This episode is something a little different, I hope you enjoy it. In partnership with Into Seinäjoki & E-P WIISE ry, I interviewed my friend Mohammed Al-Marrani about his journey from the countryside of Yemen to the plains of South Ostrobothnia. He explains his dream of being an entrepreneur, his integration into Finnish society, the help and guidance he received to start his business and his plans to grow Mokka Market in the future. Guest: Mohammed Al-Marrani, Mokka Market https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057121463256 Into Seinäjoki video: https://youtu.be/uCkU1GB0SVE Audio/video: Glenn Murray ----more---- FEELING SOCIAL? Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/mark.wiltshear.tmi Instagram www.instagram.com/markwiltshear/

I've been actively creating content for several years now, my speciality is podcasts and live video, but I've never been certain if I have the right strategy for getting this content to people on Social Media. A chance conversation with a colleague in our office gave me some clarity and a new direction to follow in 2021. Listen on and I'll tell you more... Show notes & links

Since winter 2014, I have been working with Finnish companies to craft effective sales pitches that they can use in international sales situations. These have been used in pitching competitions, for one-on-one sales meeting and at international trade fairs and exhibitions. The workshops can be used to develop sales arguments for new products or to develop texts for marketing materials, company websites etc.  In November 2020, I was approached about something slightly different, five companies and five pitches in only two hours. This is how I did it... Show notes & links

You have heard me mention the Work Integration for Immigrants Service (WIISE) in previous articles. As our plans for WIISE developed, it was decided to form a membership association (yhdistys). On Monday 9.11.2020, Etelä-Pohjanmaan WIISE ry was officially launched at an event held at the office of Xport and BSTR – Luova markkinoititoimisto in Seinäjoki. This ‘hybrid event’ was also livestreamed for those who had registered in advance. By the time the event started, WIISE already had 20 registered members and the WIISE team were delighted to have been joined live by approx. 40 people; 25 online and 15 in person. This episode is the audio of that event, where we introduce the inspiration behind this new venture, the work we have already done as WIISE and our future aims. Show notes and links ☕️ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wiltshear  ⭐️ https://ratethispodcast.com/wiltshear 

Recently, one of my ‘Sales Pitch workshop’ customers made a comment that made me think "This can really have a long-term effect". I’ve also been meeting people for regular English Conversation coaching for a few years, so I thought I’d share a few examples of how they have benefited from this. Show notes and links   ☕️ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wiltshear  ⭐️ https://ratethispodcast.com/wiltshear 

I’ve been working with the Finnish company HappyOrNot for the past 6 years on inbound sales. I recently experienced a couple of frustrating situations, in which I was trying to buy services and the company was completely ignoring my buying signals. This made me reflect on my HappyOrNot work. Show notes and links  ☕️ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wiltshear  ⭐️ https://ratethispodcast.com/wiltshear 

This is a subject that I’ve been planning to talk about for some time. I was even planning to make a podcast mini-series about it for my Explore Finland podcast. The impending Brexit has sped-up my plans to apply for Finnish citizenship, which I now aim to do in 2021. I thought I'd share my plan with you. Show notes and links ☕️ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wiltshear  ⭐️ https://ratethispodcast.com/wiltshear 

After many years of speculation, it has finally been confirmed that Amazon will launch its first website for the Nordic markets, www.amazon.se For over 5 years, I have been working with Finnish companies to get their products listed and selling on Amazon Marketplaces around Europe. This seems like the perfect time to share a few key lessons I've learned over the years, to ensure your account set-up on Amazon goes as smoothly as possible. Show notes and links ☕️ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wiltshear  ⭐️ https://ratethispodcast.com/wiltshear 

Etelä-Pohjanmaan WIISE ry (Work Integration for Immigrants Service) is a membership association which aims to develop and maintain a positive ecosystem in Etelä-Pohjanmaa, in which immigrants and Finns who move to the area can thrive. In which they integrate into working life and settle into everyday life. We are launching the association officially in October 2020 but ahead of that launch, it needs a logo and we would like our members and followers to help us with the design. Show notes & links ☕️ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wiltshear  ⭐️ https://ratethispodcast.com/wiltshear 

While talking to a prospective customer, the MD of a micro company that is starting to grow, they said ‘Yes, we really want to work with you and think that one day per week won’t be enough – there’s so much to do. BUT we are waiting for this large order to be confirmed.’ All of this was true, but as we continued talking, it became clear that there were several small tasks that I could start to work on, that might only take a few hours a week. This could have an immediate impact and would be easier to build into their budget. You will have heard the (very) old joke, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. In this article are examples of a few smaller tasks I’ve worked on so far this year, to show you could share YOUR workload without breaking the bank. Show notes and links  ☕️ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wiltshear  ⭐️ https://ratethispodcast.com/wiltshear 

