The friendships formed through international travel were among the most enduring rewards of Gerald Bratley’s six decades in overseas business. One of the unexpected rewards of a career in international trade was not the countries visited, the contracts signed, or even the business successes achieved along the way. Those were important, of course, but they … Read more
Choosing an export adviser is one of the most important early decisions a business makes when preparing to enter international markets. Before a business begins its international journey, it needs practical guidance from someone who understands not only the theory of exporting, but also the realities of operating in overseas markets. International trade advisers come … Read more
Britain’s historical responsibility for Israel and Palestine cannot be understood without considering the political decisions, mandates and competing national aspirations that shaped the region. As someone who has spent a considerable amount of time working in and around recent war zones, I have often seen at first hand the consequences of destroyed infrastructure and displaced … Read more
The Falklands War The reliability of international news became a personal concern for Gerald Bratley while he was living in Malaysia during the Falklands War. In 1982, I was living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, overseeing the construction of a factory to manufacture uPVC pipe and fittings for soil, waste and drainage systems, under licence from … Read more
The relationship between UK EU membership and international trade is best understood against the changes experienced by British exporters over several decades. My working life spans the period before Britain joined the European Economic Community, through our years of membership, and into the present day. In the 1960s Britain still lived largely in the world … Read more
The most important lessons from international trade are rarely found in textbooks; they are learned through relationships, mistakes and experience. What I found was that relationships and trust matter more than contracts, a contract based on personal friendship and respect is much easier to manage than one based solely on the contract terms. Cultural understanding … Read more
British engineering exports once carried the products, standards and expertise of UK industry to major projects throughout the world. Britain’s industrial export strength in the 1960s–1980s, was in heavy engineering, infrastructure, manufacturing, at that time UK companies supplied products and expertise to major projects globally, but over time there was a gradual shift toward finance … Read more
Doing business in Asia requires more than a competitive product and a persuasive presentation; it requires patience, trust and cultural understanding. Western companies expect quick decisions, but in the Far East In many Asian cultures trust must be built first. Meals, conversation and social interaction are part of business, not distractions and repeated visits build … Read more
Categories Theme: How international business travel used to work. International business travel before email required careful preparation, personal judgement and the ability to work independently for weeks at a time. For most of my working life, international business was conducted face to face. A typical trip might last a month and cover several countries. Flights … Read more
International trade before digital communication depended on telegrams, telex messages, concise reports and decisions made far from the office. Having spent the last sixty years in global sales and marketing, I became accustomed to communicating with people at every level — from the shoe-shine boy outside a hotel to government ministers. My work took me … Read more