Small Businesses: Playing the export game

To grow, Irish businesses need to look beyond this island – but a pitch that works at home might well falter in a new culture

Exporting is crucial to keeping Ireland’s economy afloat. With only 4.6 million people living on the island, companies need to look abroad to scale.

Many companies have already branched out. According to statistics from the Central Statitstics Office (CSO), the EU accounted for €5.5 million (50 per cent) of total goods exports in November 2016, of which €1.6 million went to Britain and €1.3 million to Belgium.

The US is the main non-EU ...