How To Get Ready For Export Business

To adequately get ready for the export market, a micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should consider the following steps:

1. Market Research: Conduct thorough market research to identify potential export markets that align with your product or service offerings. Evaluate market size, growth potential, competition, regulatory requirements, cultural considerations, and customer preferences. This research will help you make informed decisions about which markets to target.
2. Product Adaptation: Assess if your product or service needs any modifications or adaptations to meet the requirements and preferences of the target export market. This may include adjusting packaging, labeling, features, or pricing to align with local standards, regulations, or cultural expectations.
3. Financial Planning: Determine the financial resources needed to enter and sustain export operations. Consider costs such as market research, product adaptation, marketing, distribution, logistics, and regulatory compliance. Develop a comprehensive financial plan and ensure that your business has adequate funding or access to financing options.
4. Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Understand the legal and regulatory requirements of the target export market. This includes export/import regulations, customs procedures, intellectual property protection, product standards, labeling requirements, and any certifications or permits necessary to operate in the foreign market. Seek legal advice if needed to ensure compliance.
5. Distribution and Logistics: Establish a robust distribution network or identify reliable partners in the target export market. Consider the most efficient and cost-effective methods of shipping, transportation, and logistics. Understand the necessary documentation, export/import procedures, and customs requirements for smooth movement of goods.
6. Market Entry Strategy: Develop a market entry strategy that aligns with your business goals and target market characteristics. Options may include direct sales, partnering with local distributors or agents, e-commerce platforms, or establishing overseas subsidiaries. Each approach has its advantages and challenges, so carefully evaluate the best fit for your business.
7. Marketing and Promotion: Develop a marketing plan tailored to the export market. Consider cultural differences, local advertising channels, digital marketing strategies, and language localization. Leverage digital platforms, trade shows, industry events, and networking opportunities to raise awareness of your brand and products in the target market.
8. Risk Management: Assess potential risks and develop risk mitigation strategies. This includes currency fluctuations, political instability, legal disputes, payment risks, supply chain disruptions, and intellectual property protection. Consider appropriate insurance coverage and establish contingency plans to mitigate potential risks.
9. Build Relationships: Cultivate relationships with potential customers, partners, distributors, and industry contacts in the target export market. Attend trade fairs, networking events, and industry conferences to establish connections and gain insights into the market. Building trust and strong relationships can significantly facilitate market entry and expansion.
10. Continuous Learning and Adaptation: The export market is dynamic and requires ongoing learning and adaptation. Stay updated on market trends, changing customer preferences, regulations, and competitive landscape. Continuously evaluate and refine your export strategies based on feedback and market intelligence.
11. Export Readiness Assessment: The importance of export readiness cannot be overemphasised because it helps an exporter to examine its business and discover the signs and symptoms in order to diagnose the areas of the business that needs to be treated for success and sustainable export business. To do an export readiness assessment for your business for free use this link: https://bit.ly/exportreadiness

By following these steps and adequately preparing, SMEs can increase their chances of success in the export market. Thorough planning, market research, product adaptation, compliance with regulations, strategic partnerships, effective marketing, and continuous learning will help SMEs navigate the complexities of international trade and maximize their export opportunities.

Why Your Business Needs To Consider Exportation

Export business plays a crucial role in a country's economy and has several significant benefits. Here are ten reasons why engaging in export activities can be important: 

Increased Revenue: Exporting allows businesses to tap into larger markets beyond their domestic boundaries, opening up opportunities for increased sales and revenue generation. It helps diversify revenue streams, reducing reliance on the domestic market alone. 

Market Expansion: Exporting provides access to a wider customer base and enables businesses to explore new markets and target international consumers. This expansion helps to mitigate risks associated with fluctuations in domestic demand. 

Economies of Scale: Exporting often leads to increased production volumes, allowing businesses to achieve economies of scale. With larger production quantities, businesses can optimize costs, reduce per-unit expenses, and enhance profitability. 

Competitive Advantage: By entering international markets, businesses can gain a competitive advantage over domestic rivals. They can leverage unique product features, quality, pricing, or branding strategies to differentiate themselves and capture market share. 

Risk Diversification: Expanding into international markets diversifies the risks associated with economic, political, or regulatory changes in a single country. By spreading business operations across multiple countries, businesses can minimize the impact of localized risks. 

Innovation and Learning: Exporting exposes businesses to diverse market conditions, customer preferences, and competition. This exposure stimulates innovation and fosters learning, enabling companies to improve their products, processes, and business models. 

Utilization of Excess Capacity: Exporting helps businesses utilize excess production capacity. When domestic demand is insufficient, exporting allows companies to sell surplus goods or services to foreign markets, optimizing resource utilization. 

Enhanced Brand Image: A successful export business enhances a company's brand image and reputation. The ability to export signals quality, reliability, and competitiveness, boosting the overall brand value and attractiveness to customers, suppliers, and partners. 

