Raeanne Anderson has years of experience working in international exports. Whether chasing down freight ships, understanding customs policies or coordinating with multi-national companies, Raeanne has done it all. Now, she brings this expertise to her role as an Export Advisor, helping small business owners navigate the ups-and-downs of global trade.
Export Navigator: Can you introduce yourself and what you do in your role as an Export Advisor?
Raeanne: I’m Raeanne Anderson, one of the Export Advisors for the Okanagan. I’m based out of Kelowna, and while many of my clients are based in Kelowna too, I also work with businesses in Oliver, Osoyoos, and Penticton.
Like other Export Advisors, my work changes day-by-day depending on the business I’m working with and their needs. I encourage businesses to broaden their horizons and diversify their portfolios – one of the ways of doing that is exploring other markets. I spend quite a lot of time helping clients solidify their business plans. Many entrepreneurs have a great idea or recipe that can form the basis for their business, but don’t have a plan and goals to put things into motion.
We’re an import heavy country, so not many people realize what it takes to get our products off our shores. I help connect entrepreneurs to the resources and partners they need, such as Community Futures, Small Business BC and WeBC so they can start to understand the commerce side of owning a business. There are many excellent resources that can help entrepreneurs along the way.
Export Navigator: What kinds of businesses do you mainly work with?
Raeanne: Due to living and working in the Okanagan, many of the businesses I work with are focused on agri-foods. Some clients lean more towards consumer-packaged foods, depending on how they want to promote their company, but these businesses still often have strong ties to agri-food.
I’ve noticed an uptick in business in the manufacturing space recently, and there are certainly businesses working in the tech realm – whether that’s clean tech, health tech, education tech, or something similar.
Other businesses almost defy categorization. For example, there are a lot of creative businesses in this region that work in areas ranging from photography to handmade textiles, like hand-spun wool.
Export Navigator: What is your professional background, and how did that prepare you to work as an Export Advisor?
Raeanne: I went to college in Alberta, where I got a Diploma in Agriculture Business, Rural Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management from Olds College and a Bachelor of Management degree from the University of Lethbridge.
After completing my degree, I moved overseas to South America, where I lived and worked for about 13 years. My first job was as an export assistant for a dehydrated food company and within a couple of months, I was promoted to export manager.
This started me on my path working in exports, specifically with agrifood products. I learned how to deal with large multi-national organizations, and how to source and vet suppliers, growers, processers, packaging houses, and everything in between.
By the time we moved back to Canada, I had been working in a role brokering food products internationally for over eight years. At that point, my role shifted slightly to have more of a focus on opening accounts in the Pacific Northwest and developing a supplier base in Mexico.
After a while, I needed to make some changes. I entered the organic certification space working as an organic certification reviewer, and then took another role as the export manager for a company exporting fresh fruit to Asia and Europe. I helped developed a line of B.C.-grown organic apples for large western Canadian retailers, and Costco took them on as their first B.C.-grown organic apples that they ever carried.
This direct export experience supported a very natural transition to my role as an Export Advisor. While my experience was in agri-food, the work of international contracts and logistics is the same no matter which sector you’re working in.
Export Navigator: What do you look for in a business to determine if they are ready to grow beyond B.C.?
Raeanne: All my work is very client driven. Many of my clients are not new to the business world, or even the exporting process. Some entrepreneurs come to Export Navigator because they have been successful domestically for five or ten years but are ready to explore international options. Sometimes these experienced exporters may have encountered a hiccup – lost a key staff member or faced issues with customs – and are seeking a solution.
Other clients are coming straight from farmers’ markets and are starting to explore what it might look like to put their products into grocery stores.
These businesses are in very different points in their exporting journey, but all are great candidates for working with Export Navigator.
Export Navigator: How would you describe your advising style/approach to working with clients?
Raeanne: A lot of my work is making sure my clients feel heard. There are a range of unique challenges that small business owners face in B.C., including higher operational costs than their competitors in the U.S. These are real barriers, and it’s important to me that I recognize that in conversations with my clients.
Many entrepreneurs try to do it all themselves. I encourage business owners to recognize what they bring to the table and find opportunities to bring in other skillsets where needed. It’s okay to ask for help!
I work with clients to make sure they have the most accurate and current information for their business or industry. Some business owners have been around for a while, but an Export Advisor can offer a new lens on a business problem or a new approach to their five-year plan. We explore a range of resources together – whether that’s additional funding, networking opportunities, or grants – to ensure the business has what it needs to scale.
Export Navigator: Aside from being an Export Advisor, what else do you like to do in your free time?
Raeanne: I like to get outside and enjoy where I live. I spend time hiking and biking, but also like to relax on the beach or enjoy a glass of Okanagan wine.
When not outdoors, I love reading non-fiction or simply watching Netflix.
Being in the Okanagan, we often host friends and family in our home. In this area, you’re pretty much obligated to host people, and that’s almost a hobby all to itself!
Export Navigator: What’s your best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Raeanne: I first heard this advice from Shauna Harper at WeBC: “Ask for the money before you need it.” This has stuck with me, as it is very true. Many business owners are intimidated by the process of asking for capital. They’d prefer to pull up their bootstraps and avoid the debt, yet, at the same time, they want to grow. It’s a chicken and egg situation, but the last thing I want is for an entrepreneur to land their dream contract and then not have the funds or resourcing to put things into action. I try my best to guide business owners to the funds they need to support their goals.
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Thinking of exporting? Find an Export Advisor in your region today and discover what opportunities are available to you.
