Exporting Your Product or Service Growing your business by selling to buyers in international...

Exporting Your Product or Service

Growing your business by selling to buyers in international markets

Increased salesHigher profitsEconomies of scaleReduced vulnerabilityIncreased knowledgeGlobal & domestic competitiveness

Why become an exporter?

Before you decide to pursue international export opportunities, you need to assess your export readiness

Are you ready?

Your expectations – do you have:

Clear and achievable export objectives

A realistic idea of what exporting entails and timelines for results

An openness to new ways of doing business

An understanding of what is required to succeed in the international marketplace

HR requirements – do you have:

The capacity to handle the extra demand associated with exporting

Senior management committed to exporting

Efficient ways of responding to customer inquiries

Personnel with culturally-sensitive marketing skills

Means to overcome language barriers

Financial and legal resources – can you:

Obtain enough capital or lines of credit to produce the product or service

Find ways to reduce the financial risks of international trade

Find people to advise you on the legal and tax implications of exporting

Deal effectively with different monetary systems and ensure protection of your intellectual property

Competitiveness – do you have:

A product or service that is potentially viable in your target market

Resources to do market research on the exportability of your product or service

An understanding of who your competitors are in targeted markets

The ability to modify your product or service to meet market demands

Your Customer - Do you know :

What climatic or geographic factors affect the use of your product or service?

Is it in broad general use or limited to a particular group?

Are there other significant demographic patterns to its use?

Is it popular with a certain age group?

Your product

What is its shelf life? Will this be reduced by time in transit?

Is the packaging expensive? Can it be easily modified to satisfy the demands of foreign customers?

Is special documentation required?

Does it need to meet any technical or regulatory requirements?

Do you need to modify your product or service to appeal to foreign customers?

Your Service

If you are exporting services, what is unique or special about them? Are your services considered to be world-class? Do you need to modify your services to allow for differences in language, culture and business environment?

How do you plan to deliver your services: in person, with a local partner or electronically?

Logistics

How easily can your product be transported?

Would transportation costs make competitive pricing a problem?

Does your product require professional assembly or other technical skills?

Is after-sales service needed? If so, is it available locally or do you have to provide it? Do you have the resources to do this?

Support Resources

The Government of Alberta (GOA) can provide you with assistance in exploring international opportunities

Alberta trade experts can assist you by providing valuable information, intelligence and introductions focused on key markets and sectors

Support Resources

In addition to Alberta-based trade experts, the Government of Alberta has a network of 13 Alberta International Offices located in key international markets to assist Alberta companies abroad

Government of Alberta trade experts work closely with Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Development (DFATD) trade commissioners located in Canadian Embassies and Consulates around the world  

Contact Us

To find out more and how the Government of Alberta can assist you in exploring export opportunities, please contact us:

Alberta International & Intergovernmental Relations

Phone: 780-427-4323

Email: export.alberta@gov.ab.ca

And visit us online at:

www.albertacanada.com