OUR WEBLOG: EXCERPTS OF EXPORTS
Monday, March 15, 2010
Global Branding
Whether an established company or a start-up, you should look at everything you do in the way of branding from an international perspective. 
If you have a good idea of the export markets you might target, look at your branding through the eyes of that international audience. Starting with a good product is key. But that is not the only thing. If no one knows about or wants your great product, it won’t sell. Take for example Honda’s entrée into the motorbike industry. Theirs was one of the best marketing strategies ever.
Before Honda came on the scene in the early sixties, motorbikes and motor cycles were considered transportation for outlaws and greasers. Yet Honda virtually changed the whole perception of motorcycles seemingly overnight. How?
Honda looked at the target market ideal in the US which, at the time, was California and surfing. It was a definite movement of the times complete with surfing songs and groups like The Beach Boys. Thus were included in the ads the prototypical California surfers, all tan and fit and wholesome looking. Add in the tagline of You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda Bike, and the negative view of “outlaw bikers” was eliminated. So not only did Honda change the market segment, they also enjoyed the First Mover advantage and became the early occupants of a market segment that they developed.
By 1962, Honda had 750 dealers. Sales went from 40,000 units sold to 200,000 units…in one year. In 1963 came the tagline. Then Honda cemented that image by becoming the first foreign corporation to sponsor the Academy Awards linking Honda to the glamor of Hollywood, also in California.
More on branding on Thursday’s blog. Please click here to tell your branding story!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Blog on Exports to China
It seems that the Chinese are hopeful that the new National Export Iniative will result in the lifting of the ban of US high tech products to China. To read the entire blog, click here.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
National Export Iniative
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There is a Federal initiative to double US exports within five years. In an effort to meet that goal, the International Trade Administration (ITA) has launched a yearlong program to help existing US exporters enter new markets. This should be a good service as existing exporters do not have to be educated in doing business abroad as do the new to export. Other efforts include working with private sector partners to increase exporting. As a private sector service provider, I see this as a good plan since there are some things that the governement does not do that the potential exporter must do for himself. For example, the government does not qualify potential exporters.
Other than a very basic export ready overview, the potential exporter must determine his export readiness or enlist the help of a consultant. Having worked in the public sector myself, I would often meet companies that saw exporting as a way to prop up sales when domestic sales lagged. Exporting takes more time and more money than domestic sales. And patience. Companies that spread too few resources over too many markets can end up going out of business. And if they manage to stay afloat, these companies would then abandon any inroads that they had made in foreign markets when domestic sales picked back up. Before a company seriously considers exporting as a way to grow business, they must see if they have both the financial and human resources for the long haul. It usually takes a year of dedicated effort before any international sales become a reality
ITA will also emphasize the Gold Key service provided by the Commercial Service. I have had several clients who have used this service on more than one occasion and have recommended them. These are for the very experienced and the not so experienced exporter. For additional information, please click here.
Please click here if you would like to opine.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Good News from Ex-Im Bank for U.S. Exporters
Starting 1 December 2009, U.S. exporters designated as small businesses under Small Business Administration standards, and with annual export credit sales of $7,500,000 or less, now are eligible for enhanced coverage under Ex-Im Bank’s short-term small business multibuyer insurance policy. Previously the eligibility ceiling was $5,000,000. “This change is designed to increase U.S. small business exports by expanding the availability of financing to them,” said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred Hochberg. “Exporting is critical to creating and preserving American jobs, especially while the current global financial crisis is being resolved.”
Over the past year, Ex-Im Bank has launched a number of other initiatives to strengthen support for small business exporters in the face of the economy’s tightened liquidity. For example, the Bank opened its working capital guarantee program to indirect U.S. exporters. Companies that produce goods or services that are sold to U.S. companies, and are subsequently exported, are now eligible to apply for working capital loans guaranteed by Ex-Im Bank.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Ten Reasons Why YOU Should Export
1. Reach a greater share of the market. You may be doing well in the domestic market but did you know that 95% of consumers live outside the U.S.?
2. The value of the dollar. It might not be a good time to travel abroad but it is a great time to export. First make sure that your products comply with the Made in America designation? Show the rest of the world what they were missing not having your products.
3. It is easier to do business internationally. Whether you communicate via e-mail or telephone, it costs practically nothing to get to know your international customer. Tools like VoIP are providing more options all the time. And you can test most for free for 30 days.
