By Pravind Kumar
The idea of going global and venturing into the export market seems to be a rather unnerving and formidable endeavour for most local SMEs (small and medium enterprises) in Malaysia. This is evidenced by the fact that SME contribution to export is fairly low at 19% despite accounting for 99% of all business establishments in the country.
Financial constraints and fear of uncertainty in potential markets are among the main reasons which contribute towards their hesitance to step foot into the export market. Most SMEs yearn to explore beyond the home market but have either no means of doing so or lack sufficient knowledge with regards to the required know-hows and ideal business strategies.