One of the main objectives of the EU-funded Project “Support to the Development of Business Capacity of Ukrainian SMEs – International Dimension” is to help companies to establish business links with EU companies. The Project helps small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to find potential customers, investors and other partners. An important step in this process is to become familiar with EU market developments and business opportunities.

A workshop on “Marketing Strategies in Time of the Global Financial and Economic Crisis – Recommendations for Small Woodworking and Furniture Companies” was held on Thursday, 29 January, 2009, in Lviv, at “Helikon” hotel, for 17 SME owners/managers selected from woodworking & furniture pilot sector of the Project.

Vasyl Masyuk, Ukrainian Woodworking Machinery Association President, said: “Our companies actively participated in the workshop. They are encouraged to enter EU market of woodworking & furniture and appreciate to receive assistance from the Project to prepare export development plans. There will be a good opportunity for us to present our strategic and marketing plans during trade mission for Woodworking & Furniture linked to Ligna Fair, in Hannover, Germany, planned within the Project in May”.

The workshop focused on:

• Enhance knowledge on woodworking & furniture markets in the EU, in particular actual market requirements, trade channels;
• Provide participants with practical advice on how to run business in time of global financial and economic crisis;
• Explain the content and give practical advice on how to develop company strategy and marketing plan to establish business in EU market;
• Provide tools for export planning.

Harry Fitch, Expert in Woodworking & Furniture Industry (UK) and Juergen Mendritzki, Investment Promotion Expert (Germany) were key speakers at the workshop.

Harry Fitch said: “The wood processing and furniture companies in western Ukraine have clear potential to export to the EU. The local forests offer good quality timber at competitive prices. They are the nearest industry cluster to the EU borders, reducing transport costs and being able to offer fast response to minimise EU customer stocks. They need to complement their labour rates with the flexible nearly-new modern technology now available in the EU. To win this business, they should get out into the market and work alongside potential customers in the EU, supporting them in their recessionary markets”.

The workshop brought together 26 participants: owners/managers of selected woodworking & furniture companies, SME support organizations, Western Ukrainian Management Consulting, “Woodworker” branch newspaper, Ukrainian Woodworking Machinery Association and the Project.

The participants became familiar about EU market developments and business opportunities; gained new skills how to prepare strategic and marketing plans to combat with effects of global economic and financial crisis as well as received recommendations how to improve their effectiveness.

After the workshop companies are able to assess potential of their companies to export to the EU and to draft a business plan to prepare the company for exporting and/or expending its exports.

Participants highly appreciated the workshops. They are very excited to collaborate within the Project and to find EU partners for their businesses.

Juergen Mendritzki concluded that “a systematic analysis of woodworking and furniture companies which participate in the Project, gave a lot of indications for efficiency improvement potential”. 

Workshops on “Key Success Factors for EU Market Entry” for SME managers from machinery&equipment Project priority sector is planned for March 2009.

For further information, please contact:

Ken Nachbar, Team Leader
Email:  ken.nachbar@sme-int.com.ua

Nataliya Martynenko, Communication Expert
Email:  nataliya.martynenko@sme-int.com.ua

EU Funded Project 
"Support to the Development of Business Capacity of Ukrainian SME – International Dimension"
9/11 Arsenalna Street, room 614
01011, Kyiv, Ukraine
Tel (044)229-6183
Fax (044)229-8527