Are you looking for a new market for your products or services? Consider stepping outside the borders of your country. Just because you are not a megabuck conglomerate nor a firm with a wage scale under a dollar an hour doesn’t mean you cannot make money selling in another country. Yes, it costs more than advertising in your local newspaper, but so does marketing your goods in another state!

One reason many U.S. firms do not have an overseas presence is because of a certain healthy degree of risk-avoidance and a basic uncertainty of what is involved in doing business with other countries. The shipment of goods and services across borders carries with it unique risks as well as exceptional opportunities. Here are five steps to start you in the right direction.

MAKE A CONNECTION
You need a broker. A good broker can short-cut your way to success. Brokers know the best countries a newcomer could target, and they know how to make things happen. Chances are you will not find the right broker in the yellow pages, so work it backwards. Contact your trade association to locate others in your industry using brokers. Talk with these firms asking them specifically about how they found their broker. Contact the broker and ask if they are interested in doing business with you or could they direct you to someone who would have an interest.

Finding a good broker is like finding a good accounting or legal firm, it requires time, patience and a modicum of trust. Ask questions. What is their profitability? Do they have good client relations with your industry? Do they have a record of successes it can point to? Will they supply a list of similar clients for you to contact? What are they going to charge you?

DETERMINE DEMAND
Okay, you feel Country X would be a great place to start. Probably one of the best methods of determining demand is for you to personally take your product to the selected country either through a trade show or a special showing. Your government can help! Contact the Small Business Administration for phone contacts at both the World Trade Association Center and the U.S. Department of Commerce. Your first step most likely will be to advertise in publications that are sent to other countries, and a simple ad in one of these could start the ball rolling for you.

By advertising in a periodical read by foreign importers you can often determine reactions to your product without a personal or trade visit. Having the foreign importer come to you with a demand is easier and more profitable than you having to create a demand, but you still need a broker.

A preliminary marketing venture often identifies several potential overseas markets; the challenge is determining which would be the best for your firm. An effective tool could be to use the U.S. Department of Commerce's Agent-Distributor Service (ADS) to deliver marketing packages to Commerce agents in several countries. When inquiries show one country hotter than the others, concentrate on that country as your first market.

GET INSURED
We have successfully exported the ability to be sued to just about every country, so product liability litigation is a real factor. Consumers in foreign countries know they can sue in U.S. courts, and that payoffs can be lucrative. Despite your best efforts, your properly labeled product may run afoul of the laws in other countries, exposing you to new liabilities. Your trade association (or your broker) may be able to provide you with a comprehensive blanket country policy. Don’t leave home without it!

TAKE IT EASY
Combine business with pleasure by timing a personal/business trip to your selected country to coincide with an industry trade show. Carry enough salable merchandise along to pay for the trip. (Your broker will help you with customs for this.) Visit nearby areas while there and keep an eye out for opportunities for your company. Ask all your new business contacts, "What problems do you have that we might be able to help you solve?" You may discover a minor product modification that could mean big business for your firm.

(NOTE TO EDITORS: PLEASE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING.)
Paul Tulenko is a Small Business Success Consultant based in New Mexico. Additional tips and suggestions are available at www.tulenko.com or call (toll-free) 1-866-TULENKO.