This is an overview of the fundamentals in exporting, designed for small to medium sized companies who are considering finding new market segments overseas.
A Open World for Your Business
Today, it’s easier than ever for a company, regardless of size, to sell products all over the world. There comes a trend that small and medium-sized companies are exporting more than ever before. Export.gov indicates that more than 300,000 small and medium-sized U.S. companies exported to at least one international market in 2013—nearly 28 percent more than in 2005. In 2013, the value of goods and services exports was an impressive $2.28 trillion, nearly a 25 percent increase since 2010. And 2014 topped the previous year, with exports valued at $2.34 trillion.
More Reasons for Expanding your Exporting
Global trade in goods and services won't seem to stop its growing in the future. The new World Trade Agreement on trade facilitation that was introduced at the end of 2013 and renegotiated in 2014 will reportedly add $1 trillion to the global gross domestic product (GDP) once it is fully implemented. This agreement compels the World Trade Organization (WTO) members to improve customs procedures and cut regulatory red tape, speeding up the flow of goods and services across borders and reducing the costs involved.
With your web presence, you get a global marketing platform in your hands. Furthermore, the buyers' payment can be processed in other conturies, while your key pages translated into their language without diffcuclties for further reach. In the near future, B2C e-commerce is projected to nearly double to $2.2 trillion with the fastest growth in the Asia-Pacific. You’ll want to be in the game as sales soar.
More Sales Channels
Online B2B and B2C marketplaces offer virtual storefronts and a ready-made global army of shoppers. They also offer payment solutions, and you can choose a shipper that will take care of the required documentation for you. The shippers want to help make things easier too, and many offer international business advice, freight forwarding and customs brokerage services, cost calculators, and in some cases, financing. Plus, they’ll pick up goods and documents from your back door and deliver them to almost any address in the world. And you can track everything on their website. Some e-commerce platforms will arrange to ship your goods to one or more of their fulfillment warehouses located in major commercial centers around the world. As items are sold and shipped quickly to buyers, you can restock the goods by sending larger quantities to the fulfillment centers, generally at less cost than shipping one item at a time from your place of business.
