A Quick Guide to Exporting - How to Export Your Product

If you run a business you have no doubt at one time or another thought about exporting your product to overseas markets, but how do you go about it I here you ask!

Below are a few tips, bits of advice and information with regards as to how you can get started exporting your product.

1. Know your market and marketplace and visit them if possible. Don't try to export to too many places all at once, instead focus on one or two places, get established and most importantly do your homework, find out how businesses do business.

2. Create and make a sales plan and route. Decide how you will break into your chosen marketplace, how much it will cost and how long it will take. Will you open an office, will you get local salespeople on board an so on.

3. Transportation. Work out how you will transport your products, and how much this will cost you. And always remember to think how will I recoup the costs to make it as cost effective as possible?

4. Work out how you will distribute your product/s and how much this will cost you. Will you have a physical presence or will you get sales people to do the work for you.
REMEMBER: All of this costs time and money, so et your budget and finances in place and in order before you even think about exporting.

5. Ask and seek professional advice as and when required or needed. Know the legalities and ins and outs of what you are doing.

6. Work out your timescales. Exporting a product will not happen overnight, especially if it is a new product that perhaps people and businesses may be a bit sceptical about. So ensure you have the funds and time to conduct research, put together entry routes, sales plans and promotional plans, not forgetting of course ensuring you have covered any/all formalities and legalities in place with regards to your business/product - always speak to trade council or trade body if in doubt about anything.

Finally I would recommend you put together an export checklist personalised towards your business and product. On this checklist include what needs to be done, when and why, such as are any additional licenses required, how will I/we overcome any language barriers.

I hope you have found this article both useful and helpful and I wish you every success wth exporting should you wish to pursue it