Those who embark on this journey the right way, do so by planning, getting the right training, and using the right strategies and approaches. They undertake a lot of work, but also experience the tremendous benefits from all their efforts—and that’s why we’re proud to celebrate them.

This week, we’re putting the business spotlight on Randall Strategy, owned by CITP Quentin Randall. Quentin got his start in international trade when he joined an Alberta-led international mission to Mexico City. There, he supported Alberta-based SMEs as they expanded into Latin America. Since then, his company, Randall Strategy, has dedicated itself to helping small businesses access capital and enter new markets.

Tell us a little bit about your company?

Randall Strategy is led by certified financial and trade professionals. We de-risk business ventures so SMEs can raise capital and enter new markets. We help these companies get the capital and contracts they need so they can focus on running their business.

What are some of your favourite stories about your business and career?

Every time I get to meet and work with a new small business client, I learn about their operations and help them grow; it is a very rewarding experience. Most of these companies are family-owned and operated, and helping them understand that they too can compete globally is very rewarding.

What are some of your proudest professional accomplishments, or most interesting business projects you’ve worked on?

In 2021, my company helped a Canadian logistics company secure a major investment which saved them tens of thousands of dollars and set them up to ship products internationally. I have also imported samples of hand-woven hammams and throws from Turkey, and miniature wooden baseball bats from China. This project is on hold due to COVID-19, but it is still very rewarding to be connected with overseas suppliers.

What one piece of advice have you learned during your career that you wish you had known when you started working in international trade?

I wish I would’ve connected to an experienced 3PL and customs broker in the beginning. It is a long, slow, complicated process to navigate all the regulations and freight considerations yourself, and these groups help move things along. Working with a 3PL is such a time-saver and they de-risk a venture so well. 3PLs and customs brokers are well worth the investment.

Your business, Randall Strategy, helps clients raise capital and enter new markets. As a CITP, how do you foresee your designation playing a role in your company’s future?

I want to use my CITP designation and the knowledge that comes with it to do two things:

1. Help more clients access capital and successfully enter new international markets

2. Import new, high-quality products into Canada.

For someone who owns their own business, what was your experience with the FITTskills courses like? 

These courses were awesome. It validated much of what I thought to be true and taught me a great deal more about risk management than I expected. They have also enhanced my ability to provide clients with investment attraction and exporting support so they can raise capital, reach new markets, and grow their business. Looking towards future opportunities for my business, knowledge from these courses will smooth out my importing activities as I better understand the framework that needs to be in place to conduct a transaction. 

Discover how to properly mitigate business risks so you can prevent financial loss and costly mistakes. Take the FITTskills online Risk Analysis and Management workshop.

Did you have a favourite FITTskills course and how did it apply to your business?

My favourite course was International Trade Finance because it helped me better understand how to mitigate currency risk, make payments and ultimately complete a transaction. In my mind, a mutually beneficial transaction is the core of trade and this course really brought home how to do that.

Discover how the FITTskills online International Trade Finance course teaches you everything you need to know about payment, risk mitigation, financing, and the flow of goods and services.

How do you see the CITP designation benefitting your business and why did you apply for it?

My business helps small businesses access capital and reach new markets. The CITP is a well-regarded international designation and CITPs are held to a standard of professionalism that I wanted applied to my practice. It helps secure my company’s reputation of professionalism. We are also seeking to grow by importing products into Canada, and CITP designation is immediately recognizable overseas, providing a certain level of trust and professionalism.

I am proud to have my CITP designation. It validates my experience and signals to clients that I will represent their best interest. It also enhances my ability to participate in the global trade market, which is very exciting.

Businesses seeking to succeed in global markets face many business challenges, especially in navigating this quickly evolving and complex trade environment.

“If you’ve been looking at going global you probably already know what you need to do, but crucially, do you or your team know how to do it? In business, if you don’t have the know-how to go global, you’ll give your profits to someone else,” according to Caroline Tompkins, President and CEO of FITT.

Which begs the question, why go it alone?  Many businesses who are entering the international market add a certified global business expert to their staff, either through hiring or upskilling existing employees.

We wanted to learn more about the value of international business training so we asked our Certified International Trade Professionals (CITPs).

Illia Dumbadze, CITP – Best Driver Advanced Truck Driving School

Illia is a multilingual supply chain and logistics expert who has made an impact at major international corporations around the world. He has worked in many countries in North America, the UK, Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States over the course of his career in global trade.

Illia earned his Bachelor’s degree, and then a Master of Science degree in Logistics, Materials and Supply Chain Management from one of the top schools in the transport industry in Eastern Europe in 2011.

