about
Thank you for your interest in International Strategies (IS). My name is Cheryl Lockhart and I am the owner and principal consultant of IS.
The business model for IS was developed during the years I worked with the federal government, facilitating access to export markets for Canadian agriculture companies. There, I observed a real reluctance among business professionals to expand their markets beyond North America. Despite the plethora of export awareness initiatives and government-organized activities, it was difficult to persuade companies to pursue the many opportunities that were presented to them.
The problem, I concluded, was not a lack of interest or capability, but a lack of confidence (and often a strong domestic market). Even with encouragement from government and other agencies, most companies lack two things to develop new markets: 1) an understanding of the complexities of the export process, and, 2) staff with the time and experience to manage such a project. And thus, IS was created to fill those gaps.
Seven years later, IS is still fulfilling that original mandate, working with small- and medium-sized companies that want to grow while minimizing the risks of international business development. My role is to guide companies through the international process and ultimately leave in place a system and the expertise needed to manage it.
If you have ever considered exporting, or sourcing products from a foreign country, or undertaking contracts abroad, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I can help you manage that process while keeping costs under control and minimizing your risk. And if you are concerned about the costs and uncertainty of retaining a consultant, I encourage you to read on to “Working with International Strategies” and continue to browse the rest of the site.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Lockhart