Business First Previews Export Strategies Presentation

  • Business First Previews Export Strategies Presentation

    Kevin Eigelbach published this article on October 14, 2013 in the Business First with the key note speaker from European Market Link President, Kimberly VanLandingham.  View original article:  http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2013/10/14/your-business-no-matter-how-small.html?page=all

     

    Reporter-Business First
    Oct 14, 2013, 11:28am EDT

    Want to do business in Europe? Here’s someone who knows how

    Kimberly VanLandingham

    Kimberly VanLandingham

     It doesn’t matter how small your business is, there are opportunities for exporting to Europe, said Kimberly VanLandingham, president of European Market Link Inc., an international business consulting firm.

    VanLandingham is scheduled to be one of the participants in an upcoming breakfast roundtable discussion on export strategies and business opportunities in Europe. The event will be held Oct. 22 at the offices of Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP, 101 S. Fifth St.

    The roundtable is sponsored by several local groups, including the World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana, the World Trade Center of Kentucky and the University of Louisville.

    The formation of the European Union has opened many opportunities for businesses, VanLandingham said in an interview, because companies no longer have to study and deal with a different set of regulations for each country.

    “Now, they are really aligning on regulations. There is a lot more oversight and a lot less corruption,” she said. “Now, once you get into Germany or France, essentially you’ve joined all 28 countries.”

    However, it’s not as easy as it might sound at first.

    “European competitors are strong,” she added. “You can’t assume you can waltz in and take business from them. It’s really important to understand what your strengths are as a company, what the local competitors’ needs are, and what the gaps are in the market.”

    She plans to talk about these things at the breakfast, she said, as well as how American companies can “cluster” countries together, based on language and culture, to be more efficient.

    Born in Ohio and raised in West Virginia, VanLandingham worked for E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. for 14 years in the United States and 10 years in Europe before starting her own business.

    The other speakers at the roundtable are scheduled to be Christian Brecht, consul general of Germany in Chicago; and Graham Paul, consul general of France in Chicago.

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