Why try China when Germany is next door? Why invest heavily in a random export project when our neighbours' doors are wide open to us at a much lower cost? This is the message that Alban Muller, the president of Alban Muller International, sent to French cosmetics companies at the Congress of Natural and Organic Cosmetics held on 7 and 8 October 2014 in Berlin.
There were few French people present at the Naturkosmetik Branchen-kongress, this congress dedicated to natural and organic cosmetics. Berlin is not that far away, however, and this type of event is also an ideal opportunity for a company to feel the current trends and to establish contacts with potential future partners.
Alban Muller was there to present his company which specializes in the development and manufacture of ingredients and products formulated from plants, to some 200 conference participants. And at the time of a break, he explained to the Observatoire des Cosmétiques (which was also there) why he found it so unfortunate that French cosmetics manufacturers, and particularly SMEs, often go to the wrong destination when they want to engage in an export approach.
" Don't go to China! ", he says," There are many called, but too few chosen! China is a difficult country. We have to adapt the products to Chinese regulations, set up a service dedicated to exports, hire people who speak the language, provide a service for shipping. It's already a big budget. And to succeed in exporting, you have to maintain contacts, go there…
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