Exporting: Taking Your Products and Services Overseas
Selling overseas can open exciting opportunities to connect with new customers, bigger markets, and more revenue.
23 October 2025
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Liz Barclay
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But it comes with challenges.
Research your target market thoroughly. Is there demand for your product or service? What’s the competition like? Are there cultural or legal differences that might affect sales? The UK Government’s Export Academy (https://www.great.gov.uk/export-academy/) offers free training to help you prepare.
Exporting
Understand the paperwork. Since Brexit, selling even to the EU requires customs declarations and compliance with local product standards (https://www.gov.uk/export-goods). You may also need export licences for certain goods.
Consider how you’ll handle shipping, returns, and customer service. Factor in costs like tariffs, taxes, and currency exchange. UK Export Finance (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-export-finance) can help with insurance and funding.
Start small. If you start with one product or a limited trial, you can use it as a pilot scheme and see where the pitfalls lie. Build relationships with local partners and distributors in the country you want to operate in. Learn the market before committing. Some countries now expect businesses exporting into their markets to be able to use electronic invoicing for instance.
Exporting takes planning but done right it can transform your business.
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