Going global: Women on a trade mission
Listening and learning from the experienced exporters
At the other end of the exporting experience spectrum is Samantha Davies, financial controller for Muru Mittigar, a not-for-profit organisation that provides employment and training opportunities for Aboriginal families in Western Sydney.
It was Davies’ first trade mission and an ideal opportunity to listen and learn from the experts.
“I met some outstanding business women and gained a wealth of experience,” she says. “My personal development on the trip was magnanimous. The mentoring I received from Chris, Julie and Leigh was both faultless and fruitful. Other delegates also stepped up to mentor each other.”
Like Bryant, Davies was impressed with the organisers’ attention to detail.
“At the end of each day we had a debriefing session, which allowed me to brainstorm my thoughts and ideas, talk about my own business issues, and network with like-minded people. We even got to relax and venture out into Kuala Lumpur and Penang for sightseeing and shopping.”
For Davies it was an opportunity to show the Malays the uniqueness of Australian culture. She demonstrated a number of Aboriginal artefacts. She also established numerous contacts and since her return to Australia has been busy contacting prospective clients.
She’s also keen to participate in future trade delegations, but the trip to Malaysia, “will be a hard act to follow!”
Work, life and acting globally
Getting the right mix of individuals and industry representation was the challenge. Having a small group presented unique opportunities for participants to share their own business experiences as well as mentor each other. Being part of an all-female group also added a new and invigorating dimension.
“DSRD operates 14 trade missions each year and often women feel excluded from many of these missions,” says Scott.
Many of these women have both family and business commitments says Gibbs-Stewart: “Juggling work and family life often constrains any notions of travelling overseas to pursue exports.”
Before the participants travel, they attend a series of workshops to sharpen their skills, to improve their understanding of that country’s culture, politics, social mores and ways of conducting business. They also address the important issue of work-life balance.
“Having a peer group to support and encourage your efforts is extremely important, and that is what this program is all about,” says Gibbs-Stewart.
Another key feature of the program is online networking. For example, participants can have open discussions on a dedicated Facebook site.
“It’s enabling them to become more online savvy,” says Gibbs-Stewart. “They can access the network anytime, anywhere, and tap into valuable contacts and information. They can also use the online tool to enhance customer service and open up new markets.”
In the future Scott and Gibbs-Stewart hope to have NSW Women Going Global as an annual event. They also want to extend their reach out into regional NSW with the establishment of a regional exporters forum.
“The feedback to our inaugural mission has been positive. The workshops have revealed that women would like to participate in forums and that e-learning is a suitable platform to share information, advice and contacts,” says Scott. “We’ve also established that we need to focus on financial markets and services for exporting opportunities.”
For more information on the program, see www.australianbusiness.com.au/wgg
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