Why an Export roadmap?
An Export Roadmap allows you to quickly create a plan of action to determine if exporting is right for your business or not.
If you were going to visit a new country, chances are you would take a map, and maybe ask someone you know who has been, what they suggest you do.
The same goes for exporting to a new country (even more so than just being a visitor).
You need to find out what you have to do, before you get there, and ideally access the wisdom of someone who currently exports in that market. The market is littered with failed small New Zealand businesses (and even some large companies that should know better) that have exported and failed.
Potentially you face risking your whole business at worst, losing large sums of money and wasted time at best.
A roadmap will help you determine what you should do before exporting.
Specifically:
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Lower the risk of exporting to increase your chance of success
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Analyse the competition to be fully aware of possible reactions
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Successfully targeting your key customers
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Building local support networks
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Creating your export business plan
To succeed in an export market, your business has to be pretty exceptional. Not only to beat all the local suppliers, but also to survive in a sometimes hostile environment.
What do you think is the main success factor your business has to survive in an export market?
Expert tip
Put yourself in your customers shoes. Why should they do business with you? Probably you don’t speak the language properly, profits flow to New Zealand, there could be a negative reaction from local suppliers by using an offshore supplier,and less carbon costs to do business locally. These are the issues you need to address.