Not sure how to grow your import export venture? Here are three useful things you can do right now to be proactive and move your business plan forward.
Starting a new import export company, or expanding your existing hustle, can be daunting.
Maybe you have a great product, but you’re not sure how to market it abroad. Maybe your idea won’t pay the bills any time soon, so you have to juggle it with a 9-5 job for now.
Looking at the big players of industry, and the risks they’ve taken to get there, it’s easy to lose your nerve and just stay small. Thing is, they didn’t get big overnight. The trick is to focus on what you can accomplish today and keep at it.
Here are three useful things you can do right now to push your import export business forward:
1. Create a progress plan
Today may not be the day you officially open for business, but it can be the day you come up with a great name for your product, or order your first samples. Create a plan with bite-size goals and deadlines you can manage. As long as you stick to it, your business idea will eventually become a reality.
It’s best to track your progress by creating a deadline driven to-do list of big and small tasks you can tick off and celebrate along the way.
2. Use down-time to do supplier research
Having a dependable supplier will be the backbone of your business. Spend time comparing suppliers and choosing one that works for you.
Effective sourcing doesn’t stop when you’ve found one supplier though. New products are constantly being developed, so there’s always the hope of finding a more innovative offering at a better price if you keep looking. Grab your phone while you wait in line, have coffee, or can’t sleep, and do some product and supplier research.
The true proof of quality is the real thing, so always order samples if you can. To keep your outlay low, try to comply to the regulations regarding importing samples duty free.
3. Refine your message
Whether or not people will buy your product depends on 2 things:
- Who you tell about it, and
- What you say
In other words, you’ll first need to identify your target market. For this you must do some market research.
Once you’ve identified your target market, you can tailor a marketing message that will appeal to them. For import and export, you’ll have to think of your business as an international brand, so it is important to employ cross-border marketing and sales principals.
For all the import export advice and registrations you need, Import Export License is just a phone call away. Get in touch to speak to a friendly and knowledgeable consultant.