Illia is currently the Project Manager for Best Driver Advanced Truck Driving School. We asked him to tell us about his career and what the CITP designation means for his career development.

What problem does your business solve, and how?

Our company specializes in training and coaching professional drivers with a focus on:

• Education
• Professional development
• Coaching
• Personnel consulting

Best Driver provides expertise, training and coaching to transportation companies to optimize their performance. They provide solutions to save time and money, such as process improvements and best practices for safety and compliance:

– ECO driving (7-9% less fuel combustion after training)

– Safety driving (10-14% less accidents)

– Educational training (8-10% better communication with dispatchers)

While these numbers may seem small, improvements like this can make a big impact for a trucking company with a fleet of 200 trucks or more.

How is your organization involved in global trade?

Our company is actively seeking to expand into new markets in Europe and North America.

As a project manager at Best Driver, my main responsibility is to manage the delivery of our services and ensure that we provide a level of service that meets our customers expectations. Currently we are supplying over 200 professional drivers to more than 20 clients in countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland and Poland.

When I started to work with Best Driver in 2015, there were only 15 drivers and 3 instructors and we have grown to a team of 20 employees (office staff + instructors) and over 200 professionally trained drivers.

How has the CITP designation impacted your career?

It has a direct impact and contributes to my career in many ways. It gave me the knowledge of how to conduct international business, negotiate, and implement market entry strategies.

As an example, in my previous position at ECS where I worked as an International Fleet Planner, I implemented a project which saved the company on an annual basis, over € 100,000.

Why was getting CITP certified an important decision for you/your business?

Holding the CITP designation gives me more confidence and practical knowledge, which I’m using on a daily basis, solving different issues with customers and drivers.

What does having the CITP designation mean to you?

It’s been an honour for me to become a CITP and a member of FITT. Personally, it’s one of my best educational achievements.

What are some of your proudest achievements?

As the Project Manager at Best Driver, I reached a goal of 200 professional drivers certified within less than 15 months and I opened new markets in Ukraine and Georgia, where Best Driver provided training to 60 drivers within a 6 month period, to a standard of 95% of key performance indicators.

What is one piece of advice you would give to those who are just starting their international business careers?

“If you want the best, you have to work harder than the rest.” Meaning, that if you are a motivated person, you can always find a way to get what you are looking for. From my personal experience, I think that there is no such thing as a problem which cannot be solved – it’s only a matter of how.

Believe in yourself, and in all your thoughts and ideas, as only you know how to bring them to life and no one else will do it better.

If you’re a small business aiming to expand into new global markets, you may be wondering about the best way to approach it. Entering global markets can be a significant undertaking, and like any undertaking, it requires know-how, and developing or securing that know-how will require an investment of time and money.

So, in practical terms, what’s the value of investing in trade know-how?

Who better to ask than our own Certified International Trade Professionals (CITPs)?

Survival Systems Limited – Trish Tully, MBA, CITP, VP – Marketing & Sales

As a leader with 25 years of experience at Survival Systems Limited, Trish has played a key role in growing the company’s international reputation as the leader in delivering premier water survival training center equipment and services to commercial training operations and military services worldwide.

She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce and an EMBA from Saint Mary’s University and is a Certified International Trade Professional (CITP), having completed the global trade training program with the Forum for International Trade Training (FITT).

Trish is responsible for Survival Systems Limited’s new business development, contracts management, and a broad array of marketing and sales related activities. She has travelled worldwide to negotiate sales and to form long-term business relationships that garner repeat trade. She has also built strong industry references and business-to-business partnerships.

We asked Trish to tell us more about Survival Systems Limited.

What problem does your business solve, and how?

Survival Systems Limited is committed to the preservation of human life through the development of simulation technologies that provide realistic survival and safety training while addressing risk at all levels of the process. We enhance and preserve workers’ lives through safety education, training technologies, and applied research and development.

Our products and services include producing, commissioning, and servicing high-quality Modular Egress Training Simulators (METS®) for delivering underwater egress; integrated Personnel-Rated Lift Systems for hoisting METS® into and out of a pool water environment; high-fidelity Environmental Training Aids (wind, wave, downwash, rain, etc.) for Survival Training Simulation Theaters; and Modular Fire & Rescue Simulators.

How is your business involved in global trade?

Survival Systems Limited (SSL) has been exporting its simulators and services around the world since 1987 (over 30 years) which involves:

• Researching potential clients and agents to qualify capabilities
• Traveling to market to meet in person
• Hosting potential clients, existing clients, agents, government departments, and others at SSL’s Survival Training Simulation Theater (STST)
• Working with Global Affairs, Trade Commissioner Services, ACOA, NSBI, and other government departments
• Preparing proposals and pricing
• Responding to tenders
• Negotiating and securing contracts
• Providing after-sales services

How has FITT training/ know-how contributed to the success of your business?

After graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce in 1997, I undertook an EMBA congruent with the time when I became more heavily involved with marketing and sales at Survival Systems Limited. In 2007, I completed the Strategic Marketing Management program at Harvard.

I had also been aware of the global trade training offered by FITT. After taking the training, I was pleasantly surprised that the course materials and lecturers delivering the program were very practical, detailed, and offered present and real case scenarios applicable to any small business either exporting their wares currently or wishing to do so.

What are some of your secrets of success?

The importance of building relationships and becoming a trusted advisor to clients; understanding their needs to address customized solutions; offering assistance and expertise to solve their (training) challenges; reacting quickly; fluent communications; keeping promises; standing behind our product and services by always doing the right things.

What is the most important lesson you ever learned?

By following these secrets of success, we have formed long-term business and personal relationships with our clients and a solid network of people who genuinely wish to help those being trained and who act as SSL’s ambassadors in a niche industry. The best and most reliable source for validation and advertising!

If you’re a small business aiming to grow, you may be wondering about the best way to approach it. You probably already know that scaling up your business to go global presents unique challenges for smaller businesses.

Entering global markets is a significant undertaking, and like any undertaking, it requires know-how, and developing or securing that know-how will require an investment of time and money.

So, in practical terms, what’s the value to small business of investing in trade know-how?

Who better to ask than our own Certified International Trade Professionals (CITPs) who run their own global businesses?

We wanted to learn more about their own journeys to global trade, so we asked our CITPs how global trade training and the CITP designation helps them to grow their own small businesses.

The Pacific Trade Show – Carolina Vasquez, CITP

Carolina Vasquez is a CITP with over two decades of experience in the industry.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Trade through her university studies in Chile, and completed her FITTskills education as part of a post-graduate program in International Business Management at Mohawk College.

In 2011, Carolina attained her Certified International Trade Professional designation, the CITP|FIBP, a strategic move that would serve her in many ways in her career.

Carolina adds that “the program is so comprehensive, and courses like Feasibility of International Trade and Global Value Chain have been key tools in my career for a better understanding in all aspects of international trade. What I have learned has also been a decisive factor for effectively managing cultural differences and language barriers… it has been a complimentary tool to continue my professional development.”

As a CITP with so much international experience, we wanted to know more about Carolina’s newest business venture, The Pacific Trade Show.

What problem does your business solve, and how?

After several years of working on events in Toronto, promoting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from the Pacific Region, we decided to create a new platform and an international program to connect Canadian companies, organizations and SMEs looking for international business opportunities.

The Pacific Trade Show brings together a new platform for participants to connect through experience sharing and networking, learn from a wide range of speakers, and discover new market trends in products and/or services.

How is your business involved in global trade?

It offers a platform for commercial integration, developing common objectives and sharing best practices in several areas, such as education, training, and international trade facilitation and promotion.

Our team of professionals has the ability to connect with other organizations, companies and professionals in international trade, facilitating business-to-business exchanges through trade promotion events and inbound/outbound missions to/from Canada and other countries of the Pacific Region.

We also offer our services to women-led companies looking for internationalization opportunities. The purpose is to help increase women’s access to economic opportunities and resources to empower their businesses, and their communities.

How has FITT training/ know-how contributed to the success of your business?

It gave me the know-how to understand and put in practice many aspects of global trade and successfully guide SMEs businesses through their international business experience in Canada.

Why was getting the CITP certification an important decision for you/your business?

I have been involved in international trade for over 20 years, and getting the CITP designation gave me recognition of my competency, knowledge and expertise in international trade in Canada.

What is one of your secrets of success?

Take the time to connect with people. By reaching out and engaging with others you can find people willing to share their time, talent and expertise to help others make their business succeed.

What advice would you share with other entrepreneurs as they begin their journey?

Always be open to new opportunities. Take a chance and don’t get  discouraged, because as the saying goes, ‘when one door closes, another door opens’ – there might be others open to listening to your ideas. Be ready to overcome challenges and never give up.

Carolina and her team are already excited for The Pacific Trade Show 2019 on October 31 (learn more about and register for this exciting event here), and the platform to connect is ready. The invitation is open to everyone to join this exciting international business event.

Many businesses seeking to grow often face the barriers of not having the knowledge or the confidence to succeed.

For small business, entering global markets is a significant undertaking, and requires know-how, and developing or securing that know-how will require an investment of time and money.

