Quoting from [Firo]:
Hello to Everyone,
Well, as a matter of fact, I did start up my own Export business. First of all its not as easy as it looks, its easier said then done.
The main problem that pretty much anyone does have is, regardless if they are new or old, is to find the right product, or the place with the least competitors.
HOW??? Well, if you just take a look at the Demand and Supply. Just concentrate on your particular country and place. All you have to do is to find out in which segment the Demand is bigger then the Supply. Please note that the supply should be from your country and the Demand out of yours. Well this sounds easy, but it is quiet time consuming and needs a lots of efforts, but one thing is for sure, if you have gone through this step then you will pretty much know what is going on in the market.
The next step is to find Buyers, you have to be bold on this one, since you will be ignored many many times before anyone really notices you. First and foremost, try to find out what the demanding price is, please note that in many cases the Buyers state a lower price then available, that pretty common, but also a test for you, if you know what the market rate is, then you know right away who is playing and who is not.
Now if you have found a Buyers who are interested in you, make sure, that you have also found the source of supply within your country, the reason is simple, since you will have direct control over the chain of supply, and not have to fear that anyone interferes with you, in addition to that it helps you to start up with very little or no money at all, once you have enough resources you can change your supply chain, but until then stay as simple as possible.
The next step would be to make sure that you will have to custom problems, for that you need a reliable forwarder, get all shipping times and freight costs, that way you can give your Buyer detailed information and sound more professional. Now since you are starting up, the next problem is to find out if the Buyer is real or a Fake, simple, find a buyer who is willing to some advanced payment to secure the Order, or even Better willing to Visit you, and pay you on site. I know that this is the hardest part, since its hard to find buyers who are willing to pay advanced or visit you, but trust me, its the safest way to start up a business, without taking any loan and risking to much, the only thing that you invest is Time and Effort.
Before you know it, you will have an order on your desk.
It took me about 5-6months to find a product, get the knowledge, analysing the market gaps, finding the suppliers and the buyers, and getting my first order.
If you stay at it, Anyone can do it, all you need is a big heart and a lots of guts
Hello Firo.
My name is Brian. I recently started an EMC/ETC on January 2008. I do agree with you principals of starting and functioning as an Export Co. It is great to see others with the same passion as i who are relaxed and know that being a new company does not mean failure. I would like to communicate with you as often as possible so that we may network with one another.