N this week's SME Focus an entrepreneur explains it can sometimes feel easier to export training expertise developed in Scotland to big names overseas than to win business closer to home.

Name: Graham Cook.

Age: 52.

What is your business called? RSVP Design Ltd.

Where is it based? Paisley.

What does it produce, what services does it offer?

We design and create a wide range of experiential learning tools, games and activities that make training programmes more fun and effective. We specialise in resources that will generate high quality discussion which in turn will refine and develop key individual and organisational skills. We also provide support and training services to anyone who is involved in learning and development including coaches, business consultants and trainers.

Experiential learning is where you experience or rehearse something, rather than just learn the theory - for example a footballer doesn't sit in a classroom and listen to a Lionel Messi lecture on how to be a better footballer. They experience how to react by playing games, and by practising their skills. Our products help people do the same. Our Colourblind� product helps you practice the positive skills of active listening, and building a common language in the team - often causes of communications issues in work teams. The game elements in Colourblind� have been designed to help people react in realistic situations and build their communications skills. The product is used in basic training of an air traffic controller to help them be better communicators.

Who does it sell to?

Our clients come from a wide range of industries and vary in size from large organisations to small independent consultancies. We sell to the training departments of major international companies such as Apple, BAE Systems, Diageo and TNT. We have also worked with the United Nations and the World Food Programme, as well as government groups and public health professionals. Much of our work however, is done in partnership with educators such as IMD Switzerland, Harvard Business School, City of Glasgow College and other UK universities and colleges. They all use our services to build practical learning into their academic and teaching programmes. Typically, 70 per cent of all our physical games and tools are exported, most commonly to countries in the EU, USA, Asia and the Gulf region.

What is its turnover?

£400,000.

How many employees?

Seven.

When was it formed?

2003.

Why did you take the plunge?

We wanted to create a business that matched our talents - a mix of very creative people, and experience in managing international businesses. Three of us had previously worked together in a more traditional training business and I had also employed one of my colleagues, Geoff Cox, to design a training programme for me many years before, so we knew our own strengths. Although we couldn't find any companies in the world at that point doing what we planned to do, the four of us thought we could make our business work.

What were you doing before you took the plunge?

Three of us worked separately in more traditional training consultancies and HR businesses and my wife worked in an unrelated industry. I originally trained as a chemical engineer and then moved into international economic development. In various roles I was involved in encouraging direct foreign investment into Scotland and then had board level positions in recruitment and HR consultancy organisations.

How did you raise the start-up funding?

We didn't! We started with zero, and used consulting sales to fund investment in product development and product stock. Business Gateway Renfrewshire was very useful and supported us to visit our first overseas Trade Show in the US in 2004, this helped us enormously. Business Gateway also signposted us to relevant and potential funding avenues which did provide some grant funding towards things like overseas exhibition attendance and registration of intellectual property such as trademarks and patents.

What was your biggest break?

Being able to secure some good consultancy contracts in Year 1. We built on our experiences and contacts in previous consulting businesses to talk to people about employing us to develop new learning design work for them, and to use our tools in their programmes. We managed to secure consulting work from global businesses such as TNT, local organisations such as SQA, and subcontract work from a major US consulting practice. Next was probably the growth of internet purchasing. In 2013 for example, 42 per cent of all our product sales were generated online. The popularity in online buying has resulted in customers from all around the world buying from us.

What was your worst moment?

Being hit with a global recession in 2009 that meant we lost our largest revenue source entirely. Our revenue dropped by a third in one year, and we had to cut costs in every area. However, this gave our design team time to introduce new products and from that period concentrating on our products, we have managed to grow year on year since 2009. During a recession many companies brought training in-house so that often leads to an increase in product sales from larger clients, even though many small training consultancies go out of business.

What do you most enjoy about running the business?

The flexibility to do the things you want and to do the right things at the right time.

What do you least enjoy?

Having to sometimes do several very different jobs at the same time.

What is your biggest bugbear?

That it is easier for us to sell to global corporations in Silicon Valley, UN Headquarters or Harvard University than it is to sell locally in Scotland. I'm not sure why this is, perhaps some people feel that world class companies can't exist on their doorstep.

What are your ambitions for the firm? We'd like to take what we've done already in the corporate world and replicate that success in the education sector.

We would also like to build and achieve more UK and worldwide sales by increasing our digital marketing and e-commerce capabilities.

We are currently working with Business Gateway again to help us prepare to move the business forward to the next stage in our growth both locally and internationally.

What are your five top priorities?

Build our international network of partners; continue to bring new products to the attention of our customers; increase our UK sales; build our sales in the education sector; improve our digital marketing.

What could the Westminster and/or Scottish governments do that would help?

Provide opportunities to allow small firms to access the education sector. Perhaps there has been too little investment in recent years to consider the innovative capabilities of small firms. For a long time we have had really helpful working relationship with Business Gateway and this sort of government support is a wonderful support to any business.

What was the most valuable lesson that you learned?

Admit errors early and do whatever you can to assist customers who have a problem. They can become your most avid fans and will often pass on your name to other potential customers.

How do you relax?

I love sports.