If you have little or no capital but you want to do big international business; if your small business is not doing so well; or your capital is low, why don't you turn to the Internet? The Internet is the fastest and most efficient method for the newcomer and the struggling businessperson to become an international broker of goods and services.
To start, you may order directories of importers; but they are not absolutely necessary: importers can be found on the business portals too.
My favourite importer's directories are Interdata's International Directory of Importers, and of
Agents, Distributors and Wholesalers. (Visit Interdata online: http://www.export-leads.com). Both feature firms worldwide with company information, contact person, telephone and fax numbers, email address, products handled, bank reference, and much more. With the purchase of a directory, you receive a year's free subscription to an internet site giving you access to global export sales leads.
Since you will conduct your business on the Internet, an email address and Internet connection are a must. If you don't yet have an email address, you can get one for free from popular sites such as hotmail (Visit Hotmail online: http://www.hotmail.com) and yahoo (Visit Yahoo online:
http://www.yahoo.com). I prefer yahoo because one gets 1 GB of storage space. That is ideal for your business considering the amount of messages and attachments you will receive. As for an
Internet connection, if you cannot afford it, libraries give you free access to theirs simply by possessing their cards. A telephone is also necessary and a fax number will be an advantage. If you can have a website, that will be a big plus.
Now to the nerve of your business: making contacts with importers, agents, distributors and wholesalers and getting suppliers on the business to business (B2B) portals. Your importer's directories will allow you to contact prospects in your country or area. It is better to start with businesses nearby before broadening out. If your presentation is professional, you should receive positive answers. B2B portals like alibaba, indiamart, ec21 and bidmix will enable you contact suppliers worldwide. (Visit them online respectively at http://www.alibaba.com, http://www.indiamart.com, http://www.ec21.com, and http://www.bidmix.com). They are free to join and their marketing tools can help you promote your business online.
Let's use alibaba to explain the system. Open the homepage www.alibaba.com. Click on the link Join Free and supply your details. Submit and you become a member of what Forbes Magazine and Alexa.com respectively rank as "Best of the Web" and "N° 1 B2B website."
Do you want to buy? Then search and browse the industry category homepages for products classified into categories; contact suppliers; or post buying trade leads which will enable sellers to contact you directly.
Are you a seller? Then browse the site to find buyers in the rich database; you can also let buyers find you by publishing your product information in the Want to Sell channel; you can also send quotations direct to buyers by clicking the Send Quotation button; but at best become the first choice of buyers.
How? By paying US $349 a year, you become a TrustPass member. Your Trust Pass profile proves to potential business partners that you are authentic and credible. The service allows you to have a product showroom where you give detailes of your products. You can also have a company details page which presents an introduction to your business.
Another useful marketing tool you can use is Trade Alerts. It is efficient, fast and productive. But
be warned: offers will flood your inbox daily and you must really have the time to answer them.
Success stories abound on the B2B websites. Personally I have been able to have business partners on all the continents and have done business beyond my expectations. An Indian
manufacturer of designer wear wrote on indiamart, the gateway to the Indian market, "We regularly get emails from satisfied customers all over the world." On alibaba we read from an American supplier: "We got 45 buyers in 3 months. The reward is many times worth the expenditure;" a broker from Mainland China raved: "I feel now that business isn't difficult after all, why didn't I know of this site before?;" A south American member praised: "We received regular orders from Hungary, China, Taiwan, UK. Our first order was worth US$ 160,000;" and a European businessman says he is "stunned by the 1,823 % online sales increase. The Internet is great."
With the Internet never have business opportunities been so wide and so near: just at the click of a mouse. But beware of the dangers of doing business on the net. Some of them are phoney and unscrupulous businesspeople, scam artists who will try to defraud you, and malicious people who will cram your box with virus-infested mails. Your ability to sidestep these pitfalls will also largely determine your success on the net.
Sidebar
Broker: a businessperson who acts as intermediary between a seller and a buyer for a commission.
Trade Leads: a request to traders to send you offers or quotations.
Trade Alerts: a request to the website search engine to email you offers or quotations.
Tips for business success: Not all businesses succeed. But if you respect certain fundamental rules,
yours can. Among others, you must embrace your business wholeheartedly; have the will to succeed;
display perseverance, self-confidence, organizational spirit, honesty and integrity. Knowledge is
success: get help to run your business from organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce; study
with business schools in your spare time or through distance education. Also read widely on business
creation, sales, advertising, management and organization and attend training seminars.
My name is Akoli Penoukou. I was born in Lome-Togo (West Africa) in 1953. I went to school in Ghana (West Africa) up to the high school diploma level. I taught French there for one year and then returned to Lome to work. From there I went on "adventures" in Nigeria (West Africa) and Germany. Back home in 1983 I began my business career.
This began with a West German import and export company which represented major German manufacturers like Henkel cosmetics in West Africa. I started as Executive Secretary and ended up five years later as Manager. Then I founded my own company in 1987 which I ran part-time. The activities of the firm having increased dramatically in three years, I diversified into imports and exports. The brokerage business and trade representation constitute the main thrust of my buinsess now.
I have trained as a freelance writer for children and adults and have published in newspapers and magazines such as "Aim" and "Clubhouse" in America.
Hobbies: writing, reading, gardening, languages, music, traveling, and teaching. I am married and have 3 children.
Ten Keys to Inspiration 10 easy to follow steps that anyone can use to experience more inspiration in their lives.
Tips to Manage Incoming E-mail Friends, colleagues, and clients are all telling me that one of their biggest challenges is trying to manage e-mail overload. They say everyone wants something...
America Health Watch America loves fast food. Last year, consumers spent billions of dollars on the hamburger industry alone. Corporate giants such as McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burge...
Collection Agencies: What Do They Do? Collection agencies are businesses that collect past-due bills and accounts receivable for other persons or businesses in exchange for a fee.
Are You Ready for a 40-year Mortgage? High real estate prices may make the previously obscure 40-year mortgage more common, allowing people to purchase homes they otherwise could not afford.
Why Is Teamwork Training Important? Many of our teamwork training activities are instruments that allow participants to observe and unmask the common enemies of teamwork.
Becoming an Ageless Golfer As the body ages so does the distance on our shots. There are ways to eliminate this frustrating decrease in distance. Read on and find out!
Change Your Attitude from a Whiner to a Winner Do you wallow around in the mud of your own negativity? Discover a method of releasing the complaining habit by utilizing two simple strategies. By choosing t...
Dont Throw Away Those Old Light Bulbs! Christmas is just around the corner and it's not too late to start those craft projects.
This Christmas craft project is ideal for kids under adult supervision....
BMI Calculator Results So, you've tried a BMI calculator or other measure of bodyfat. What do the results mean? BMI, Body Mass Index, is the most popular and simple way that health ...
Do Your Goals Match Your Passions? Making sure our goals are properly aligned with our passions only makes sense. If you have the wish to move up the corporate ladder, start your own business, or...
Creating Money Out of Thin Air Creating more income or abundance in our life is easy. The first step is developing a relationship with money. Next learn and apply three simple rules. As you d...
Groups Assist the Make Money Online Syndrome Are your associates part of something bigger? Or are they out there on their own? Do you expect them to make money online without any support? Read about how gr...
Top 10 Things NOT To Tell Angel and VC Investors Most entrepreneurs greatly underestimate the difficultly and time required to succeed at raising outside capital. They also underestimate the opportunity cost t...
Cellular Phone Faceplates Fashion is a fickle thing. The term does not only apply to clothes these days, but jewelry, cars, and even cellular phone faceplates. Cellular phone accessories...
Print this page