Access to Resources: Engaging in export activities often facilitates access to foreign resources, such as raw materials, technology, talent, or expertise. This access can lower production costs, improve product quality, or provide valuable inputs for innovation and growth. 

Economic Growth and Job Creation: Exporting plays a vital role in driving economic growth by increasing overall production, creating job opportunities, and generating foreign exchange earnings. It contributes to a country's GDP, strengthens the balance of trade, and supports employment across various sectors.

 Overall, export business offers numerous advantages to companies, including revenue growth, market diversification, competitive advantage, risk mitigation, and opportunities for innovation and learning. Engaging in export activities can contribute to the overall development and prosperity of both individual businesses and the national economy.

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Job Offer: Trade Marketing Officer

 

Main Responsibilities: 

• Marketing and Sales of international trade training products and services. 
• Monitors income and expense of the training products and services. 
• Design a marketing plan and strategies for the training products and services. 
• Follow up on prospective clients interested in the training products and services. 
• Give a daily, weekly and monthly report on the activities related to the training products and services.

Skills:

• Ability to lean very fast. 
• Excellent team player.
• Fluent in English language. 
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Open personality with energy and drive.
• Motivated to succeed.
• Ability to be flexible and work to deadlines.
• Ability to follow procedures.
• Maintain accurate records.

Personal:

Being Proactive – Strives to stay ahead by anticipating rather than reacting; ensures that ones actions are always carefully considered.

Resilience – Have confidence in your ability to achieve ambitious goals and celebrates success; never allows oneself to become arrogant. Possess the ability to cope with rejection.

Problem Solving Style – Identifies, clarifies/defines and works through challenges towards a defined outcome.

Acting with Integrity – Lives the 3T Impex's business model based on trust and integrity as perceived by our stakeholders, especially our clients.

Personal Accountability – Takes full responsibility for ones actions and the impact that you have on others; self driven with a desire to continually grow and improve on your performance. Shows a high degree of self-motivation and ambition.

Experience Required: At least one year of experience post graduation.

Qualifications: BSc or HND

Remunerations: Attractive 

Interested candidates should  forward their applications and CV to the tradeacademy@3timpex.com on or before Friday, February 3, 2023.

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AfCFTA | Exploring Nigerian Export Potentials |-38-| Zamfara

AfCFTA | Exploring Nigerian Export Potentials |-37-| Yobe

Job Vacancy: Social Media Manager

Job Title:  Social Media Manager

Main Responsibilities: 

• Analyse customer expectations according to past social media activity
• Crafting compelling content for our products and services
• Send out weekly newsletters via email and social media
• Develop social media campaigns and post content across social media
• Update social media content across all channels and engage with customers and followers
• Monitor campaigns, SEO, web traffic metrics and analyses data obtained
• Development and review of copy, newsletters and other company publications  
• Establish relationships with social media influencers to develop a strong network
• Using social media to prospect potential clients  
• Keep an eye on social media trends and leverage on it to promote our brand
• Development of copy, social graphics and editing videos for social media advertisement
  

Core Competencies:

• Understand customer needs and develop plans to address them
• Good knowledge sales and marketing strategies
  
• Proficiency in handling platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn & Twitter 
• Good understanding of excellent customer service
  
• Sound in writing and communication 

Skills:

• Ability to work with all levels of the organisation. 
• Excellent team player.
• Open personality with energy and drive.
• Motivated to succeed.
• Ability to be flexible and work to deadlines.
• Ability to follow procedures.
• Must be internet savvy

Personal:

Being Proactive – Strives to stay ahead by anticipating rather than reacting; ensures that ones actions are always carefully considered.

Resilience – Have confidence in your ability to achieve ambitious goals and celebrates success; never allows oneself to become arrogant. Possess the ability to cope with rejection.

Problem Solving Style – Identifies, clarifies/defines and works through challenges towards a defined outcome.

Acting with Integrity – Lives the 3T Impex's business model based on trust and integrity as perceived by our stakeholders, especially our clients.

Personal Accountability – Takes full responsibility for ones actions and the impact that you have on others; self driven with a desire to continually grow and improve on your performance. Shows a high degree of self-motivation and ambition.

Experience Required:

At least one year of experinence of work in any environment after graduation (NYSC experience is acceptable)

Qualifications:

• HND/BSC Degree in a relevant field, preferably English Language
  
• Fluent in English language. 
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft products (Excel, Word, Powerpoint).

Location: Surulere, Lagos.

Salary: Attractive
Mode of application: Interested and qualified candidates should send their updated CVs and all social media handles to to tradeacademy@3timpex.com using Social Media Manager as the email subject.
Application closing Date: Open, apply immediately. 

We are looking to fill this vacancy immediately.