Are You Ready to Export?
Ask yourself these basic questions:
Q: Do I have an "international" product?
- Have unique or superior product or service?
- Have an adaptable product or service?
Q: Do I have the experience, maturity?
- Have a profitable domestic market?
- Perhaps already have done some reactive exporting?
Q: Do I have the time?
- Have enough people to assign exclusive export responsibility?
- Is your management style controlled vs. crisis?
Q: Do I have the money?
- To do it yourself by trade shows, etc. (approximate cost: $5,000-$10,000
per market)?
- To hire somebody to do it for you:
- Export/Management Trading Company?
- Consultant?
Q: Do I have the commitment?
- Have reason to export (need vs. want)?
- Have long-term growth vs. short-term profitability?
- Is the top management determined?
- Is top management capable and is the company flexible and well run?
- Have willingness to plan, budget and follow up?
If you would like more information, we recommend that you read the tutorials
on the following websites:
- Tradeport http://www.tradeport.org/tutorial/starting/
- Small Business Development Center http://sbdcnet.utsa.edu/SBIC/itrade.htm
- Unz & Co. http://www.unzco.com/basicguide/index.html
