By Francis Chan

WHEN in Rome, do as the Romans do, goes the saying, but many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) find that a bit difficult when they venture overseas for the first time.

Staff at smaller firms without prior knowledge of the market often find themselves stumbling over local business regulations, practices and cultures.

International Enterprise (IE) Singapore can help by equipping employees with the right know-how when expanding to foreign markets.

Its International Market Immersion Programme, or iMIP, helps SMEs develop manpower capability as these firms ply their trade in new business environments.

'When a company is ready to enter a particular market, it can tap on iMIP to provide its staff with an in-depth and customised immersion programme to learn about the market,' said Mr Edwin Tan, a manager at IE Singapore's capability development group.

There are two parts to iMIP: Pre-departure training, which includes language or specific business etiquette courses, and another portion that involves immersion training programmes overseas.

'This would be led by one or more in-market experts, who could be the company's existing employees in the market or its business partners who will serve as mentors to the trainee,' said Mr Tan.

He added that the immersion programme is customised to meet the needs of the firm's internationalisation plan and staff requirements.

'This may cover introduction to key partners and officials in the market, or to develop an understanding and familiarisation of local regulatory requirements and cultural norms related to the company's business in the market,' said Mr Tan.

For example, an iMIP trainee can expect the mentor to teach him how tenders are submitted in a country such as China, and walk him through the dos and don'ts of the Chinese tender system to help avoid cultural pitfalls.

Mr Tan believes iMIP can help improve overseas turnover and company performance in the market once the immersion training is completed.

'After a company has developed staff who are competent...the knowledge of how to operate effectively in the overseas market can be internalised within the company, and this goes a long way in establishing the company in that market,' he added.

SMEs can get iMIP funding to subsidise the costs of pre-departure training, an employee's wages and even return flight tickets for employees sent for immersion courses abroad.

'IE Singapore recently enhanced our support for iMIP in February to encourage companies to continue to build up their capabilities for internationalisation despite the downturn,' said Mr Tan.

Pre-departure training and staff salary supports were increased to 70 per cent earlier this year, he said.

Since the scheme was introduced as the Overseas Manpower Programme in 2003, iMIP has helped 45 firms with over $1 million in training subsidies.

Firms need to submit an immersion training programme to IE Singapore to enjoy the funding support.

Programme managers like Mr Tan can also work with SMEs, especially those with small human resource capabilities, to put their applications together.

'We sometimes work quite closely with the companies on the key objectives of the immersion programme and guide them on how to structure an effective training programme, or even share with them sample training programme templates,' said Mr Tan.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.