or service was robust and tried and tested.

“We learned not to bring anything to the market that wasn’t well proven or that we weren’t fully satisfied with,” says Kelly. “It was also crucial to be clear about who our customers should be before approaching any prospects.”

Beyond that, facilitating Burnside Autocyl to attend trade fairs has been hugely helpful, Kelly adds, as well as how Enterprise Ireland encouraged the management team to embrace training to improve their skills and knowhow.

“Nobody ever knows enough about the industry they’re in and business is evolving and changing all the time,” she says.

“Our relationship with Enterprise Ireland today is less about grant support and more about marketing and training support.”

Top 10 Tips for Exporting to The Middle East

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Over 300 Irish companies are exporting to the Middle East in sectors such as Healthcare, Education, Digital Technologies, Aviation, Food, Tourism and Construction

With a population of 205 million growing at one of the fastest rates in the world, and significant public spending planned despite the current reduced oil price, Enterprise Ireland offices in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar can help exporters open and develop markets in the region.

One

In the Gulf, Islamic principles and social customs are widely observed, with some divergence in religious observance and customs between the different states. Irish businesspeople should approach the Middle East market with respect for that culture, and a clear understanding that it is differs from the West.

Two

Acquaint yourself with the basic principles of Sharia Law because it influences the conduct of business. For instance, while parties are generally free to negotiate their own contracts, any deal unfair to one side or involving deception will be void. Also, deals envisaging the future consummation of an agreement or obligation may be unenforceable; while a contract involving speculation on a future outcome will generally not be permitted. Finally, contracts that feature interest payments are not normally enforceable.

Three

Arabs will not expect first-time visitors to understand all their cultural nuances. Respect and patience will take you far, and in many ways the Arab style of doing business is closer to Ireland than you may think. Establishing personal rapport and relationships is a key part of doing business.

Four

The pace of business is appreciably slower than you may be used to, so it is important to set expectations with this in mind. You may also have to deal with several layers of an organisation before reaching the decision maker. Patience is definitely a virtue.

Innovative or unique products will often help to fast-track the sales process but, as a rule, decision-making tends to take time. Eight to ten months of business development is standard, and in some sectors – the public sector in particular – it is not uncommon for it to take longer still before many meetings finally conclude in a deal.

Five

Family is very important in the region. Many successful big businesses are family-owned and various members can have roles in subsidiaries. It is normal in the Arab world that you may be asked about your family. They want to know who you are first, then they will ask about your business in time.

Six

In many business sectors around the Gulf States, you are likely to encounter expatriates in key positions. In Qatar and the UAE, for example, they outnumber nationals by more than three to one. Such people are likely to be accustomed to Western business styles, and consequently meetings are held and decisions made in a manner more familiar to the Irish approach.

Seven

Negotiating is where the fun begins. Haggling is a traditional part of the culture dating back to ancient Bedouin culture. An Arab enjoys negotiating and will always look to get the best deal for themselves.

It is not uncommon to see some theatrical behaviour as advantage is sought in price or service. Play along with the banter but do not overstep the mark. Do not be too pushy. ‘I need this or the deal is finished’ is considered highly rude and may stop your progress.

Price is not your only bargaining tool. If your counterpart insists on a lower discount than you had in mind, politely and respectfully suggest alternatives such as different features or support terms. If it appears your offer is being refused, always remain respectful and be careful not to cause offence. Politely suggest ways any obstacles might be overcome.

Tailor your strategy in case you have yet to speak with the key decision maker. If this happens, their input (which may only be at the conclusion of a deal) will probably involve you having to give an additional discount or offer some other concession. This is sometimes known as the ‘chairman’s share’. In Arab culture, the man who obtains better terms on a deal gains respect among his peers.

Eight

In markets like the Gulf States where a high proportion of products are imported and competition is strong, gaining good competitive intelligence is essential. Unless a company is selling direct from Ireland, some form of partnership will likely be entered into in the Gulf.

Nine

Thorough due diligence is essential before working with a new partner in the market. You will meet many potential partners in the early stages and you should conduct background checks in parallel with forming the relationships. Ask the hard questions before doing a deal. There is no equivalent to the CRO in the Gulf to allow you to carry out background checks.

Enterprise Ireland can connect you with potential partners in your sector or advise you about people you may have met, or projects which may be of interest. It’s also advisable to check with local law firms to do background checks on possible partners. Another option is to consult with members of Irish business networks in the region who may be able to guide you.

Ten

Do not sign agreements with anybody until you are sure they are trustworthy. Extricating yourself from a contract can be difficult and expensive. Also, do not give exclusive rights for all business activity on an ongoing basis, instead try short trial periods with measurable outcomes to test the working relationship.