This week, I will be answering a question from one of my listeners, thanks Jay.  Jay commented on Facebook ‘I see this as a time of opportunity, where the status quo is all shaken up and those who are creative, confident and can lead, will come out on top....what kind of opportunities do you see [coming] out of this situation and how you can turn a bad time to your advantage?’ Well Jay, here are a few things I’ve observed both locally in Etelä-Pohjanma and from reading international news. Show notes & links ☕️ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wiltshear ⭐️ https://ratethispodcast.com/wiltshear

Welcome to season 2 of the show. I didn’t exactly plan to publish in seasons but I realised it’s good to take a break, re-focus and start again, so I think I will probably publish seasons of 10 or so episodes then pause and then start again. So, this episode I wanted to take you back a couple of months and give you some insight into how I’ve experienced summer 2020... People listening from outside may find it strange, but a four-week summer holiday is quite normal for workers in Finland and five or even six weeks is not unheard of. While this is undoubtedly nice for individuals, it does have an effect on business during the summer months. Everything sloooooowwwwws down. Gradually and yet all at once, I found my calendar for June and July becoming more-and-more empty. I decided that if I cannot do any invoiceable work, I will focus on meaningful work that will have benefits at a later date. Show notes & links ☕️ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wiltshear ⭐️ https://ratethispodcast.com/wiltshear

I’d actually started writing this before I happened to make contact with Steven Smith, Managing Director at The Lead Generation Company, for the previous article Expert Tips On Prospecting For New Customers In The UK. Episode 5 of this podcast was titled B2B Sales With Simple Content Marketing. In it, I talked about simple content marketing work that companies can do to support their sales work. This was based on work I had been doing during the first quarter of 2020. Then, of course, the world was hit by the coronavirus pandemic. My work was agreed and my time was scheduled, but I did stop to think “Should we continue prospecting during the Coronavirus lockdown period?” Show notes & links   ☕️ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wiltshear ⭐️ https://ratethispodcast.com/wiltshear

Interview with Steven Smith, Managing Director at The Lead Generation Company. This episode is something a little different. You don’t have to listen to just ME talking at you. I have a guest and I’m really pleased to welcome Steven whose LinkedIn profile reads ‘Lead Generation | Appointment Setting | Telemarketing | Qualified Sales Leads’. These are things that bring some people out on a cold sweat but are so important to any company that’s doing international business. Listen to Steven's important tips for companies looking to find new customers in the UK. Advice that will remain relevant during and after the coronavirus era. Show notes and links   ☕️ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wiltshear ⭐️ https://ratethispodcast.com/wiltshear

Having started my own toiminimi company in 2019 and started invoicing my customer directly. I had experience at Xport of sending e-invoices, but I always had help from my partner Marko. I then found myself working in my own company, using e-invoicing from an Operator system and wondering ‘Why is e-invoicing in Finland so confusing?’ Hopefully, what started as a rant might also be useful to other new entrepreneurs in Finland. Show notes & links   A big thank you to Michael Nieminen from Oy Rhonda Services AB for his help with this episode and his accounting help in general.   ☕️ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wiltshear  ⭐️ https://ratethispodcast.com/wiltshear  

In late-2018, I was approached by my friend, Jiuliano, to help him with the project he was running. Working on this project led further collaboration in an area in which I've developed a strong interest; helping other immigrants to Finland to network, settle and integrate into our new homeland. Since then, things have developed and the Work Integration for Immigrants Service (WIISE) has now completed its first project, working with a group of international business students from SeAMK in Seinäjoki. This is now developing into a potential new business venture, but more of that at a later date. Show notes and links  ☕️ BuyMeACoffee.com/wiltshear  ⭐️ RateThisPodcast.com/wiltshear 

Over the past few years, I have been asked by potential customers “Can you do some sales work for me to make some leads?” While I CAN pick up the phone and make some sales calls, what if they are not yet ready to engage? What simple B2B marketing activity can a company do to support any sales work? Here are some ideas from a combination of recent experiences.  Show notes & links ☕️ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wiltshear ⭐️ https://ratethispodcast.com/wiltshear

When I announced, back in October 2019, that I was now working via my toiminimi (sole trader company or self-employed) I had a few people ask “Are you still working at Xport?” or “What happened? Is everything OK at Xport?” so I thought I’d answer this question directly: Why did I start my own company and start working separately from Xport?  Show notes and links  ☕️ BuyMeACoffee.com/wiltshear  ⭐️ RateThisPodcast.com/wiltshear 

Having planned this podcast for a few months, by the time I recorded my first episode in March 2020, we were already in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19. This episode asks "Is this the worst time to start a podcast about International business?" And should I continue sharing my experiences, so others know they’re not alone during these difficult times?  Show notes and links  ☕️ BuyMeACoffee.com/wiltshear  ⭐️ RateThisPodcast.com/wiltshear

When I thought up the idea for the International Business from Finland podcast. I realised I needed a theme tune. I asked my friend Robbyn from Dodobones (www.dodobones.co.uk) a terrific live band in the UK, for help. This is what they came up with...  Show notes and links  ☕️ BuyMeACoffee.com/wiltshear  ⭐️ RateThisPodcast.com/wiltshear