Looking for some advice on distributing a tool to help UK exporters

[KVExp]

Hi all!

I've been building a free tech platform to help UK SMEs with export compliance - automated commodity/HS code classification, document checklists, up-to-date regulatory warnings, that sort of thing. The aim is to make the lives of exporters in the UK simpler and easier, to focus less on paperwork and more on growing their overseas business.

It seems like post-Brexit paperwork and the recent Trump tariff changes have made export compliance noticeably more complicated for UK SMEs, and from what I've seen the support available from government bodies and trade organisations hasn't really kept pace with how quickly things are changing. I'm from a tech background and I'd love to help businesses here in the UK, particularly small-and-medium sized businesses, who are less readily equipped to deal with this.

I'm still early stage, trying to figure out the best way to get it in front of the right people. My current thinking is that freight forwarders and customs agents are the right channel - they work with first-time exporters regularly and could refer the tool to clients who need a bit of hand-holding before the shipment gets to them. But I'm not sure if that's naive.

A few things I'm genuinely uncertain about:

Is the referral logic sound? Would a forwarder or customs agent actually point a client towards a compliance tool, or does that feel like giving away something they'd rather charge for? I don't want to position it as competition to what they do - more as something that gets clients better prepared before they pick up the phone.

How do you actually reach them? Cold LinkedIn outreach feels like shouting into the void. Are there better channels - trade bodies, events, BIFA networks? Any approaches that have actually worked when trying to get in front of this audience?

Is the forwarder even the right entry point? Or would I be better off going direct to SME exporters, or through chambers of commerce, or somewhere else entirely?

Just trying to avoid spending three months knocking on the wrong doors. Any honest perspectives from people who know this world would be most welcome!

-K

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Whilst you are late to the game, if it is simple to use free/low cost, you could get some traction.

• If there is a cost, have a free basic level to collect data
• Targeted Adwords are obvious, connecting to landing pages
• Attending business events and doing presentations (not hard sells).
• Networking.
• Speak to DfIT
• Posting here (as a member)

Just trying to avoid spending three months knocking on the wrong doors.

When you wrote your business plan, who did you target as your ideal client - that will drive a lot of how you focus?

 

[KVExp]

Whilst you are late to the game, if it is simple to use free/low cost, you could get some traction.

• If there is a cost, have a free basic level to collect data
• Targeted Adwords are obvious, connecting to landing pages
• Attending business events and doing presentations (not hard sells).
• Networking.
• Speak to DfIT
• Posting here (as a member)

When you wrote your business plan, who did you target as your ideal client - that will drive a lot of how you focus?

Thanks Paul, useful pointers!

On the ideal client: UK SMEs exporting internationally for the first time, typically without a dedicated compliance person. The tool is free, no signup required, upload a proforma invoice and get commodity codes + a document checklist in under 60 seconds. Less about replacing forwarders, more about getting exporters prepared before they pick up the phone. Will look into DfIT - good shout!

 

[Customs Geek]

Hi

Just so you are aware there is a government tool that gives exporters similar information.
www.gov.uk/check-duties-customs-exporting.

 

[KVExp]

Hi

Just so you are aware there is a government tool that gives exporters similar information.
www.gov.uk/check-duties-customs-exporting.

Yep! I'm familiar with it. The key difference (aside from, in my opinion a slightly clunky interface!) is that it assumes you already have your commodity codes, which I believe for a lot of first-time exporters is exactly where they get stuck.

The tool I'm developing (I can't share a link directly here, otherwise I'd be happy to) takes their proforma invoice or purchase order and works backwards: classifies the goods line-by-line, then generates the document checklist for the entire order based on the specific corridor. I'm hoping since it's fewer steps (well, basically just one step to drag-and-drop an invoice) and requires less interpretation, it should lead to a quicker result. But I'd be curious to know if I've missed the mark here in a major way, especially from someone that's got a lot of experience or past war stories in this space!

-K.

 

[fisicx]

If your tool makes a mistake with the codes who is responsible for any financial loss? If I’ve got to check your outputs (and edit the document) where is the saving?

 

[KVExp]

If your tool makes a mistake with the codes who is responsible for any financial loss? If I’ve got to check your outputs (and edit the document) where is the saving?

Both totally fair challenges! - I've been wrestling with the same thoughts myself.

On liability: The responsibility definitely sits with the exporter/agent, and there's plenty of disclaimers throughout the tool informing users of that (it's also in the terms of use). I've built it with links to sources, as well as where to verify information directly, so this also supports that message. Ultimately one issue is that the tool is only as good as the information fed into it (ie garbage in, garbage out), so there is always some risk of misclassification. So I'm not aiming to replace expert classification, just giving people a starting point!

On the value: I suppose the analogy I'm going with is like the NHS symptom checker. It doesn't replace the GP/specialist, the doctor still makes the diagnosis and takes responsibility. But it means patients arrive at the appointment already knowing roughly what's wrong, rather than starting from zero. The tool is meant to replace the time wasted on googling, guessing, or calling a forwarder/agent with basic questions that eat up everyone's time - at least to get them 80% of the way there before that conversation happens.