4. Marketing data is at your fingertips. With all the information there is on the Internet, you can learn about your competition abroad. Just make sure that the information is up-to-date
5. Growing middle class. While there is great opportunity to target more consumers worldwide, don’t assume that your domestic marketing plan is transferable. Careful planning is required. You need to be as serious about your export marketing plan as your domestic marketing plan. For more information, see the experts in exports.
6. Privatization of industry worldwide. You may have noticed that emerging markets are privatizing industry providing U.S. companies with opportunity.
7. Grow jobs right here in the U.S. Producing more=hiring more. You build your sales and the workforce for a healthier economy. Though a few years old, BNET makes the point.
8. Diversifying is smart. Why target a single economy when there is at least one other market abroad where your products will do well. For help on where to start, go the this website: Ready to Export.
9. Your competition is doing it. Your competition isn’t just domestic any longer. Combine losing market share and Reason #6 and you have two good reasons to check out exporting.
10.Exporting can open up a whole new world. EXPORT...SEE THE WORLD. YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU DID.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Attention Ladies…it is time to go global
Ladies...want to maintain and grow market share? Interesting article from the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
Women’s businesses will need to source goods and services from outside U.S. borders if they want to grow corporate business and avoid losing it, says a top line finding of a Global Business Survey conducted by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Climb Aboard the Export Express
One of the purposes of my blog is to notify exporters of government programs that assist companies in different ways. Some are seminars, webinars and in the case of the Export Express program, which provides financing for L/Cs, translations, capital goods, etc. When I worked as an international trade specialist for state government, I saw how the Export Express enabled companies to compete globally. Often Export Express was the deciding factor in taking advantage of the export opportunity.
Now the Export Express program is set to expire in a few months. In fact, there is a full committee hearing by the House Small Business Committee on Small Business Exports in the Current Economic tomorrow. If you have used this service you know how valuable it is. If you haven’t you can go on the SBA site and see all the benefits of the program. I think you will be impressed with the wide range of services.
If you agree that this is a valuable program and want to see it continue, you can help. And here’s how!
Contact the following influentials:
Luz Hopewell - SBA Office of International Trade
Richard Ginsburg- SBA Office of International Trade
Senator John Kerry- Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Senator Olympia Snowe- Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Representative Nydia M. Velazquez - House Small Business Committee
Representative Steve Chabot House Small Business Committee
All you have to do is click on the above names and send an e-mail. It only takes a minute. I know I have done it.
Come back soon. I will let you know what happened.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
SBA Loan Programs for Small Business Exporters.
CLIMB ABOARD THE EXPORT EXPRESS
Now is the time for exporters to learn if they are eligible for
a revolving line of credit from the SBA. The Export Express
Pilot Program may end 30 September 2008
if other loan programs are deemed sufficient to meet
the needs of small business exporters.
Another loan program that the SBA offers is the International Trade Loan
for companies that have “been adversely affected” by competition from imports.
The SBA also offers other services to help small business and small business
exporters.
Go on the SBA website for qualifications and information on how to apply for
these loans programs. While you’re there, check out the other services offered by the
SBA to help small businesses export.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Columbia Free Trade Agreement
Free Trade with Columbia has been in the news a lot lately. Passage of the agreement, and those to Panama and South Korea, is one of the big goals of the Bush Administration in the last days of his presidency. There are a lot of politics involved in this situation especially in a national election year.
We can all remember the “giant sucking sound” that Ross Perot put forth as a result of NAFTA. According to Perot, U.S. jobs would primarily go to Mexico.The giant sucking sound painted a great picture, but not true.From 2003-2006, U.S. exports grew at twice the rate of the economy and were 12% of GDP. And according to Fed-Ex, for every 40 new packages exported from the U.S., a new job is add to the economy. Free trade brings opportunities for U.S. companies and at this time of downturn, is another step in keeping our economy on track. (For additional information on NAFTA, check out our previous blogs, the Region of the Month and our March newsletter.)
Countries want trade agreements that are reciprocal, as is the case with the proposed agreement with Columbia. A free trade agreement with the U.S. provides greater stability and encourages foreign investment in Columbia.
But the agreement also benefits the U.S. and here’s how:
1. Most U.S. goods going to Columbia pay a duty of 12.5%. This results in U.S. products being less competitive. And most products coming from Columbia to the U.S. are duty free. So the U.S. needs a level playing field.
