{"id":121,"date":"2016-12-03T14:47:56","date_gmt":"2016-12-03T07:47:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.digitalpass.co.th\/www-2\/?p=121"},"modified":"2016-12-03T14:48:28","modified_gmt":"2016-12-03T07:48:28","slug":"researching-export-what-weve-learnt-so-far","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.digitalpass.co.th\/th\/researching-export-what-weve-learnt-so-far\/","title":{"rendered":"Researching export &#8211; what we&#8217;ve learnt so far"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We\u2019re just over halfway through our research into <a href=\"https:\/\/digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk\/2015\/11\/24\/making-exports-easier\/\" target=\"_blank\">how digital services could help UK businesses export<\/a>. Following GDS guidelines, this phase is known as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/service-manual\/phases\/discovery.html\" target=\"_blank\">Discovery<\/a>, when you find out what your users need, what to measure and what your constraints are.<\/p>\n<p>Our initial focus on small food and drink producers making their first export to the European Union has kept us busy. Now Christmas brings a chance to pause, and look back over what we\u2019ve done so far. As well as plan our next steps.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Hearing from businesses<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>The export process can be complex and nuanced, depending on the business, product or service, country and so on. Approaching such a broad topic could be daunting. But not when you start with the user.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_123\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/sites\/154\/2015\/12\/Grouping-user-needs-by-theme.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-123 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/sites\/154\/2015\/12\/Grouping-user-needs-by-theme-620x410.jpg\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/sites\/154\/2015\/12\/Grouping-user-needs-by-theme.jpg 620w, https:\/\/digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/sites\/154\/2015\/12\/Grouping-user-needs-by-theme-310x205.jpg 310w\" alt=\"Grouping user needs by theme\" width=\"620\" height=\"410\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">Grouping user needs by theme<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In the last two months we\u2019ve:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk\/2015\/12\/04\/talking-to-businesses-at-export-week\/\" target=\"_blank\">talked to 35 businesses<\/a> at innovation and export events in London and Manchester<\/li>\n<li>conducted in-depth interviews with 9 small food and drink businesses in the early stages of selling abroad<\/li>\n<li>analysed the reasons why businesses first get in touch with UKTI about export, through data from its relationship management system<\/li>\n<li>studied results from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/collections\/small-business-survey-reports\" target=\"_blank\">Small Business Survey 2014<\/a>, carried out by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Developing our idea<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>At every stage, we\u2019ve used a sketch of our idea to get detailed feedback and insights from businesses. Their overwhelmingly positive responses have helped move our concept along, from:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>a group of themes on a piece of paper<\/li>\n<li>through a more tailored view of what online export help could look like<\/li>\n<li>to a clickable online journey, providing a practical list of things you\u2019d need to know to export to France<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_124\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/sites\/154\/2015\/12\/Market-overview.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-124 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/sites\/154\/2015\/12\/Market-overview-620x515.png\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/sites\/154\/2015\/12\/Market-overview.png 620w, https:\/\/digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/sites\/154\/2015\/12\/Market-overview-310x258.png 310w\" alt=\"We tested a market overview with users\" width=\"620\" height=\"515\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">We tested a market overview with users<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Over and over again, businesses have asked for a concise, digestible guide to the practicalities of entering a particular market. Those with any kind of web presence (from website to Instagram feeds) are inundated with requests for their products from overseas. Knowing how to handle these requests is a challenge. And many smaller companies find their own way, learning as they go, trying to balance risk with the opportunity to grow.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_125\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/sites\/154\/2015\/12\/Market-practicality.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-125 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/sites\/154\/2015\/12\/Market-practicality-620x747.png\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/sites\/154\/2015\/12\/Market-practicality.png 620w, https:\/\/digitaltrade.blog.gov.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/sites\/154\/2015\/12\/Market-practicality-310x374.png 310w\" alt=\"We put together a list of the market practicalities people have been asking for\" width=\"620\" height=\"747\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">We put together a list of the market practicalities people have been asking for<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><b>Learning from the advisors<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>We\u2019ve also spoken to a range of UKTI export advisors.<\/p>\n<p>Visits to regional offices in Bristol, London and Whiteley helped us understand the valued insights and answers that advisors can give businesses. We\u2019ve learnt that a good chunk of their time is spent signposting and fixing problems for their clients.<\/p>\n<p>As one advisor said, \u201cThere\u2019s the text book journey to export, then there\u2019s the reality.\u201d The reactive, urgent need for information is clearly a significant one.<\/p>\n<p>One export specialist has asked if we can turn that reactive approach into a more strategic one. Figures show that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/uploads\/system\/uploads\/attachment_data\/file\/473293\/2013_Extensive_Intensive_margins_FINAL_03_Dec_13.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">33% of businesses exporting goods in 2009 had stopped by 2011<\/a>, so it certainly seems like digital could play a role here.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Linking up with a market<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Our embassies around the world play another important role in the export process. We\u2019re currently looking at how we can work with Paris to help them balance bespoke help for businesses, with urgent demands for general information and reactive support.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Keeping the department up to date<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>As part of the process, we\u2019re also keen to keep people within UKTI both aware of, and involved in, our work. Last week we had the chance to present to the Minister for Trade and Investment, Lord Maude, and Managing Director of Trade, Nicola Bolton. They both gave us a clear sense that we\u2019re heading in the right direction.<\/p>\n<p>So what\u2019s next?<\/p>\n<h2><b>New year, new\u2026<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>We have a month left of Discovery, before we move towards building something. There are still plenty of people to talk to, and insights to uncover. Two key dates in our diary are workshops to define user and business needs. Watch this space.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We\u2019re just over halfway through our research into how d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalpass.co.th\/th\/researching-export-what-weve-learnt-so-far\/\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":123,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalpass.co.th\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalpass.co.th\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalpass.co.th\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalpass.co.th\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalpass.co.th\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=121"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalpass.co.th\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":124,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalpass.co.th\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121\/revisions\/124"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalpass.co.th\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalpass.co.th\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalpass.co.th\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalpass.co.th\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}