The limited market size of many small emerging economies is a key constraint to the growth of innovative small and medium enterprises. Exporting offers a potential solution, but firms may struggle to locate and appeal to foreign buyers. A six-country randomized experiment was conducted with 225 firms in the Western Balkans to test the effectiveness of 30 hours of live group-based training and 5 hours of one-on-one remote consulting in overcoming these constraints. Treated firms used techniques such as search engine optimization and improved Facebook content to increase their digital presence and better reach foreign customers. A year later, positive and significant impacts are found on the number of customers, and a significant intensive margin increase in export sales. Qualitative interviews suggest this improvement came from a combination of sector-specific advice on market expansion, and through an encouragement effect which gave entrepreneurs the confidence to try new sales strategies.
Authors
- Collection(s)
- Policy Research Working Papers
- DOI
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1596/1813-9450-10256
- Googlescholar linkpresent
- yes
- Identifier externaldocumentum
- IDU-c2e6b3a9-ae87-4ffc-a487-0caa1b8961cc
- Identifier internaldocumentum
- 33951738
- Published in
- United States of America
- Region country
- Albania
- RelationisPartofseries
- Policy Research Working Papers;10256
- Report
- WPS10256
- Rights
- CC BY 3.0 IGO
- Rights Holder
- World Bank
- Rights URI
- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo
- UNIT
- DECRG: Finance & Priv Sec Devt (DECFP)
- URI
- http://hdl.handle.net/10986/38441
- citation
- “Cusolito, Ana P.; Darova, Omella; McKenzie, David. 2022. Capacity Building as a Route to Export Market Expansion : A Six-Country Experiment in the Western Balkans . Policy Research Working Papers;10256. World Bank, Washington, DC. © World Bank. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/38441 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
- date disclosure
- 2022-12-07