Opening a World of Opportunities

We talked to Mike Wilson about how Go Exporting Opens a world of opportunities, and this is what he had to say.

First of all, how are you and your family doing in these COVID-19 times? 

Mike Wilson: We are all doing well, thanks for asking. Fortunately, the only cases in the family have been mild.

Tell us about you, your career, how you founded Go Exporting?

Mike Wilson: I have always been involved in international business from the beginning of my career, which has been in reverse to most people. I started at 22 with my own business, importing and exporting ultra-violet equipment, moving on to leisure equipment, before finally ending up with a corporate career with a US multinational. Since my early experiences working on getting my own company established, I’ve always wanted to set up a consultancy business specializing in helping companies grow through export. After 25 years of traveling the world, I decided to put that experience to good use and set up Go Exporting. We are a global network of experienced international consultants supporting clients across the world.  

How does Go Exporting innovate? 

Mike Wilson: We have put our international business experience into developing unique products, services, programs, and training courses for clients that work. We specialize in practical support rather than providing theoretical information, which many government agencies offer. We’ve been there, worn out the suitcases, gained the air miles, and generates $bs in sales along the way. We are always looking for ways to provide our support digitally while at the same time, making it bespoke to the client’s needs. Last year, for example, we worked on behalf of the International Labour Organisation and Jordan Chamber of Industry to develop and implement a special Export Readiness Audit program for businesses in Jordan to grow their exports to Europe. The goal was to create employment in the region, particularly given the refugee crisis from Syria and Yemen. 

How the coronavirus pandemic affects your business, and how are you coping?

Mike Wilson: In the first month, the business was quieter, but since then, we have been very busy, especially around helping clients plan for Brexit in recent months. 

Did you have to make difficult choices, and what are the lessons learned?

Mike Wilson: Not really, business picked up quickly. We used a quieter month to review our marketing strategy and put some new initiatives, which have started to pay off.  

How do you deal with stress and anxiety?

I’m quite a calm person on the whole and look for solutions to a situation rather than stressing about it. I do like to be well prepared, and my wife would say I work too hard!

Who are your competitors? And how do you plan to stay in the game?

Mike Wilson: We are quite a niche business, and I do not see too many other consultancies approaching export in the same way. There are always the Government agencies supporting firms to export, but we feel we offer an extra dimension. 

Your final thoughts?

Mike Wilson: We are excited about the prospects for a world turning back to thinking about business growth rather than survival and the opportunities that will bring. 

Your website?

www.goexporting.com