By Joe Breslin, Regional Director, SEMEA & India for Enterprise Ireland

precision engineering

Market Diversification – Burnside Autocyl’s Way of Dealing with Brexit

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The fact that it has pursued a market diversification strategy for over 30 years means Burnside Autocyl’s growth is unlikely to be unduly affected by Brexit.

Established in 1974 in Tullow, Co Carlow, Burnside Autocyl was focused on the domestic market for its first ten years and when it became saturated the UK was the logical first export market.

However, it soon recognised the potential that existed in other markets and so branched out into Scandinavian countries and then Germany, France, the Benelux countries, Italy, the Czech Republic and Romania followed after that.

Currently exporting into 16 different countries, its most recent venture was to establish a manufacturing and warehousing facility in Pennsylvania in the US – the company’s first global footprint outside Co Carlow in terms of manufacturing capability. It also has sales and marketing offices in Germany and France.

Sales DirectorBurnside Autocyl designs and manufactures customised hydraulic cylinders for original equipment manufacturers in the manual handling, construction and manufacturing sectors.

“In 2013, we identified the US as a market that we had to pursue with more gusto and so established a physical presence in 2014,” says sales director Caroline Kelly.

“It is a hugely exciting market for us, which we are looking to grow right now. We have already seen 10% growth in sales year on year.”

All of Burnside Autocyl’s product shipments to Europe are currently routed through the UK. This is a concern for the company post-Brexit, but a challenge it will overcome, according to Kelly.

“It may mean our shipments will have to be bonded. A lot of questions remain to be answered. At the same time, UK competitors are in a stronger position than us because of weaker sterling,” she says.

“However, we are not overly concerned about Brexit as the UK doesn’t make up a significant part of our overall business and we are confident about growing in other markets.”

 Learn how Enterprise Ireland’s Diversification supports can help you to develop market knowledge and prepare for the challenges of entering new markets.

An Opportunity as Well as a Rival: New Zealand’s Agriculture Sector

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It seems counterintuitive that an important market for Irish agriculture could also be a major competitor. But despite the great distance that separates them, a lucrative commercial relationship exists between Ireland and New Zealand.

The two countries share strong historical links, innumerable social and cultural ties and, in many cases, deep personal connections that help business relationships.

With a long history in farming, agribusiness has emerged as a key pillar of Irish innovation and today several of our companies are world leaders in their specialised fields.

So it should come as no surprise that New Zealand, a country in which agriculture accounts for about 60pc of exports and is the largest part of the tradeable economy, should be a market for specialist Irish equipment.

New Zealanders are hugely impressed with the inventiveness of Irish agribusiness and the supports around it such as the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation, which provides breeding information to the dairy and beef industries.

Agri Innovation

A drive for research and innovation has long been a feature of the sector in Ireland, with robust investments in education, animal health, farm equipment and management technology, seed production and plant genetics. These offerings are greatly in demand in New Zealand’s arable farming and livestock industry in particular. Ireland’s presence for the tenth consecutive year at the recent New Zealand National Fieldays – akin to the Ploughing Championships – is testament to the importance of this market for Irish agribusiness.

Doing Business

National Fieldays provides a platform for companies to meet thousands of potential customers from all over New Zealand. The connections made during the week provide valuable insights into the needs of the local market. This year, five Irish companies exhibited on the Ireland stand, with a further 11 displaying independently or with local partners.

Exhibits included electronic calving sensor Moocall and Cross Agricultural’s beet processing machinery.

Irish manufacturers have built up a strong reputation for high-quality, reliable machinery at a competitive price. Balers from McHale, mulchers from Malone, mixer wagons from Keenan, tankers from Abbey and wrappers from Tanco are well known.

Attachments also have appeal. Dromone hitches, Brian Scott buckets and ProDig grabs and forks are building good presences here. Tractor-powered and towed implements in particular have proven their ability to withstand the demands of a New Zealand farm.

Irish companies specialising in facilities are also doing well. Dairymaster has developed world-class dairy equipment for any parlour, Kingspan supply insulation of all specifications and Crowley Engineering offer turn-key solutions for dry bulk-handling industries such as feed milling and grain storage.

Products developed for Irish agriculture are generally a good fit here. Farm sizes are similar, both industries are pastoral-based, premium-quality orientated and highly export-focused. And like Ireland, New Zealand is moving away from bulk commodity exports to more consumer-oriented, processed output.

Innovation is key to the future development of the industry in both countries and with no subsidies, New Zealand farmers are highly business-focused and open to anything that makes their operations more efficient.

So Irish exporters will get a good hearing here. The most successful ones have built long-lasting relationships with distributors with the local networks and necessary resources to cover the market. Separate entry strategies for the North and South islands should be considered.

Delivering good after-sales service is essential for repeat business. Frontline support like maintenance and breakdowns is best handled locally, while more complex issues around software or technology can be supported from Ireland.

