Introduction
One of the companies in UK engaged in international business is MEC International that offers its clients unique tailor made flexible marketing service in many parts of the globe (Travis, T 2007, p. 27). It works with her clients on project to project basis while utilizing a range of 40 to 50 senior level consultants to form specific groups to suit needs of specified clients or states in a particular market sample.
MEC international offers nine distinct services to support international development of businesses. Services offered include risk services assessment which provides security advice for both private and public sector, business development strategies to help many clients or companies avoid known pitfalls, corporate communication that help improve public and government relations, finance whereby it provides advice to clients to help them realise their position in international markets, publications of reports and journals for clients with a certain market focus, diligence, fraud and even asset investigation, carrying out market surveys, trainings in media services which help improve communication and finally practicing energy consultancies.
The above mentioned services are offered in many international markets such as Middle East, Gulf and Markets in Central Asia. From its solid base in London, MEC international operates in Easter Europe, Middle East and even in Central Asia utilizing technologically provided e-commerce. Also, the western countries are never left behind in their operations development as their Middle Eastern colleagues who are all ready.
There are a number of challenges that are encountered by the MEC international in the Markets just like other international business companies. The major challenge encountered is communication barrier and pricing whereby the company spends a lot of its resources in training new recruits to work for them in the respected stations away from home and also because of their new market, pricing of the clients is not easy and exchange rate movements affect them because of their unfamiliarity with the country. Political uncertainty mostly in the Middle East and the Gulf has been a very big challenge including cultural differences. Inflation and lack or poor distribution channels of their services including poor public relations among their clients has mostly affected MEC International (Palmisano, J (2004,)
MEC international has put forth combination of unique expertise and skills by closely working with both private and Public sectors in the respective countries including international corporations and banks as strategies to address these challenges (Daniels, J, Sullivan, D 2007, p.63). By offering their clients tailor made marketing services that are so unique, they negate challenges of poor public relations and poor channels of distributions. Political uncertainty and communication barriers are reduced by early partner identification and political contacts at high levels and risk assessment.
Partner identification and political contacts at high levels have been very successful because this is where the big fish who make policies fall and once they get the higher ranks approval then all the plans go through smoothly. Realisation and incorporation of both private and Public sectors has also proved very effective as a strategy.
Conclusion
International business companies such as MEC are so important because of the diversified services they provide to global clients. Though they face challenges they also have strategies to overcome the problems they face some which have been successful.
Reference List
Daniels, J, Sullivan, D (2007) International Business: environment and operations, 11th ed. Prentice Hall.
Palmisano, J (2004) Leading Change When Business Is Good. Harvard Business Review. Harvard University Press.
Travis, T (2007) Doing Business Anywhere: The Essential Guide to Going Global. Hoboken: John Wiley&Sons.