Smarta webchat on taking your business to the world, Thursday 31 May at 3pm

This webchat is in association with

It may seem a scary step for a small business but exporting your goods or services is one of the best ways to grow your company. If you have considered taking the leap, now is a brilliant time to start finding out how to start selling overseas.

Janan Leo is the founder of Cocorose London, a manufacturer of purses and fold-up ballet pumps and a British success story when it comes to exporting. When Leo launched her business in 2007 she always planned to trade internationally and she has expanded rapidly in the last five years.

Currently exporting to countries across the world, including Australia and New Zealand, France, Japan, Spain, Kuwait and Italy, Cocorose is also working with manufacturers in China. From being picked up by a single distributor who discovered the product in a London shop, Leo has built the business into a fully fledged exporting business.

Leo will be able to offer the entrepreneur's insights into how she went about finding the right partners, how she picked her markets and what challenges she has had to overcome.

Joining Leo for this webchat will be Gail Williams, international trade advisor from UK Trade and Invest (UKTI). Williams helps small businesses every day and is familiar with all the major issues that they face in their quest to become international businesses.

UKTI is a brilliant one-stop shop for businesses looking to get started exporting. From offering practical advice on starting out in export to taking businesses on market visits and helping those who are already exporting to broaden their stretch, UKTI has advisors in the UK and local market experts ready to help.

If you are a small business considering export as a way to grow your business, but not sure what's the best way for you to start, get your questions ready and join us for what promises to be an informative webchat sure to inspire you to take your business abroad.