Wendy Edie, the Managing Director of the digital learning and assessment specialist eCom Scotland, is joining some of Scotland’s top business leaders to discuss how to be successful at doing business with customers in the United States of America.
Wendy is speaking during a virtual event organised by the Scottish North American Business Council (SNABC), which is a Chapter within the wider British American Business Council. The event is scheduled from 2pm to 5.30pm on 11th February.
According to the organisers, significant opportunities exist for Scottish firms to do business in the USA across a range of key sectors, including life sciences, electronics, technology, financial services, food and drink. Currently, the USA is Scotland’s top international trading partner, accounting for some 17.1% of its exports, worth £5.5bn.
The event will focus on aspects of trading with the USA including how to identify routes to market; financing the trade and getting paid; legal aspects of trading in the USA, and protecting intellectual property in the USA. It will also discuss cultural issues to consider when expanding into the USA and how remote working in a Covid19 world can help companies make vital connections.
“eCom Scotland has experience of the USA market through its subsidiary, eCom USA,” said Wendy. “Being a small to medium sized business, we’ve found that it’s important to find the right location in the USA from which to target business growth.
“In our experience, the USA’s size – embracing four time zones across 50 states – and vast cultural differences across regions means it must be treated as a series of regional markets, with different characteristics and business practices,” she added. “Hopefully, my fellow speakers and I can offer some practical tips and guidance to help others to set up, grow and develop their business.”
The SNABC’s Executive Director, Allan Hogarth, said, “We look forward to engaging with President Biden’s new administration. We have plenty of shared agendas, including the crucial challenges on climate change and COP26 being hosted in Glasgow later this year. The US offers opportunities for ambitious Scottish firms and we look forward to working with eCom Scotland and others to make that journey an easier and more productive one.”
