Tuesday, June 10, 2008 Group sees need to educate small, medium exporters
REALIZING that Filipino exporters need to improve on their knowledge of the dynamics of export business management, the Confederation of Philippine Exporters (Philexport)-Cebu continues to implement its project to educate and empower exporters.
The non-stock, non-profit organization—through its newly established Export Training and Coaching Center—is now in the fourth leg of its seminar series, dubbed as “Export Marketing Strategies, Market Selection and Product Positioning.”
The three-day affair will be conducted by Center for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI)-certified local experts starting June 18 at Casiño Español.
About 20 exporters attended the first three parts of the six-seminar series that runs from April to August this year.
Philexport-Cebu public relations and advocacy officer Jun Abines stressed that an export company that was not able to start the series can still join the fourth seminar since “the topics are independent” of each other.
By August, Philexport plans to hold an updated nine-seminar series, which is considered the improved version of the first as it incorporates feedback from participants in previous seminars.
Survey
Abines said the upcoming seminar was partly inspired by a recent survey conducted by an international agency, which revealed that most micro-, small- and medium-scale Filipino-owned export companies do not have enough knowledge of product development and market research programs or facilities.
Philexport-Cebu said more than 70 percent of the $50-billion worth of goods generated by the country annually represents the sales of several multinational companies while micro and small Filipino-owned exporters account for less than 30 percent of the total.
The group added that businesses have been badly hurt by competition from “resurgent neighbors” like China and Vietnam, as well as the economic slowdown in the United States.
It also said while many export companies operate in the country, only De La Salle University in Manila offers export management courses.
Abines said these facts prove that most of the local export entrepreneurs lack formal training on export management, which is why foreign-owned export companies perform better.
He added that most Filipino-owned export companies fail to appreciate the importance of product development and market research.
“Although it is very premature to make any conclusions basing on these facts alone, it is safe to say that Filipino exporters need to strive to create more structurally stable companies and give more focus and importance to creating just a few products that will really sell,” he said in a press statement.
In a phone interview, he explained that most small and medium enterprises do not understand that there is a science behind the export business that deals with long-term international partnership and in providing quality and unique service or product.
“Some entrepreneurs practice hit-and-miss. They learn through errors. Others would resort to copying another product and selling them at a lower price. (These) businesses need to study their market and research on their products, he said. (NRC)
