According to a new study by the Royal Mail, it appears Australia is the hottest export market for many of the United Kingdom’s small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
Due to fears of the UK leaving the European Union, British SMBs are said to be shifting their focus further abroad, citing Australia as one of the major priorities for its respectable economy and English language.
“Australia is a high-value economy and we targeted the market because we offer a premium product,” says Dr Nick Hill, founder of SureFlap, who manufacture programmable-animal flaps in doors that are designed to keep other animals out of your house. “Our first employee outside the UK was in New Zealand, specifically to target that market.”
It’s becoming clear as day that e-commerce opportunities for SMBs are expanding quicker than ever before. With the ability to reach distant markets at a rapid speed, the option to get online and start selling in 2016 can undoubtedly reap massive rewards, seeing as the value of UK exports in December 2015 alone reached £27.4 billion.
Along with savvy internet shoppers searching worldwide for the best prices and who have a willingness to spend, burgeoning SMBs also have online store providers such as www.1and1.com to thank for the e-commerce boom. Such tools for building and hosting an online store have helped make the online market more accessible and fruitful, especially for less tech savvy entrepreneurs.
It was recently revealed just how big a role Australia’s economy plays on the global marketplace, as the country has been marked as a ‘disruptor economy’.
This means that because of a strong growth in areas such as business agility, internet and mobile infrastructure, and the government’s use and support of technology and innovation, Australia is a market set to lead a far more digitalised economy.
“Australia’s ranking is not surprising, especially when it comes to the use of technology and business agility,” says CA Technologies senior vice president and managing director, Hope Powers.
“However, it is important that businesses in Australia and across the region continue to embrace the application economy and it is vital that governments and service providers alike are aligned in addressing the needs of digital business to ensure the country remains competitive.”