How the software industry holds the key to economic success

Tapping into overseas markets can be the key to rapid growth, writes The Times in a recent article looking at business growth rates in the UK with a feature on Clearvision.

We know growth isn’t as strong as we’d like it to be. According to the British Chambers of Commerce, the UK won’t reach its target to double exports to £1 trillion until 2034, as opposed to the intended 2020 deadline. Many UK businesses are growing, but they’re doing it slowly — except when it comes to those dealing in software services.

It’s something the team here at Clearvision can attest to. Clearvision has doubled year-on-year since 2011, in both revenue and employees; growth has been fast and, more significantly, consistent. With a heavy focus on hosting, support, consulting and training as well as software licensing, the range and quality of professional services offered are part of the secret to Clearvision’s success.

The other part of that secret to success is in overseas markets. Simon Wood, Clearvision’s Global Marketing Manager, says that operating in other countries — selling to companies overseas and expanding to recruit internationally — is “absolutely critical” to growth.

“The international element of our business now accounts for more than 50% of our turnover. This means our rate of growth would have been approximately halved had we not expanded.”

With the ongoing rise of the cloud, as well as Agile working, the software industry is in an ideal position to lead the way in international growth. Information can be accessed anywhere, at any time, by anyone with the correct permissions.

With tools like Atlassian’s Confluence and HipChat, which are designed specifically to boost collaboration, disparate teams or remote workers in different countries are no longer cause for delay.

The Future of Team Collaboration

There are still barriers to international business. Language and cultural differences are two major factors, particularly in the world of software, where networking and recommendations play such a large role in generating business, but the software industry is leading the way: Clearvision is one of ten companies selected as finalists for the Inflexion Growth Business of the Year category at the National Business Awards. This award recognises British businesses that have achieved the highest and most sustainable levels of international growth.

Read the whole article on The Times’ website: Expansive philosophy helps companies make gains without frontiers.