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The Language of Enterprise Hints, Tips and Much, Much more
The Language of Enterprise was aimed at inspiring young people to study a modern foreign language while developing their enterprise and creativity. Up for grabs were four cash prizes - for schools to spend on language resources - and trophies. The competition was designed to give young people the opportunity to develop a prototype of a new product based on the Best of British produce and plan its launch on a European Market. Use the following link to find out more about EBC's The Language of Enterprise What's on this page
Feeding the international appetite for British goods
We did a quick web search to see just what British foods were selling international and discovered the world is your oyster (or should that be Cheshire Cheese?) if you're looking for inspiration on what to sell. Take a look at the British Corner Shop website for great example of worldwide trading of British goods. The on-line business stocks over 6,000 British food products, covering all the major brands you will find in British Supermarkets .... no Marmite shortages in Malaysia, Heinz baked beans on tap in Borneo...... Robertson's jam on toast in Romania..... The business also has a wholesale arm if you're looking to sell in bulk.
It was set up in 2003 by Australian Alison Carr after a working holiday in Europe, based in London, where she met her now husband Paul. When Alison returned to Sydney, with Paul in tow, she kept asking him if there was anything he was missing. Paul response was his family and "football" and also his chocolates and goodies from home while staying up late to watch West Ham play football. Now Treats from Home have the largest selection of British items to choose from in Australia. The shop also has a wholesale division. Food for thought
Expats.org.uk is packed with potential leads for your researchinto what's already in the market, who selling it, how and where. On-line or face to face?
Food Labelling Checkist
If you find it helpful.... but want to know more visit the original site and the checklist has hyperlinks to give you even more information. Just use this link.
For example we found a reader-friendly guide called 'Getting to Grips with Grub' which teachers might find useful in assessing Food and Nutritional competencies in 14 to 16-year-olds. A bit heavier, in terms of content, are another two documents we found which you might want to read: Country of origin labelling guidance Guidance on labelling in relation to allergens
Food labels are packed with information. This section will help you get what you need out of them. The government has set up a special website - www.eatwell.gov.uk - to inform people on what's in the stuff they put in their mouths. There's load of information to get your teeth into..... for example we found an easy-to-understand 'Using Traffic Lights to Make Healthier Choices' booklet on this page of the website and lots of other helpful information. You will find advice that helps you make healthier, safer and more informed choices. You can even take an interactive tour around a food label (if you have Flash Player) and you can also discover about the rules that govern what manufacturers are allowed to put on labels It's a wrap
We've scoured the internet for some inspiration ideas for you on how to make your product attract the eye of your customer and your investor and and also to give you some idea of costings you will need to consider. Fabulous packaging ideas to inspire you can be found on two American websites. Try Creative Packaging for inspiration on materials you can use to give you product style or visit Gift Box Corporation. This site even has a special section on food packaging with some fabulous boxes you can pack with goodies. Both sites will give you an idea on costings - but remember they will probably be in dollars. Got an idea for a hamper - but not sure what to put in it - visit Ciao for ideas and costings. Dress to Impress Here's a few websites which sell packaging in bulk - so you can get to grips with what is available and how much it will cost you to move into full production.
Looking for inspiration on how to sell produces on-line.... take a look at BienManger a major importer of all things French for inspiration, ideas and a few tricks of the trade. Know your market
Boasting 'Everything you need for a life in another country', the Angloinfo website offers you insight into all aspects of living, working and trading in a range of European countries...... great market intelligence for budding entrepreneurs! Just select the country you want to research and a whole new world opens up for you. For example the Germany pages provide information on:
Meanwhile the Anglinfo costa-del-sol pages offer you everything you could want to know about both the area, what British goods people can buy and how they are sold in sunny Spain. Cooking Up a British Treat Looking for inspiration for the product you're going to produce in The Language of Enterprise competition...... visit the Choose British website for inspiration and interesting information about all things British.
If you're looking for a local or regional angle to your food products or recipes then visit All British Food's website - there's a section on recipes from the North as well as 'national favourites'. A Tasty Package
In his blog Jonathan Julian Hunt, Director of the FDF, reports that latest export figures for food and non-alcoholic drinks hit record levels in 2008 - 20% up on the previous year - showing a growing taste for British products in Central European countries. The market was worth £9.23 billion as UK food and drink manufacturers built on their strong international reputation for quality and innovation. Best sellers were
Read Julian's blog, featured in the food and drink industry's The Manufacturer magazine here. There are more than 30 different food sectors in the UK. Visiting the Food and Drink Federation website will also give you an insight into them and provide you with additional links for your research.
