Business Loans

Exporting provides an equal number of opportunities and challenges for businesses. Good financial practices help exporters avoid the pitfalls of a market economy and set them on a path to growth. This article discusses best exporting financial practices and how you can source funds for your export business.

Loans:

Getting loans in the export business can be difficult, since banks do not accept foreign-based assets as collateral and are generally suspicious of any foreign business entity that is not a well-known company. Small businesses withstand the worst of this suspicion. The Small Business Administration Export Assistance Program is one that is helpful to many small businesses looking to enter the export market. You can also approach private lenders and banks. Ex-Im Bank, for example, offers export loans to companies with less than 500 employees. Most US government agencies do not provide loans to exporters; they simply help exporters obtain loans from other sources. read more »

Commercial finance is one of the many options available to entrepreneurs seeking capital to start or grow an existing business. This sort of financing is also referred to as asset-based lending, meaning that it is a secured business loan. The borrower guarantees the loan by giving up business assets as collateral for the loan. Another popular phrase for commercial finance is asset-based finance.

Account receivable factoring is one form of commercial finance. This consists of selling open invoices for cash that can be used right away in the business. There are many benefits to this financing option including not giving up equity, being able to take advantage of early payment and volume discounts from your suppliers, you can actually purchase in greater volume from suppliers, and you also accrue no additional debt in your business. read more »

One of the easiest ways to get rich is through import. The concept is simple. You source true manufacturers, not middle men, and you import their product. You take advantage of their currency weakness and abundant labor supply to get product at real wholesale prices and find local distributors to sell to.

Currently the best place to buy product is from China. It is the new Japan, or the new Taiwan. Their prices are surprising and your markups are very healthy. To prepare for a career as an importer, you need to learn many customs laws and trading abbreviations to communicate effectively with Chinese manufacturers. Typically you can speak to them on MSN or through email and they do use English translator software, so you may find it difficult to understand their meaning completely but generally the English is comprehensive. read more »

After reading part one of this two-part series, you likely already understand what the import / export business really is, and how you can turn it into a great work from home opportunity. Sure, it takes a little bit of business acumen, but once you have a steady stream of great products, you can simply continue to provide the product to the distributors, while investigating new opportunities to increase your business.

So, part one looked at what an import / export business is. In this part, we are going to show you the 4 important aspects of creating a successful work at home business from import / export. There are some key things that you need to do in order to make the most profit from this work at home opportunity. Here’s what they are: read more »

Export has been around since the earliest forms of business trade. In fact, it is through the business of export that new lands have been discovered, wars have been fought, and international business relationships have been established. Today, many people are discovering that operating an Export business is just as exciting, adventurous, and financially rewarding as it was for the early explorers.

When one envisions an Export business, they tend to imagine huge corporations that have made their millions in international trade, however research has shown that the majority of Export businesses are owned and operated by small businesses and sole proprietors. read more »

This article for anyone who thinks they may want to know how to start to import goods into The USA and/or virtually any country where they are permitted to import and export. The intent is promoting and/or to sell their products a lot of this article may be common knowledge to some and new information to others.

IMPORTING

I suggest you find out who has the item (‘s) you think you want to buy and sell and/or to import. Do a comprehensive research on the industry, and the market you wish to buy and sell in. While I am not able to share with you, in this article where on the internet to go a search for suppliers. You should be able to figure it out.

You may consider going down to or calling your local courthouse to find out about how, or if you need to registering your idea of an import business. It is also suggested that you start and list your business as a Sole Proprietor. Consult with your tax or legal person for advice. But this method of setting up your business usually, in my opinion, has the best tax advantages. read more »

Making Contacts

Many cultures outside of the U.S. work on the basis of relationships. People prefer to work with people they know. Therefore, a cold call is often not the best approach to meeting people and making contacts. If you know someone who is close to the firm that you desire to contact, it may be best to try to first meet your counterparts with the help of this connection. Working with an organization that can assist you with your initial contact can be ideal. Many of these third-party firms are industry-related and advertise frequently in local trade magazines. Other venues through which to meet potential contacts and clients are conferences and trade shows. Many of these shows are held in the United States and it is helpful if you do some pre-investigative work. Alternatively, it is worthwhile, and may be even more beneficial, to target a local trade conference in the region in which you desire to make contacts.

Entrepreneurs and large firms should both take advantage of the resources offered to U.S. firms by the Department of Commerce (www.ita.doc.gov). A trade mission is particularly valuable for small firms who do not already have a presence in the country of interest. A trade mission to a particular country is organized by your local department of commerce for the purpose of helping you establish business contacts there. Many trade missions have notable leaders such as the mayor of your city or the business leader of a major organization to help increase visibility for the group in the country. The cost of trade missions usually ranges from $2,000-$5,000 and includes the hotel, flight and appointments. The Department of Commerce also offers a great deal of expert help, free or for a nominal fee, to assist you in creating a business plan or developing export opportunities. read more »

Thinking of starting an import/export business? Jennifer Henzel, a Certified Import/Export Trade Professional offers these tips for getting started:

1. Many countries have set up offices (Consulates or Embassies) in foreign countries to promote the exporting of their goods. The Consulates will supply you with industry directories and more. Embassies are located in a nation’s capital and Consulates in different cities. In many cases, the Embassy web site will contain directories and manufacturer lists, as well as an email link that you can use for sourcing

2. To import goods, communicate with that country’s Consulate situated in your own country. If you are uncertain what products the other country wants, you can obtain catalogues and lists of manufacturers. read more »

If you have ever bought products outside of retail stores, you most likely know of the great deals that can be had from getting your items from overseas. You can get your products for a fraction of the cost. Most people are not aware that the items that they buy are usually imported, so they are not aware of the great savings they are missing out on. It can be hard for an individual to make purchases as such overseas, but for a businessperson, it can be a great asset that they can obtain quite easily.

There are at least three things that you need to consider when you choose to import from wholesalers overseas.

1. The cost you pay for your item is not your cost of wholesale. The total of your wholesale cost is the total of the cumulative cost that you incur from getting the product to your door, packed and then shipped to your client. For an example: you may pay 75 cents for a ceramic dove, then you will have to pay an import fee as well as freight, a customs broker, insurance and consolidation fees. In the end, your total cost of the product for all of this would be around $2.75 each. read more »

Starting Business Secrets will help you to start your own business successfully.

The American Dream is, and always will be, to come up with an idea, start a business and become rich from your own efforts. Based upon this motivation, thousands of businesses fail each year, due primarily to not being familiar with the basics involved in running a business.

This report will enlighten you, and give you a number of suggestions you can use to better guarantee your chances for success. This report is written with the warning that any and every business venture contains certain inherent risks, and any number of alternatives. We do not espouse that any one way is the right way or that our suggestions are the only way. On the contrary, we advise that before investing any money in a business venture, you seek counselling and help from a qualified accountant and/or attorney.

Just about the first thing you should consider before deciding to start or purchase a business is the legal form you’ll be operating under. There are basically four choices: sole proprietorship, partnership, limited partnership, and/or corporation.

Each has a number of advantages and disadvantages. We’ll try to enumerate some of them for you. read more »