
Since the start of the referendum debate we’ve seen two claims from opposite sides on how many UK firms are actually trading outside of Britain.
The Stronger In campaign noted that 200,000 firms traded with the EU, while Vote Leave announced only six per cent exported to the EU. But what are the chances of both sides being correct? Political messages aside, LinkedIn found out which claim was closer to reality by analysing the activity among sales professionals before the referendum vote took place. And what it found was a nation bent on focusing on the home market – suggesting the UK had been lagging behind in terms of international sales before the dreaded Brexit anxiety set in. In fact, the findings put the UK 23rd out of 28 countries when it came to international prospecting.(2) Slovakia – 72 per cent
(3) Cyprus – 69 per cent
(4) Austria – 69 per cent
(5) Luxembourg – 68 per cent
(6) Ireland – 68 per cent
(7) Estonia – 67 per cent
(8) Germany – 62 per cent
(9) Lithuania – 61 per cent
(10) Bulgaria – 53 per cent
(11) Latvia – 51 per cent
(12) Czech Republic – 51 per cent
(13) Hungary – 50 per cent
(14) Slovenia – 47 per cent
(15) Greece – 46 per cent
(16) Croatia – 44 per cent
(17) Belgium – 41 per cent
(18) Romania – 40 per cent
(19) Poland – 39 per cent
(20) Portugal – 36 per cent
(21) Sweden – 34 per cent
(22) Italy – 32 per cent
(23) UK – 31 per cent Image: Shutterstock How can a small enterprise grow into a fast-moving global player, doing business across Europe, the Middle East, Russia and Brazil? As one family company discovered, it’s about much more than having a website in different languages. Deeper changes make all the difference. By Shané Schutte
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