International small business business. “The need for local contacts”
The European Congress of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises began in Katowice. During a series of panels, topics discussed included: about the foreign potential of Polish companies from the small and medium-sized sector. – Small and medium-sized entrepreneurs are increasingly willing to decide to enter international markets – said Tomasz Zjawiony, president of the Regional Chamber of Commerce in Katowice.
The two-day European Congress of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises began on Tuesday in Katowice. Meetings and discussion panels concern various branches of the economy, including the potential of Polish companies on foreign markets. Entrepreneurs are becoming more and more willing and bold to decide to enter international markets. This can be seen in the statistics, as of today it is nearly 114,000. companies that export their products and almost 20 thousand companies that export their services. These are very large volumes and enormous money that enter the Polish economic system – said Tomasz Zjawiony, president of the Regional Chamber of Commerce in Katowice, in an interview for Wprost.pl.
Polish companies abroad
Many Polish companies, including those from the SME sector, are already abroad and doing very well. The Chamber of Commerce supports Polish business in these activities, e.g. by opening branches in other countries.
– We strongly support the process of internationalization of Polish companies, we have 10 branches around the world, and in such unusual places. Because in Europe, entrepreneurs are doing well. They are doing less well, for example in Shanghai or in Delhi, where we have our branches, they are doing less well. Next year we are opening such a department in Peru, so we are opening up to markets where, due to cultural differences, support is the most important – said Tomasz Zjawiony.
Entrepreneurs’ needs
Support for entrepreneurs who want to enter foreign markets is needed wherever running a business without a local contact base is very difficult. Entrepreneurs themselves point out that what they need most is the openness and availability of someone who works locally, knows the local market and can navigate it efficiently.
– On European markets, we are able to communicate linguistically, we understand each other culturally, but Asian markets, e.g. India, are markets where it is practically impossible to function without local relations – said Tomasz Zjawiony.
The organizer of EKMŚP is the Regional Chamber of Commerce in Katowice. The Congress was held under the honorary patronage of the European Parliament, the Minister of Science, the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Development and Technology, and the Ombudsman for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.
