Industry

Everything You Need to Know About Starting an Import & Export Business

Get help mapping out your import and export journey as well as navigating corporate, legal and financial issues. We also provide answers to the questions that importers and exporters ask most often: Why should I import and export? How will I find a product? How will I find a manufacturer? Do I need an import or export plan? Is a contractual agreement beneficial? These starter tips will help you to get your business underway.

Why the Global Marketplace?
Are You Ready to Take on the World?
Benefits of Importing and Exporting
Starting An Import and Export Business

The Human Side of Enterprise
Setting Up An Import and Export Business
Legal
Business Plans

Why the Global Marketplace?

Competing in the global marketplace can be an intimidating undertaking, but the global game is no longer just for the big players. In today's global market, it's individuals like you in the world who are turning to importing and exporting, discovering unlimited potential for growth and profit, and changing the shape of the world economy. This section examines the reasons going global is a wise move.

Are You Ready to Take on the World?

Entering the import and export industry requires a special way of understanding the world and an ability to see things that others don't. It takes a certain mindset to hit the ground running. Here we cover the foundation for starting an import and export business.

Benefits of Importing and Exporting

Find out why companies are importing and exporting!

Starting An Import and Export Business

This section covers how to start an import and export business. Be sure to visit all the other important areas of this site to gain insights into how to make your import/export business the most competitive enterprise on earth.

The Human Side of Enterprise

No matter what idea or plan you have in place, the basic side of enterprise is still the human side. To fully allow people to realize their personal goals and thereby contribute to the goals of an organization, you must provide clear objectives, rewards, and the freedom to use their creativity and imagination. This section covers the human aspects of managing organizations and focuses on creating a climate of growth for human beings.

Setting Up An Import and Export Business

This section covers the essential details of sound legal and fiscal operation: forming your enterprise, naming your business, protecting your company name and other intellectual property, opening a bank account, securing a domain name, lining up your dream international team, considering special tax situation, and evaluating accounting choices you will face in the course of running an import and export business.

Legal

Here we emphasize the importance of hiring an international attorney and outline key factors to consider for protecting your intellectual property, whether it's your company name or your supplier's product name. You never want to see anyone, anywhere in the world, take what you have created and put his or her name on it. Talk to an international attorney about protecting your products and all aspects of trade before exporting or importing them from overseas. You'll be glad you did.

Business Plans

Congratulations! You've come a long way. You understand the importance of importing and exporting, came up with a name for your business, officially established your enterprise and are ready to go global. Now it's time to begin the planning process that documents immediate next steps, which includes creating an import/export business plan, a marketing plan or a strategic growth plan. This section will help you craft business plans and then execute them. The comprehensive process will equip you with the tools and information you'll need to make intelligent decisions as you expand your import/export business.

Import & Export