Beginning Your Export Journey
Before you dive headfirst into the exporting game, you need to make sure you’re ready. This Export Road Map is designed to simplify your exporting journey and provide you with resources that can make your life easier.
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QUESTION 1
Do you currently have a business growth plan that includes sales outside the US?
QUESTION 3
How knowledgable are you on methods for getting paid from your international customers?
QUESTION 4
How knowledgable are you on Customs compliance and export regulations?
QUESTION 5
How familiar are you with current resources available to help businesses grow through exporting?
Begin Your Export Journey, Step by Step
Overview: Preparing for Success
Get Ready to Go Global
Build an Effective Business Plan
Determine Pricing
Identify Buyers
Move Your Product
Choose A Payment Method
Develop After-Sales Support
Keep Your Plan Running Smoothly
DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE
Now that you know why, explore more ways to prepare for success in our full guide: The Export Road Map.
EXPORT CHECKLIST
Use this as a quick reference for everything from building your export plan to weighing your return options.
Overview: Prepare for Success
Why should you export?
Everybody wants a piece of the global marketplace.
96%
of the world’s consumers live outside the U.S.
Plus, the cost of doing business internationally has never been lower, thanks to today’s technological advancements and Free Trade Agreements.
- Tap a larger customer base
- Gain more revenue
- Increase profit margins
- Grow your brand exposure
- Beat your competition to a new market
- Balance out seasonal sales spikes
- Increase market share
- Find tax advantages
- Create jobs
DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE
Now that you know why, explore more ways to prepare for success in our full guide: The Export Road Map.
EXPORT CHECKLIST
Use this as a quick reference for everything from building your export plan to weighing your return options.
Get Ready to Go Global
Assess your export potential.
Consider a few questions to help you determine if your company is ready to export:
What does your company want to gain from exporting?
Is exporting consistent with other company goals?
What demands will exporting place on your company’s key resources, management and personnel, production capacity, and financing?
How will you meet these new demands?
Are the expected benefits worth the costs, or would company resources be better used for developing new domestic business?
If you’re selling domestically, it’s likely that you’ll be able to find a similar market with similar needs abroad — especially if your product or service has unique features that are difficult for international competitors to duplicate.
DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE
Now that you know why, explore more ways to prepare for success in our full guide: The Export Road Map.
EXPORT CHECKLIST
Use this as a quick reference for everything from building your export plan to weighing your return options.
Build an Effective Business Plan
Be sure to create a thorough export plan.
Creating an effective export plan is the most important step you’ll make toward export success.
42%
of 460 self-funded startups cited a lack of capital as the biggest obstacle to growth
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to finance your export plan. You just have to know where to look.
At first, it’s important to keep your export plan simple — no more than a few pages. You should update it as you learn more about exporting.
- Executive summary
- Export policy commitment
- Market analysis and strategy implementation
- Financial analysis
- Background analysis
- Logistics — mode of transportation, speed, rate quotes, etc.
DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE
Now that you know why, explore more ways to prepare for success in our full guide: The Export Road Map.
EXPORT CHECKLIST
Use this as a quick reference for everything from building your export plan to weighing your return options.
Determine Pricing
Key steps to help you determine pricing:
Prepare
Analyze
Implement
1
Determine your objective in the foreign market.
2
Compute the actual cost of the export product.
3
Compute the final consumer price.
Prepare
Analyze
Implement
4
Evaluate market demand and competition.
5
Consider modifying the product to reduce the export price.
6
Include "non-market" costs, such as tariffs, customs fees, etc.
Prepare
Analyze
Implement
7
Exclude cost elements that provide no benefit to the export function, such as domestic advertising.
8
9
Calculate your profit margin after considering all of the above.
DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE
Now that you know why, explore more ways to prepare for success in our full guide: The Export Road Map.
EXPORT CHECKLIST
Use this as a quick reference for everything from building your export plan to weighing your return options.
Identify Buyers
So you’re getting past the planning phase.
Now it’s time to find qualified buyers in the market you’ve chosen. You’re in luck. There are plenty of resources and services for businesses in this exact position.
The Gold Key Matching Service (GKMS)
Allows the U.S. Commercial Service to arrange meetings with pre-screened contacts, distributors, professional associations, government contacts, and/or licensing or joint venture partners.
International Partner Search (IPS)
Based on your marketing materials and background information, trade specialists in more than 80 countries will find the most suitable and strategic partners for your business.
Whether or not you use a matching service, you can find potential buyers by conducting your own market research.
. And you should take all the help you can get. You’ll have more time to focus on what you love: growing your business.
DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE
Now that you know why, explore more ways to prepare for success in our full guide: The Export Road Map.
EXPORT CHECKLIST
Use this as a quick reference for everything from building your export plan to weighing your return options.
Move Your Product
Every country will have different rules and regulations.
Once you find your buyers, you’ll have to decide whether your product needs to be modified somehow before you ship.
Do you need to rebrand the product to appeal to your target audience in this new market? In addition to adapting your product for cultural or consumer preference reasons, there may be foreign government regulations that can impede market penetration.
- Standards (CE marks, etc.)
- Intellectual property protection (for logos, etc.)
- Tax laws
- Quotas (applies to textiles)
- Export compliance
- Product packaging
- Export legal assistance
- Duty and Tax/Tariff rates
For assistance dealing with specific regulations in your country of interest, contact the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE
Now that you know why, explore more ways to prepare for success in our full guide: The Export Road Map.
EXPORT CHECKLIST
Use this as a quick reference for everything from building your export plan to weighing your return options.
Choose a Payment Method
You'll also need to consider various payment barriers, such as foreign currency.
Here are the basic methods of payment:
- Cash in advance
- Documentary letter of credit
- Open account
- Documentary collection or draft
- Other payment methods
DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE
Now that you know why, explore more ways to prepare for success in our full guide: The Export Road Map.
EXPORT CHECKLIST
Use this as a quick reference for everything from building your export plan to weighing your return options.
Develop After-Sales Support
Generate happy returns.
What are your options if a return is necessary? Customer satisfaction is your most important currency.
You’ll need a clear plan for returns and other after-sales support.
Requiring the buyer to return the product.
Consider this option carefully. It is the highest-cost option — for you and your customer. Plus, your customer will lose the use of the product during the entire process. If the product is low-cost, then you can always simply replace it.
Identify and use a local service facility.
The costs of things like planning and training can sometimes be worth it in the long run. If your export venture is successful, you may even consider establishing your own branch or subsidiary in the new market.
DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE
Now that you know why, explore more ways to prepare for success in our full guide: The Export Road Map.
EXPORT CHECKLIST
Use this as a quick reference for everything from building your export plan to weighing your return options.
Keep Your Plan Running Smoothly
6 things you can do to check your plan periodically.
It’s important to constantly re-evaluate and (if necessary) tweak your plan to maintain your level of success.
DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE
Now that you know why, explore more ways to prepare for success in our full guide: The Export Road Map.
EXPORT CHECKLIST
Use this as a quick reference for everything from building your export plan to weighing your return options.