Not sure if that adequately answered your questions - but happy to chat about it!

-K

 

[fisicx]

Ok. So the tool says for this product the code is probably that. Here is a link so you can check. If right it’s all good. If not can I edit the code? Does the tool then remember this next time around?

Do exporters send the same things week in week out? Do they use the same codes every time?

Do they have software that generates all the documents? If so does your tool plug into existing software?

 

[KVExp]

I'll try my best to answer these, although I'll also be honest and say some of them I'm still figuring out/debating myself, and evolve based on the more conversations I have with exporters!

Ok. So the tool says for this product the code is probably that. Here is a link so you can check. If right it’s all good. If not can I edit the code? Does the tool then remember this next time around?

The tool does do that, but also generates a compliance checklist of documents needed (based on the product code and the destination it's being sent to), as well as any relevant regulatory warnings from the past 12 months. So for instance if you're exporting agricultural products then things like phytosanitary certificates would be required (along with which agency issues them). If you're exporting aluminium products to the US, then it would flag things like the recent aluminium tariff changes and the impact on certification requirements.

On editing/learning: right now no, it'd require the user restarting the tool and resubmitting their information which would almost certainly lead to the same result (unless the user changes what they input). That's definitely the direction it needs to head in though - ideally the corrections feed back into the search algorithm over time for more accurate results.

Do exporters send the same things week in week out? Do they use the same codes every time?

Do they have software that generates all the documents? If so does your tool plug into existing software?

On repeat products for exporters: I'd assume it depends, based on how experienced they are + how extensive their catalog of products is. Likelihood is though that if you're shipping the same product every week you already know your codes, so probably a tool like the one I'm building wouldn't help much there - rather for any changes in regulatory warnings or document requirements. The target is really the first-time or infrequent exporter who doesn't have that muscle memory yet. I think that's a large chunk of UK SMEs but you're right it's not everyone.

On software to generate documents: this I'm really not sure about! I think for larger enterprises yes, there are ready-made software tools that generate all the documents (as well as teams that work on managing this), whereas for SMEs it'd likely be more reliance on outsourcing to brokers/agents and their forwarders.

 

[lmkeller14]

I'll try my best to answer these, although I'll also be honest and say some of them I'm still figuring out/debating myself, and evolve based on the more conversations I have with exporters!

The tool does do that, but also generates a compliance checklist of documents needed (based on the product code and the destination it's being sent to), as well as any relevant regulatory warnings from the past 12 months. So for instance if you're exporting agricultural products then things like phytosanitary certificates would be required (along with which agency issues them). If you're exporting aluminium products to the US, then it would flag things like the recent aluminium tariff changes and the impact on certification requirements.

On editing/learning: right now no, it'd require the user restarting the tool and resubmitting their information which would almost certainly lead to the same result (unless the user changes what they input). That's definitely the direction it needs to head in though - ideally the corrections feed back into the search algorithm over time for more accurate results.



On repeat products for exporters: I'd assume it depends, based on how experienced they are + how extensive their catalog of products is. Likelihood is though that if you're shipping the same product every week you already know your codes, so probably a tool like the one I'm building wouldn't help much there - rather for any changes in regulatory warnings or document requirements. The target is really the first-time or infrequent exporter who doesn't have that muscle memory yet. I think that's a large chunk of UK SMEs but you're right it's not everyone.

On software to generate documents: this I'm really not sure about! I think for larger enterprises yes, there are ready-made software tools that generate all the documents (as well as teams that work on managing this), whereas for SMEs it'd likely be more reliance on outsourcing to brokers/agents and their forwarders.

The referral logic is actually sound in theory because freight forwarders and customs agents spend a lot of time hand holding underprepared clients through basic compliance questions that eat into their margins, so a tool that gets clients to a baseline level of competence before they pick up the phone is genuinely complementary rather than competitive, and in my experience the warm introduction route through trade bodies and industry associations tends to work significantly better than cold LinkedIn outreach for this kind of B2B tool because the trust transfer from a known organization does a lot of the credibility work for you upfront.

 

[KVExp]

The referral logic is actually sound in theory because freight forwarders and customs agents spend a lot of time hand holding underprepared clients through basic compliance questions that eat into their margins, so a tool that gets clients to a baseline level of competence before they pick up the phone is genuinely complementary rather than competitive, and in my experience the warm introduction route through trade bodies and industry associations tends to work significantly better than cold LinkedIn outreach for this kind of B2B tool because the trust transfer from a known organization does a lot of the credibility work for you upfront.

Cheers! This helps a lot, I've been reaching out through the DfIT and Chambers of Commerce in various areas to see if that'd help, although there's perhaps a separate issue of trust transfer in that direction too

I also realise I've been speaking in rather cryptic terms about what I'm building without sharing it here (as Paul suggested)! So here's a link for anyone interested to know more - feedback is always welcome!

<deleted>

 

[fisicx]

Whilst feedback is undoubtedly useful, reviews of any sort are restricted to business members.