Don't trip up over business travel

ONE of the main growth strategies for booming SMEs is to venture overseas - a particularly important process for firms looking to outgrow Singapore's lean consumer base. Local SMEs are increasingly keen on overseas expansion.

Many are actively seeking assistance - 80 per cent of the 99,000 cases who received help in overseas expansion from International Enterprise (IE) Singapore are SMEs.

For SMEs to succeed in the Asia-Pacific's relationship-centric economy, establishing business partners through physical networking is key, and business travel plays a huge role in building these relationships. However, business travel can be a challenge for SMEs to tackle.