Opportunities for collaboration between Ireland and New Zealand – from research, advice, inputs, production and final product -unquestionably exist in this healthy and stable economy. As the Maori saying goes, Naku te rourou nau te rourou ka ora ai te iwi (“With your basket and my basket, the people will live”).

Mary Kinnane is Enterprise Ireland director for Australia/New Zealand.

This article originally appeared in the Sunday Independent.

Talking The Customer’s Language

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Over half of Europeans (54 per cent) can hold a conversation in at least one additional language, 25 per cent speak at least two additional languages and 10% at least three. Irish business people are becoming more fluent, but we have to make this push more efficient, and become – like the Dutch, whose merchant culture has long made them multilingual – fluent in the languages of others.

At the heart of our complacency is a misconception that globalisation means that we can all get by speaking English, and that as native speakers, we’re alright. Another misconception is that we should speak our customers’ languages simply to be understood in case their English is not great. But really the reason the language will get you ahead is because you can research the market better, understand who your local and international competitors are (and position yourself accordingly) and be more aware of the cultural nuances in conducting business in that country.

The good news is that learning and practising languages has never been easier. The universities have intensive courses – for example, UCD’s Applied Language Centre. The specialist Sandford Language Institute in Milltown Park, Dublin, offers in-company courses, as well as courses in languages in demand, plus many courses in languages “subject to demand”. And there are familiar courses in individual languages from associations like Alliance Française, the GoetheInstitut, and Istituto Di Cultura.

The Berlin-based Abroadwith arranges immersion stays and courses where individuals or groups can learn and improve a language by staying with native speakers and going to classes in the country where the language is spoken; it has just launched a specialist business course option.

For the daily, constant, non-stop practice that everyone needs to become first at ease in speaking and understanding, and then gradually fluent, it is not always easy to get to centralised courses. But a host of online resources are available now that were undreamed-of even twenty years ago.

Comprehension: watch films in your target language – first with English subtitles, then with subtitles in the language. You can often buy old DVDs with “subtitles for the deaf” for as little as a few cents on the localised versions of Amazon. Some TV subscriptions, like Netflix, come with own-language subtitles which you can turn on through the settings. On YouTube, there are TED talks in many languages with closed-caption subtitles in the language of the speaker.

Grammar: Duolingo – a game-like app that drills you daily in your chosen language – is played by over 100 million people learning European languages, Hebrew, Russian, Vietnamese, etc. It brings you to a notional 62 per cent fluency level, which means you have a solid basic vocabulary and can use the main grammatical structures. It’s wildly addictive: many people start with one language and extend into learning several more.

Speaking: The Mixxer is a language exchange website that puts people in contact to swap languages. English is in high demand, luckily for us. You put up a brief ‘profile’ of yourself, with only as much information as you want to share, and offer to swap languages with native speakers of the language you are learning. When you are contacted, or you contact others, you talk to native speakers of your target language on Skype – typically half an hour in English and half an hour in their native language. (I talked to a French civil servant, who was due to be moved to the US; she was speaking to 10 people a week.)

Reading and local knowledge: international newspapers’ websites are updated at speed, and titles like Le Nouvel Observateur, Bild, Kommersant, and so on, are great vocabulary-builders. International TV is easy to watch online and will keep you au fait with the politics and business news of your target market.

Technical help: online dictionaries include the contextual, audio-enhanced, eight-language reverso.net – contextual meaning that you can enter a phrase and usually find an example of the phrase used in context, with audio.

TuneIn Radio: streams radio and podcasts from all over the world, with ‘slow news’ programmes in many languages.

One-to-one classes without leaving the office: most of the above are free. If you want dedicated professional teachers, italki, again using Skype, is an aggregate site on which native-speaking language teachers offer their services and charge by the hour. The advantage of this is that you can often find a teacher with specialist vocabulary relating to your business. Babbel has drills and comprehension exercises – good teaching made digital.

Cultural insight: it is now very affordable to buy used books in many language on aggregation sites such as Alibris and AbeBooks: for basic vocabulary (and the slang that you may not wish to use but you need to understand), comic books, children’s books, thrillers, cookery books, and for your own business need technical manuals, political works, business books in the language of your market. (A tip: you will learn faster if you do not look up the words you do not know as you go along, but instead underline in pencil any unfamiliar word, and when you finish the book go back and read it again – this time you will know most words by context.)

For when you are travelling: podcasts like the Irish learnfrenchbypodcast.com give you daily lessons – often free for the basic podcast, but with PDFs of the lessons with further help available for a small payment. It will make such a difference when you walk into your supplier’s or into that conference and greet people and speak in their own language – and even before you are fluent, it will break down barriers and warm the relationship. There is no better negotiating tool than a mother language.