2. Strategically Columbia is very important to the U.S. We need a strong friend in a region since Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela is doing what he can to de-stabilize the area and become the driving force in South America.
3. With a treaty comes greater intellectual property protection and more transparency transactions.
So this makes great sense economically and strategically. And don’t believe all the things you hear about free trade. While there may be displacement of some jobs,typically lower paying jobs, there has been an increase in better paying jobs as a result of NAFTA. For additional information on any trade agreement.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
A Brief on Cheese and What It’s Labeled
I just read an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal about a dispute between Italy and Germany. The subject is cheese, specifically Parmesan, and the fact that Germany has been labeling their cheese Parmesan.
Italy took exception and took their case to the European Court of Justice back in 2003. The ruling, just today, while in favor of Italy was not a quick remedy. It has been several years and several million dollars later.
The European Court of Justice made the ruling that cheese from Parma, Italy is the only one that can be labeled Parmesan. Germany in labeling its cheese Parmesan, violated EU food origin rules. Germany countered that Parmesan is a “generic term for a type of hard, crumbly cheese that is often grated over food and cannot claim an Italian uniqueness”.
The court disagreed, saying Parmesan was “clearly a translation of “Parmigiano Reggiano.’” Although Germany will not be fined, it does have to change the name of its cheese. And Italy must monitor the situation and report any infractions to the “German Authorities”.
I am not taking sides here as I love all the countries of Europe each with its individual charms. But I have to say that one of the highlights of my trips to Germany has always been their delicious cheeses. They have some of the best that I have ever tasted making cheese the staple of my diet while there. The next time I travel to Germany, I think that I will go on a diet beforehand allowing me to indulge and be back to my normal weight when I return. That’s the plan, at least.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Ask the Experts
Valuable Information from the Global Gazette
Q. My company manufactures food rubs and barbecue sauces. The products have done very well in California and the Southwest and we are getting orders from other parts of the U.S. We are also getting some international orders from our Website which has us thinking about exporting. Our company is relatively new, only five years old, and we don’t know if we are ready to export.
A. The good thing, and probably the bad also, is that successful exporting takes careful planning, time and patience. It will take a minimum of one year before you make any headway.
If you know your products and your domestic customer well, have processes that are relatively fail-safe and excess manufacturing capacity, you should start investigating the viability of your products abroad.
A good place to start is Canada. The market is not huge but Canadians are open to U.S. products. And Canada can be your test market in exporting. Any mistakes that you make will be more easily remedied when you target a country like Canada. Toronto is also one of the most multi-cultural cities in the world with sophisticated tastes.
Finally there are no tariffs and no non-tariff duties because of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Where to go and what to do:
1. If you want step by step assistance, I suggest that you work with a consultant, such as our Experts in Exports.
If you want a peek good overview of the Canadian market, we will be offering a food audit of the Canadian market in March. It will cover labeling requirements, demographics, shelf space and competition among
other topics.
2. Contact the FDA in your region.
I have worked with the FDA and incorporated their services into total export marketing packages for my clients.
3. Other public sector service providers are the economic development departments in your city and state.
4. Food trade shows in the U.S. are very international in attendance. You can get good leads and help determine product acceptability in various parts of the world. Make sure that you follow-up right after the show. Memories are short even when your product is terrific. Also keep following up even if you don’t get a response. Other cultures don’t always work that way. We specialize in developing effective surveys that visitors to your booth will respond to.
One final word of caution. If you decide to export, don’t target more than two markets at one time. It will be all that you can handle… well.
For timely information about everything international, sign up for our newsletters, the Global Gazette
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Les egouts de Paris
You recognize the Eiffel Tower in Paris. (I included this picture to get your attention.) But what do you know about what lies beneath the Eiffel Tower?
When I developed my website to promote export and export services and training, I promised that it would not only be informative, but fun. I include information and resources that appeal to the young and young at heart so that you can combine your business trips abroad with a family vacation. Over the next weeks, I will be adding resources on activities and interesting sites for the children as well as the parents.
Now I don’t know if a sewer tour in Paris will strike anyone in the family as fun. I can say it is different since I myself took this tour with students a few decades ago. That was long before the Internet so finding unusual things to do required scanning the fine print in tourist books.
