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Posted on October 24, 2007 by Jason Petrina | Posted under Business
Exporting procedures and tips
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Every business owner, no matter what the size of his or her enterprise, has heard buzzwords like global marketing, importing and exporting and international trade. These buzzwords are meant to generate excitement, and they certainly do that. After all, the United States is just a tiny slice of a global marketplace, and those business owners who can successfully exploit huge markets like China, Japan and Europe have a huge leg up on the competition. In addition, new advances in technology are making it easier than ever before for even the smallest business to compete successfully in the global marketplace. While in years past it would have been too costly for small businesses to export their goods around the world, today the internet, the power of website design and other computer technologies are allowing business owners to successfully compete no matter where in the world they are located. One of the most important things any business owner can do to successfully export his or her products is to complete thorough market testing before jumping into a new market. It is important to keep in mind that cultural differences, language issues and other barriers often stand in the way of a successful product launch in another country. For that reason it is important to do plenty of market research prior to any product launch. The more up front research the business owner can do, the better off he or she will be. It is important to remember that the players in the import/export business buy and sell in bulk. It is important for the business owner to be able to make this commitment after the necessary market research has been done. The more planning and market research the business owner is able to do, the less risky the new export venture will be in the long run. It is also quite important to begin making plenty of contacts with the players in the export business. By starting the process of communication early, and identifying the key players in the industry, the business owner will be in a stronger position going forward. One of the first steps the savvy business owner should take is to contact the U.S. Consulate or Embassy in the market to which they are planning to export. There are trade commissioners in those countries whose sole job is to help companies get a foothold in the export market of that country. These trade commissioners have lots of market data at their disposal, and the business owner can use that market data to determine the best export strategy. The trick to contacting the U.S. Consulate or Embassy, of course, is getting them to respond to the initial contact. It is important for the business owner to keep a copy of any communication they send, and to follow up as needed. It is also important to put your communication on company letterhead when faxing it, and to include the information they require to process the request. At a minimum, any faxed communication to the U.S. Consulate or Embassy should include the name of the company, the company address, and complete contact information. If the business owner does not receive a timely response, he or she should be sure to follow up in a few weeks. About The Author: Jason Petrina is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - www.articleclick.com |
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