“If you’ve been looking at going global you probably already know what you need to do, but crucially, do you or your team know how to do it? In business, if you don’t have the know-how to go global, you’ll give your profits to someone else,” according to Caroline Tompkins, President and CEO of FITT.

So, in practical terms, what’s the value to small business of investing in trade know-how?

Who better to ask than our own Certified International Trade Professionals (CITPs)? We wanted to learn more about their own journeys to global trade, so we asked them how training and the CITP designation helps them to grow their own small businesses.

Channelspark International Inc. – Greg Henderson, CITP

What problem does your business solve, and how?

Channelspark guides and assists Canadian businesses on the benefits and value of expanding into new markets. Channelspark’s research and assessment tools simplify and streamline this process to provide quick and valuable information that helps companies make critical decisions about exporting.

How is your business involved in global trade?

Channelspark is a management consulting company that helps businesses expand into new markets, offering introductory export training, in-depth market research, export plan development and international marketing and partner development services.

While there are services and information available to help Canadian businesses expand into new markets, find funding and participate in trade missions, many small businesses find it difficult to know where to start or to determine whether their product is competitive or even viable for an international market.  

Channelspark helps point businesses in the right direction with help to determine if they are export ready, and provides consulting services focused on market data and sector trends, and strategies for success. With their new service, ExportSpark, businesses can get an assessment of their capabilities and their product, find the best fitting international markets and get a customized roadmap for going forward with international expansion.

Channelspark has worked one-on-one with businesses around the world, and has managed projects with Global Affairs Canada to help international businesses with entering the Canadian market.

How has FITT training/ know-how contributed to the success of your business?

As an international trade consultant, the CITP designation and FITT training was absolutely essential and is the core of what I do on a daily basis. The FITT program doesn’t just teach subjects, it teaches you to create frameworks for developing services or programs that can quickly add value to any export activities done by most businesses. Without those, you could spend months trying to understand how a business works or why their product even fits internationally. And that’s just not profitable.

Why was getting CITP certified an important decision for you/your business?

As a trade consultant, being credible and of value to any business requires more than just sales experience, it requires a deep understanding of international trade, marketing, market entry strategies and more. The FITT CITP designation is one of the most valuable designations to have as it immediately provides this credibility and an understanding that a CITP understands all aspects of “going international”.

 What is one of your secrets of success?

A very large part of international consulting is spent hunched over a desk doing research, learning, and trying to figure out how to tell a company how they will succeed. Getting it right is important, but very hard to do in an ever-changing world.

What advice would you share with other entrepreneurs as they begin their journey?

Becoming an entrepreneur is a great choice for business people looking for independence, flexibility and freedom of operating in their chosen field. But it is easily 10 to 20 times harder than any job I’ve ever done and requires an ability to constantly change and adapt, with little predictability on when you’re going to get paid…. but it is never boring!

If you’re a small business aiming to grow internationally, you may be wondering about the best way to approach it. You probably already know that scaling up your business to go global presents unique challenges for smaller businesses.

Entering global markets can be a significant undertaking, and like any undertaking, it requires know-how, and developing or securing that know-how will require an investment of time and money.

So, in practical terms, what’s the value to small business of investing in trade know-how?

Who better to ask than our own Certified International Trade Professionals (CITPs) who run their own global businesses?

We wanted to learn more about their own journeys to global trade, so we asked our CITPs how global trade training and the CITP designation helps them to grow their own small businesses.

Shipz Inc – Sarah Barnes-Humphrey, CITP|FIBP

Sarah Barnes-Humphrey, CITP|FIBP, is the CEO of Shipz Inc, as well as founder and host of the “Let’s Talk Supply Chain” podcast.

Sarah stands at the forefront of international trade with expertise in the global logistics industry, and has worked with the private sector to build, develop and increase efficiencies in their supply chains.

Throughout her 20 year tenure in supply chain, Sarah has gained a reputation for her passion for the industry. Her efforts range from helping to build cost-effective supply chains to hosting one of the top podcasts in the industry, including her popular Women in Supply Chain series highlighting powerhouse women doing amazing things in the industry.

As the host of the popular  “Let’s Talk Supply Chain” podcast, Sarah interviews top supply chain professionals so everyone can learn more about this interesting industry. You can check out Lets Talk episodes anywhere you listen to podcasts, including iTunes, Spotify, google play and Stitcher or on the website www.letstalksupplychain.com

​Sarah’s dedication to excellence in the field has resulted from a combination of hands-on experience and obtaining her CITP designation, FIATA Diploma and CIFFA certifications. Sarah continues this dedication as a Board Member and Certification and Accreditation Committee (CAC) committee member for FITT (Forum for International Trade Training). In 2016/2017, she was also the chair for the FITT planning committee for their 25th anniversary celebration and conference.

In addition to her podcast, Sarah is a serial entrepreneur and is changing the industry through the online platform she and her team are working on, Shipz Inc.

So, we asked Sarah to tell us about her company, Shipz Inc., and how global trade training and the CITP designation have helped her in her business.

What problem does your business solve, and how?

We are giving shippers direct and easy access to supply chain services to keep their business competitive.

How is your business involved in global trade?

We help importers and exporters move their raw materials or finished products globally. We help them expand their businesses globally.

How has FITT training/ know-how contributed to the success of your business?

By giving me an understanding of what companies go through to source new materials or sell their products in new markets. It helped me to better understand what they need to be successful and how I can help with that.

Why was getting CITP certified an important decision for you/your business?

It was hugely important, it shows that I am dedicated to my field and have the knowledge to help companies be successful in global trade. When I am speaking at an event and I mention being a CITP or what the training FITT provides its well received, and shows that I invest in the industry I speak in and gives me credibility.

What is one of your secrets of success?

Persistence and passion.

What advice would you share with other entrepreneurs as they begin their journey?

Keep going, every day is going to be a roller coaster ride – embrace it, learn from it and keep moving forward.

Tapping into new international markets presents growth opportunities for businesses of all sizes and yet, as of January 2018, only about 15 percent of Canadian SMEs were engaged in global trade.

Businesses seeking to succeed in global markets face many business problems, especially in navigating this quickly evolving and complex trade environment. Scaling up your small business to do business globally presents its own unique challenges.

“If you’ve been looking at going global you probably already know what you need to do, but crucially, do you or your team know how to do it? In business, if you don’t have the know-how to go global, you’ll give your profits to someone else,” according to Caroline Tompkins, President and CEO of FITT.

Which begs the question, why go it alone?  Many businesses who are entering the international market add a certified global business expert to their staff, either through hiring or upskilling existing employees.

For small business, entering global markets is a significant undertaking, and like any undertaking, it requires know-how, and developing or securing that know-how will require an investment of time and money.

So, in practical terms, what’s the value to small business of investing in trade know-how?

Who better to ask than our own Certified International Trade Professionals (CITP’s) who run their own global businesses?

We wanted to learn more about their own journeys to global trade, so we asked our CITP’s how global trade training and the CITP designation helps them to grow their own small businesses.

The Saddle Up Management Company – Scott C. Ferris, CITP

Scott C. Ferris is CEO of The Saddle Up Management Co., a global trade expert and a business development professional, based out of PEI, Canada.

Scott established The Saddle Up Management Company after spending his career in a mix of public and private sector engagements. His experience with international trade covers a wide range of areas including marketing, communications and business development.

Scott has more than 25 years experience in export sales planning, domestic and international business development, investment attraction, multi-sector communications, marketing campaign development, negotiations and partnership engagement as well as client engagement and membership development.

His domestic and international experience stems from participating on and organizing more than 30 trade missions on four continents.

We asked Scott to tell us more about his business, and how his CITP|FIBP designation has shaped his career and his experiences.

What problem does your business solve, and how?

We help company owners stay focused on what they do best and provide expertise in customer profiling, market intelligence and lead generation, empowering them to grow and expand into new markets.

How is your business involved in global trade? ​

Our work is focused exclusively on global market expansion, helping clients research, strategically plan and enter new markets.

How has FITT training/ know-how contributed to the success of your business? ​

FITT training expanded on my practical experience, broadening my knowledge across all facets of international trade. It has directly impacted my ability to help clients as I am more aware of the complexities of global trade and can work with clients across the complete spectrum of global business development.

Why was getting the CITP designation an important decision for you or your business? ​

For me personally, the CITP designation is testament to the skills and knowledge I possess and that my abilities have been recognized by the leading organization in international trade. I confidently then leverage this as proof of my capacity to help clients. Furthermore, the CITP has connected me to a global network of professionals I can call upon for additional assistance at any time. That is a very powerful resource to have at one’s disposal.

What is one of your secrets of success?

As a recent entrepreneur, I have made a purposeful decision to work with clients who equally have a real passion for what they are doing. In business, we recognize we need to profitable to survive, but money isn’t everything and doing something for the true love of it is a real defining characteristic. I love to work with people who love what they are doing and have realized some great success with this approach so far.

What advice would you share with other entrepreneurs as they begin their journey?

Believe in yourself. Be prepared to improvise and adapt but always be ready to overcome challenges. There will be many, but believing in yourself means you can conquer anything. ​