According to the government's UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) departrment UK companies sell a wide range of produce to an equally wide range of markets – including ready meals to France, Indian sauces to Spain, cheese to Japan and breakfast cereals to China. Also doing well are meat, dairy, seafood and value-added grocery products, while the Scotch whisky industry continues to expand its sales globally. The main recipients of UK food and drink exports continue to be mature markets such as the USA, Canada and the EU. However, developing markets such as the Gulf States and Asia are opening up some excellent opportunities for exporters. The top markets in order of export value are:
More details of foreign markets is available in the UKTI report 'Meeting the Global Challenge: Support for Food and Drink Exporters' If you want to find out more about the state of markets in different countries the UKTI has a wealth of information on its website including key facts of different countries, what kind of British goods are selling, curencies and time zones. Each country has a separate page which gives you more detailed information and features a seperate side bar with further links on topics including:
Using the A-Z directory, just click on the country of your choice to find out everything you need to know through this link
Selling food products abroad should be plain sailing if you use the easy-to-read guide produced by Business Link. This guide provides an overview of the food and drink sector, the key regulations you need to comply with as an exporter or importer and selected sources of further help and support. This downloadable guide also explains how to research the countries to which you plan to export. It covers:
Business Link also has an extensive range of information and guidance on international trade. The guide covers:
Additional Resources for teachers
We found all these resources by doing a search on the website for 'downloadable teaching resources'.
It aims to highlight the growing concern for the availability and level of language skills in the UK and to inspire companies to actively engage in partnerships with a focus on language learning.
Create your own free account with a secure login and password to enjoy the full benefits of the site.
The site isn't just for teachers, though! If you're an employer you'll find loads of information and useful links.
Working in close co-operation with businesses, language service providers and partner organisations RLN NE is building a thriving network to continue to develop the region's competitiveness.
The Languages Work website is an online information portal supporting a wide range of products designed to show the true value of languages in the workplace and beyond.
Information is tailored for young students through to adults and you can also find out more about the latest news and events as well as what other support networks and resources there are for languages andcareers. Log onto: www.languageswork.org.uk BACK TO OUR MAIN LANGUAGE OF ENTERPRISE PAGE BACK TO OUR MAIN INFORMATION PAGE Copyright notice 2010: All information stored in any form in the website about EBC projects, services and materials are the intellectual property of and copyright to EBC and must not be copied or reproduced without expressed consent from the EBC Chief Executive in written or electronic (email) form. Units 22, North East BIC, Wearfield, Sunderland Enterprise Park (East), Sunderland, SR5 2TA, Tyne and Wear. Phone: (0191) 516 6411 Fax: (0191) 516 6412. |
Bonne Chance!..... Viel Gluck!..... Buena Suerte! 
We pulled together a range of resources, information sources, advice, guidance and ideas to help schools plan and prepare their entry into The Language of Enterprise. Just use the highlighted links on this page and you will find:
There's nothing quite like the taste of homegrown food - no matter where in the world you are! Ex-pats and Anglophiles alike just can't get enough of British food products.
'Bringing you everything that makes Britain great' is the slogan for another store .... this time selling goods both on-line and through face-to-face retail down under in Australia. 
In you're looking for more ideas on what British foods are being sold abroad there's a great on-line directory for you to research. 
It's not just what you want to sell - but how you sell it that matters when it comes to selling abroad. E-commerce (selling goods via the internet) is one way of selling your product. Business Link has a 
On our worldwide search of easy-to-understand resources which will help those taking part in our The Language of Enterprise competition we found a useful checklist produced by The University of Reading. To get you started we've converted the information into an 
What's it made of?
Deciding on your product is just half the challenge, you've also got to consider packaging - not just for appearance but also to get your goods safely to your customer.
Ooh-la-la! How the French do it
Or try 
According to the Food and Drinks Federation (FDF) now has never been a better time to sell food in Europe.
Where are the main opportunities?
Selling food abroad - Everything you need to know 
The 
Whether you're a teacher or business person the Business Language Champions website - 
The Business Language Champions programme is co-ordinated by the Regional Language Network North East and supported by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. 
The easy-to-navigate site's home page gives you the opportunity to sign up for a special free e-newsletter, to become one of the region's growing number of Business Language Champions and to talk to others who share your passion. 
Fact sheets, posters, sample presentations and lesson plans are among the useful resources on offer via the National Centre for Languages website - 
The 