The sewer tours are covered in the book, Take Your Kids to Europe, 5th: How to Travel Safely (and Sanely) in Europe with Your Children by Cynthia W. Harriman. While I haven’t read this particular book, it does get many good reviews and with used copies at less than a dollar, what can you lose!
The sewers of Paris were planned during the reign of Napoleon I and constructed primarily during the reign of Napoleon III, the nephew of Napoleon I. Construction took 50 years. There was an expression they were taking sewage from all in the street to all in the sewer. Sewage from the bath, from the chamber pot and from the kitchen was typically dumped out the window and into the gutters in the street. It became fashionable and also functional when women’s dresses were shortened to eliminate contact with the vile stuff.
I don’t remember a lot about the sewer tour but I do remember that it did not have the same romance or sense of adventure as Jean Valjean’s exploits in Les Miserables. Nor did I get a sentimental feeling about my excursion in the sewers of Paris when I saw the Phantom of the Opera. But it was sort of fun and very different. I hardly find anyone who has taken le tour or le voyage if they went by boat when it was available.
While in Paris, you might want to stay in accomodations that also offer a different experience. I try never to stay in a hotel but rather a pension or a small hotel. One example is Hotel Saint-Merry in Paris, a small botique hotel in the Marais qarter of Paris. It looks like a great place and the reviews are excellent.
While I have not as yet had the opportunity to stay at one of the unusual hotels, I plan to on my next trip abroad. Staying in an unusual hotel is often not any more expensive than a regular hotel. But guaranteed it is much more memorable. .
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Sugar, Freer Trade and NAFTA
The source of sugar, considered a commodity, can be traced back thousands of years to India and China. Key promoters of the sweet stuff are Alexander the Great and Marco Polo, the great trader and explorer from Venice. Nearly three centuries later, tropical America became a manufacturer of sugar cane.
During the Napoleonic Wars, England blockaded sugar imports from the Caribbean to Continental Europe. Napoleon, a creative problem solver, found another source of sugar; the sugar beet. Sugar cane was no longer the sole source of the commodity. Nor could it be used to force surrender in time of war. And long before the turn of the century, sugar cane and sugar beet were competitors in Continental Europe.
The modern sugar industry of today enjoys the intervention of governments throughout the world. (I guess we gotta have that sugar with a worldwide consumption of 120 million tons per year and a growth rate of 2 million tons per annum.) That the sugar trade is among the last planks of the fifteen year old NAFTA bears that out. And a NAFTA market of 425 million consumers is reason enough.
Sugar,a protected commodity in the U.S for decades, benefitted from guaranteed pricing, import quotas and allotments to growers. This has resulted in the greatly inflated price of sugar in the U.S. But, according to NAFTA, all is about to change. But will it? Since Mexico can now sell virtually unrestricted in the U.S., there are two farm bills introduced in the U.S. Senate and House.
The bills would have the U.S. Department of Agriculture buy sugar imports from Mexico and sell them to ethanol producers at a much lower rate than what they paid. Sugar producers from Mexico have the opportunity; U.S. taxpayers will make up the difference.
Domestic sugar producers want sugar exports from Mexico “restrained.” In effect, they want to “keep it the same” regarding exports on both sides and to disallow any new producers. Since sugar is a warm weather commodity, Canada would not be included and it would be a sidebar binational agreement.
I will let you decide what you think of all this. This is not a political blog. However I want to show how important it is to be aware of different treaties and their effects on your industry both domestically and globally.
I worked with a specialty cheese producer in Michigan who increased her business by 25% because I told her about a trade dispute. In the 1990s, there was an import restriction of cheese to the U.S. This restriction was in response to another restriction; U.S. beef into Europe. My client viewed the RFQs she was receiving on a daily basis as coming from “shoppers”. Once I told her this bit of timely information, they were “shoppers” no more but rather customers. And she increased her sales and her workforce. Good for her company and good for the economy.
This is an example where exporting was not the way to increase sales. And I suppose there will come a day when there is truly free trade; where it will be best price, best product. But until there is real free trade, knowing where there is opportunity is what to do. Subscribe to my blog and return to my website to get informed and up-to-date and learn about opportunities for your company.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Wanna go global? Read this first!
Before you commit your time and resources to exporting, you might want to weigh the pros and cons of entering global markets. Companies that should seriously consider exporting are those that have good consistent sales, evidence that their products have potential outside the domestic marketplace...and patience. You might also be experiencing increased interest and sales from your website or trade show participation. If so, this is why you should consider exporting:
1. U.S. products have a good reputation worldwide. While not always the cheapest, the quality is consistent and the products innovative.
