I increased my sales by learning how to do business abroad

We spoke with Claire Suttie, who recently took part in a free government programme to improve her exporting knowledge.

Tell us about your business

I’m Clare Suttie, Director at Atlas Translations Ltd. We started in 1991 as a small interpretation and translations agency. Now, we offer translation services to clients in countries like Ireland, France, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Norway, and the USA. Based in St Albans, we help with everything from translated websites and e-courses to packaging and product translations in over 100 languages.

What did you need help with?

With growing interest from international markets, I knew we needed to improve our exporting skills. I wanted to make sure we could handle the challenges our international clients face and help our business grow by understanding the ins and outs of exporting better.

What support did you get?

I joined the UK Export Academy (UKEA) in 2021. It’s a free programme from the Government that offers sessions on international trade. It offers a range of events that you can book through a calendar. You can attend live sessions to network and ask questions or watch them on-demand at a time that works best for you. So far, I’ve participated in seven sessions covering topics such including:

• Selling overseas on Amazon
• The barriers and benefits of export

The UK Export Academy events have been really helpful and well-organised. They’ve taught me a lot about exporting and selling internationally.

Claire Suttie, Atlas Translations

How the UK Export Academy helped

I appreciated the flexibility to either join live sessions or watch them later, which made it easy to fit learning into my schedule. This new knowledge has been key in helping us grow and explore new markets.

What advice would you give to other businesses?

If you’re thinking about exporting for the first time, I can’t recommend the UK Export Academy enough. It’s free, flexible, and packed with useful info to help you get started.