BCBusiness

32 BCBUSINESS SEPTEMBER 2017 A fter launching Icicle Technologies Inc. in early 2015, Steve Burton con- centrated on food producers in Canada. Burton was sell- ing a cloud-based software system that helps such com- panies manage many aspects of their operations, with an emphasis on food safety. Given this country's high rate of food-borne illness—it a•ects one in eight people a year, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada— he ‚gured there would be enough demandat home. Burton was onto some- thing: many companies saw the need for an automated subscription service that would help them document their processes and pass audits from customers and safety inspectors. By the end of 2015, three dozen Cana- dian businesses had signed on to Richmond-based Icicle's service, including bakeries, meat processors, chocolate makers, dairy facilities and blueberry farms. Then foreign custom- ers came knocking. "We were a bit surprised when we got our ‚rst call from over- seas," Burton says, referring to a Heineken beer–making facility in the Caribbean nation of St. Lucia that became a client in 2015. U.S. food producers also started subscribing to Icicle, which has six employees. In early 2016, Burton was contacted by Brian Roberts, vice-president of interna- tional business development at Wavefront Wireless Com- munication Centre Society, a Vancouver-based organiza- tion that helps mobile and wireless companies with early-stage development, growth and building inter- national ties. Roberts was taking a group of B.C. agri- food executives to Australia and New Zealand to meet potential customers, and he asked Burton to join him. Since Wavefront launched in 2009, 230 companies have participated in these targeted trade missions, resulting in about 100 foreign business deals. Burton's inter- est was piqued by Australia and New Zealand because of the familiar language and regulatory environment. He decided to go. Wavefront receives fund- ing from federal agency Global A•airs Canada for its Global Market Entry Trips and works with Canadian trade commissioners based in foreign cities. On this journey, the commission- ers helped set up meetings in Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland over ‚ve days. Burton, who was looking for a partner in the region to sell his software and act as a consultant, met several possibilities. He chose an Auckland-based company that also works in Australia, with experience in both food safety and information technoložy. "They are our boots on the ground," Burton says. "They use their network to drum up their leads. We do back-end support, technical support, and they provide consult- ing expertise and sales. We share revenues." Icicle now counts 12 customers down under and more than 500 worldwide. "It takes time for the brand to permeate the market, and I think we're still in early days there," Burton says. "But I'm very optimistic." 1 DEFINE THE ROLE Obviously, you want your partner to take on customer acquisition and sales. But what about training? Technical support? Local marketing support? Determine in advance exactly what you want them to do. 2 LOOK AROUND THE OFFICE Canada is a diverse nation, Roberts notes, with immigrants from all over the world. Your own employees may be able to help you understand the culture of their native countries and could even have personal contacts. 3 CHANNEL PARTNER OR EMPLOYEE? There are several models the relationship could follow. A channel partner is a third party that's already selling to your target customer. You can use this partner or hire your own sales agent. "There are pros and cons to both," Roberts says. "With your own employee, you have more control. However, it's a fixed cost whether they're selling or not. The channel partner is usually working on some sort of commis- sion system, so you're only paying them when they sell something." 4 FIND THE RIGHT FIT Your foreign sales partner should already have access to the right customer base, language skills and technical knowledge to represent and support your product. "It's kind of like a marriage, so think about personal connection," Roberts advises. "Do your goals and business ethics match up?" 5 REL ATIONSHIPS TAKE TIME Make sure you're addressing your partner's needs and issues. "I know one company that spends half an hour every single day with their partner in Australia," Roberts says, "but their partner is doing huge volumes of business. You have to dedicate time to spend with them, but often the end customer wants to see you as well." FOR MOST MARKETS, exporters need an on-the-ground sales resource who has local relationships and understands the culture. Brian Roberts, VP of international business development at Wavefront, o€ers ‚ve tips on ‚nding the right foreign representative Steve Burton took a trip to Australia and New Zealand in search of a partner to sell his food safety software G'Day, Mate

• Cover