Help and advice

Buying and selling for a global industry

Where can design businesses get help to compete more effectively against overseas competition?

More than half of the designers we spoke to (52%) said that they do not know what’s needed to respond to overseas competition. And 51% say that they became engaged in overseas work due to unforeseen circumstances, rather than through strategic planning.

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Key figures from the design industry outline some of the ways in which design businesses can lessen the effects of distance and cultural differences to make themselves more competitive in international markets.
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90% of designers believe that communicating the value of their services to clients would enhance their success against international competition.

To find evidence that comprehensively proves the importance and value of businesses using design, visit our Value of Design Factfinder

40% of designers we spoke to have enhanced their employees' skills as a response to international competition.

Creative and Cultural Skills detail a strategy for improving skills in the design sector in the UK Design Skills Development Plan

More than two-fifths of designers (44%) have realised that better business skills are needed to compete.

Visit the Design Business Association for a list of business training courses

In more depth

To find out more about overseas markets and the opportunities they present, visit UK Trade and Investment

Alternatively, you can find other organisations that can help your business in our Directory Listings section

The statistics in this section come from our 2007 survey of designers who are facing competition from overseas.

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