Member Article

Broaden your business horizons

By Rachel Moss of Business Link

Business Link is making it easier for the region’s businesses to broaden their horizons in business. With 53 new guides on international trade, our new website aims to help the region’s businesses trade within other countries in the EU and internationally.

Bringing together information on import, export and dispatch regulations and giving overviews of sector-specific requirements, these guides have been developed in partnership with key government departments, agencies and trade organisations to provide up-to-date, accurate and tailored advice.

When trading overseas, there are a number of factors to take into consideration and one way to make the process easier is to call on the expertise of the freight forwarding industry.

Experts in importing and exporting, freight forwarders can provide a range of key services to traders - taking over on your behalf many of the responsibilities involved in moving your goods around the world as quickly, securely and affordably as possible.

As well as arranging the transport of your goods, whether by air, sea, rail or road, freight forwarders frequently provide other services in areas such as customs clearance, export documentation and insurance. They often offer distribution, warehousing, packaging and other supply-chain services. Most forwarders will take over specific parts of the process for you, while only a few companies offer control of the entire transport process.

Providing the region’s businesses with helpful tips and links to source further information, Business Link’s new online guide to ‘using brokers and forwarders’ outlines the ways in which freight forwarders can help traders. It explains the roles of forwarders, customs agents and brokers and lists the key considerations when looking to hire a freight forwarder.

Naturally, there’s no ‘one-size fits all’ solution to importing and exporting so by offering impartial advice on what businesses need to consider and highlighting the best options available, this guide ensures that business owners will be in the best position when trading overseas.

This guide is just one of the features on the website’s newly enhanced international trade section, which also includes other tools, advice and guides on import and export tax obligations, transporting goods and researching overseas markets as well as a broad range of areas of business support.

Designed to help the region’s businesses develop and grow, the Business Link website covers a range of handy, user-friendly tools and practical advice that can be accessed at the touch of a button, so you don’t even have to pick up the phone or leave the comfort of your home or office.

The website enables you to access key information 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However if you would like if you would like to discuss any business issue with one of our team, we’re always at end of the phone. Businesses can also sign up for email alerts to ensure they remain a step ahead and fully informed on international trade.

Business Link North East’s substantial team of expert brokers operate across the region in local access points and on a mobile basis. For further information about Business Link visit www.businesslinknortheast.co.uk or call 0845 600 9 006.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .