START EXPORTING PROGRAM TURKEY’S FIRST AND UNIQUE SME’S CONSULTANCY PROGRAM FOR INTERNATONALIZATION S E P

WHAT IS SEP ? Start Exporting Program;  In-depth SMEs consultancy program  A to Z international marketing and sales  Unlock international potential  Support SMEs become regular exporters  Broaden SMEs horizons

WHAT IS SEP ? “Give a man fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Chinese Proverb

WHAT IS SEP ?  Turkey’s first and unique SME’s consultancy program for internationalization  SEP is fully funded by Istanbul Chamber of Commerce  SEP is a free of charge program for companies

WHY SEP ?  99% of Turkish companies are SMEs  Lack of initiatives and resources in international activities.  Lack of internationalization vision of SMEs

HOW SEP STARTED ?  Everything started in 2005  ICOC partnered with Madrid CCI within the framework of the Turkish Chambers Development Program (TCDP) organized by Eurochambres and TOBB  Using Madrid CCI’s SMEs development program as a starting point, ICOC created an innovative program designed for Turkish SMEs SEP is entirely a Project of Internationalization

STEPS OF SEP STEP-1 Selection & Diagnosis of SEP companies STEP-2 Implementation 4-month One-On-One Onsite Consultancy STEP-3 Complementary Services STEP-4 1 Year follow-up and on-going support

HOW SEP WORKS ? STEP – 1 : SELECTION & DIAGNOSIS OF SEP COMPANIES Selection  SEP is open to companies from all sectors  The most important criteria is to be a manufacturer SME Diagnosis  In depth diagnosis from SEP consultants and ICOC  Companies fulfilling the criteria become SEP companies

HOW SEP WORKS ? STEP – 2: IMPLEMENTATION  Onsite one-on-one consultancy  A to Z international marketing and sales  Wide range of intensive consultancy content: from target market selection to export strategy & action plan from preparation to trade fairs to development of marketing tools

HOW SEP WORKS ? STEP – 3: COMPLEMENTARY SERVICES BESIDES CONSULTANCY SERVICES, SEP COMPANIES ENJOY A WIDE RANGE OF PRIORITY SERVICES:  Training programs in international trade regulations  Special financial opportunities from major Turkish banks  Free enrollment in international trade certificate programs at Istanbul Commerce University  Involvement of International Trade Faculty students as interns in SEP companies  Supporting the participation in international trade fairs

HOW SEP WORKS ? STEP – 4: FOLLOW UP Consultant feedback & re-evaluation SEP companies feedback & evaluation ICOC self-evaluation & analysis CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT & SUSTAINABILITY of SEP + +

ACHIEVEMENTS OUTCOMES OUT OF ALL COMPANIES PARTICIPATED IN SEP THUS FAR;  75% improved quality or expanded their product range  65% exhibited at national or international trade fairs  70% of SEP companies began exporting regularly to markets around the world

ACHIEVEMENT - II EXPANSION OF SEP  Success of SEP in Istanbul have led ICOC to organize SME internalization know-how transfer program across Turkey  Thus far, 15 chambers from cities throughout Turkey have participated in training programs of ICOC  Following the trainings ICOC gives full support to those chambers in order to customize “Start Exporting Program” in their own regions.

ACHIEVEMENT - III INTERNATIONALIZATION OF SEP  In every phase ICOC added new values to the program and customized it further to SME’s needs.  As a result, now SEP is fully integrated system that enable companies to become exporters  ICOC believes that, not only Turkish SMEs but all SMEs around the world should benefit from SEP At the beginning SEP was just an idea of guidance Now, ICOC and SEP is ready to share their experiences with the whole world

FINALIST IN THE 6th WORLD CHAMBERS COMPETITION