The race for a bigger global presence is on for a West Sussex firm celebrating its 25^th anniversary this year.

Littlehampton-based Powerbronze International designs stylised components for customising and enhancing motorbikes. As its name suggests, it is an export-focused business with an international dealer network.

In May this year, Powerbronze approached UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) South East for assistance with its export strategy. They were advised to join UKTI’s Passport to Export programme. This 12-to-18-month package of advice and support includes a full company diagnostic, development of an export action plan, subsidised training and up to £1,500 of matched funding.

The Powerbronze team worked closely with UKTI International Trade Adviser (ITA) Stephen Golding and Sarah Carroll, a Registered Export Communications Consultant, on an Export Communications Review (ECR). This provides a comprehensive on-site evaluation of how a business communicates with its export markets, including a review of websites, written materials and personal meetings with customers or agents/distributors.

Hazel Clifford, Powerbronze’s Sales Office Manager, said: “The Communications Review introduced a series of online marketing tools to help improve our global web presence. For example, we are using Google Adwords to help us monitor conversions, identify key words and assess the geographical success of our websites.

“Web forums now also play a major role in our marketing strategy and we recently joined eBay and set up a very successful online shop there, too!”

Powerbronze now has 11 websites, each dedicated to a country where they have a distributor. Work is in progress on Dutch, Belgian, Portuguese and Romanian sites – all due to be launched by Christmas. Funding from the Passport programme assisted with translation costs for several of the country-specific websites.

Sarah Carroll commented: “It was a pleasure to work with Powerbronze as they were already well advanced in their international website development.  However, they were very receptive to the recommendations I made to take their global web presence to the next level. So much so that, when their ITA, Stephen Golding, went to see them a few days after the review, he reported that they had already implemented a number of my recommendations. This resulted in an immediate and significant increase in international web sales, and I am delighted to see that they are building on this success.”

After the ECR, Powerbronze purchased 42 domain names for countries around the world where they are planning to appoint distributors.

In September, the company took advantage of UKTI’s Export Marketing Research Scheme (EMRS) of free impartial advice on researching new export markets.  Businesses can receive financial subsidies of up to 50 per cent towards their market research costs, including travel and accommodation while visiting the target country.

With EMRS funding, the Powerbronze team headed to California to research the best route to market on the West Coast. Meetings were held with dealers, magazine editors, superbike stores, real estate agents and lawyers. Plans are under way for establishing a West Coast showroom by Spring 2010.

At the beginning of November, Powerbronze attended the EICMA International Bike Show in Milan, now the capital of motorcycling in Italy. The 67th edition of the show attracted 450,000 visitors, and Powerbronze exhibited its latest product range alongside its Italian distributor Faster96 Srl. This resulted in a productive meeting with a potential customer from Singapore, who flew in especially to view the new products; and a packed order book from European customers.

Then at the end of the month, Powerbronze showcased its products at the Carol Nash International Motorcycle and Scooter Show at Birmingham’s NEC. This is the UK’s premier show for manufacturers targeting UK and global buyers. Powerbronze chose it to unveil its latest Rider’s Seat – a customised replacement seat.

Visitors to the Powerbronze trade stand were able to see 20 bikes, including the Kawasaki ER6-N and Suzuki GSXR1000, kitted out with Powerbronze products. On a separate retail stand, a range of products, from Airflow Screens to Mudguard Extenders and Swing Arm Protectors, was shown.

2010 is set to be another busy year for the company, with plans to appoint distributors in Hungary, the Czech Republic and Lithuania.

In the spring, Powerbronze’s web marketing plans will go up a gear when it attends UKTI’s “International Website Marketing and Development Course”.

To take a look at Powerbronze International’s website www.powerbronze.com>>

To find out more about the Website Export Communications Review  to help you localise and optimise your website for international trade, please contact Sarah Carroll>>