2. The U.S. dollar is low and probably won’t change substantially before you make good inroads and build some relationships abroad. You may be able to compete very successfully even with added transportation costs, tariffs and ways of distributing your products in global markets. You won’t know unless you investigate.
3. You are probably competing internationally even though your sales may be primarily domestic. Who are your competitors? Are they businesses from around the block or around the world? With freer trade, your competition is oftentimes not someone you know.
However, entering global markets isn’t always a good business decision.I have worked with many companies that believe that exporting is a way to prop-up lagging domestic sales. I usually convince them that exporting is not a good stop gap measure to employ while waiting for traditional sales to rise. Companies that don’t take my advice typically spend months in pursuit of export markets with limited results. By the time they start to make some headway, usually in 12 to 18 months, domestic sales pick-up. Then they re-focus their efforts once again on their domestic customers. Any interest and good will that they have built is an opportunity wasted as they probably won’t get a second chance. So when shouldn’t you look to export markets to build sales?
1. If your sales have dropped, exporting is not quick and it’s not easy. You will have to learn a different culture, a different history, perhaps a different language and certainily a different way of doing business. You are better off spending your time and resources to regain and retain domestic market share.
2. In order to regain your domestic marketshare, investigate the weak spots in your products or processes and fix them. Good processes and good products are critical not only domestically but also if you would like to consider exporting in the future.
3. If you try to export at the same time you try to regain market share, you will undoubtedly spread yourself too thin and not be successful in either arena.
So what to do? The mantra in real estate is location, location, location. For export, it is prepare, prepare, prepare.
Entering global markets is like starting over again...and that is often difficult. You have to carefully prepare an export plan as you did your business plan. And your export plan will have to address more variables than your business plan.There are different ways of doing business in different countries and usually within different regions of those countries. There are different ways of communicating, different ways of forming relationships and different business hours. There are marketing materials to be translated and websites altered to address global audiences. There are many resources out there, the free, the nearly free and the costly. Learning who does what is sometimes a challenge. But now you have a great advantage. Your products are tested, accepted and valued. And exporting is also fun, challenging and has the potential of added marketshare.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
How long does it take to get a passport? If this is your first passport, this is what to do.
T’is the season for looking back at what you accomplished this year and what you want to achieve in ‘08. If out of country travel, either for business or pleasure, is what you are planning, you will need a passport.*
If this is your first passport,
1. Download the passport application form from http://travel.state.gov.passport. You will also find processing agencies in your area and be able to check on the status of your application once you have applied.
2. Complete the form but do not sign it. You will need to sign it in front of the passport agent.
3. Bring proof of U.S. citizenship which can be a:
- Certified birth certificate or
- Certificate of citizenship or
- Naturalization certificate
4. Proof of Identity which can be a:
- Valid photo ID or
- Driver’s License
Take the above to a passport agency; most provide passport photo service for an additional fee. If the passport agency does not provide this service, you will need to get your passport photos ahead of time. What you need to know before having your picture taken:
1. No hats (so no hiding a bad hair day).
2. No sunglasses
3. No teeth or in official parlance “closed-mouth smiling” only. Nothing to do with happy or only slightly happy but rather teeth can impede face recognition technology.
4. No photos from a vending machine.
To answer the question…how long does it take to get a passport? You will receive your passport and all your documentation four to six weeks after receipt of information. Allow for extra time if you apply the first half of the year.
* Having lived in two border states and not having needed a passport to enter Canada or Mexico or return, times have changed. While you can still enter some countries without a passport, you cannot return to the U.S. without one. This requirement will soon cover air, ship, rail and auto travel sometime in 2008 so you might as well apply for a passport now.
Update on Passports/papers to travel to Mexico and Canada.
Starting 1 February 2008, U.S. residents who frequently travel to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda can apply for an alternative to the passport which is a passport card. The Passport Card is cheaper and smaller and can fit in your wallet. The cost is $45. for adults, $35 for children and lasts 10 years for adults and 5 years for children. This is only for travel by land or by sea.
When traveling by air, you need a passport. (See above). These cards will be issued by the Spring. If you don’t have a passport, and are traveling by land or sea, you must have government issued ID, like a driver’s license and proof of citizenship like a birth certificate.