Janet Cox
Sales Director, DHL Express Ireland
Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the economy, accounting for 95% of businesses and over two-thirds of global employment. When SMEs and entrepreneurs succeed, everyone benefits — so what’s the next step for growing your business?
At DHL Express, we pride ourselves on being a market leader in the express logistics industry. That means that we are ideally placed to support your business in taking the next step – going global. Expanding your business globally can be a straightforward and rewarding process, and we are here to help every step of the way.
Irish businesses are in a fantastic position to grow by selling internationally through e-commerce. Whether you’re just starting your export journey or you’re already selling overseas, we can help your business go further.
Tips for going global
- Research: A quick online search can reveal a lot about a country — the biggest selling product categories, price points, competitors, etc. Know the market you want to get into.
- Health check your website: Does your website state you’re shipping internationally? Do you know what countries most of the traffic comes from? Do you offer a variety of shipping options? Your website is the first port of contact between you and the customer. Make sure it is sending the messages you want it to.
- Learn about customs: Customs regulations differ from country to country. For example, you can’t ship plastic flowers to Nigeria. Knowing the legalities of the countries you want to ship to will set you up for success.
- Have a trusted logistics partner: Customers view a business’s delivery partner as an extension of the supplier’s brand, so make sure to partner with a logistics provider that you are proud to work with and that matches the values of your business.
Working with businesses to expand their reach
Hampers & Co is Ireland’s luxury online hamper and gift retailer. For over 31 years, they have packaged, sourced, designed and delivered beautifully presented hampers to individual and corporate clients across the globe.
Ensuring that products reach overseas clients on time and in perfect condition is essential to Hampers & Co.
Emer Purcell, Managing Director of Hampers & Co says: “We were extremely thorough in choosing the right logistics partner to meet our needs and be an extension of our brand. DHL fulfils this requirement and provides a comprehensive tracking service so that the gifts are monitored on their journey and any issues are identified and resolved quickly.”
“The ability to service customers in the UK is essential to our business, and Brexit presented us with a real challenge. Our logistics provider helped by continuing to support us in making this a seamless process, and they assist with the necessary customs clearance paperwork,” adds Purcell.
Sustainability is at the core of everything we do,
Robert Kennedy
so it was important for us to partner
with a logistics provider who champions
sustainability and shares our values.
Customer service going the distance
Made Personal provides premium, personalised swag to corporations, businesses and communities around the world. They design, source, manufacture and distribute quality personalised products — quickly and within budget.
Robert Kennedy, Co-Founder/Client Director of Made Personal says: “We partnered with DHL as they ensure our customer service level is maintained globally right through to the final mile of delivery. Sustainability is at the core of everything we do, so it was important for us to partner with a logistics provider who champions sustainability and shares our values.”
“For our clients who find themselves in time-sensitive situations, we can offer next-day delivery across Ireland and the EU and provide a fully tracked service for them, so they are kept up-to-date at all times.”
Continuous support for Irish businesses
We connect people across the world and enable international businesses to thrive. The services and connectivity we provide into the global marketplace have become an increasingly important part of Ireland’s economic infrastructure over the last 50-plus years, and we are committed to delivering the best logistics solutions to our customers for the next 50 years and beyond.