The global market is easier than ever to tap into now that technology has made it possible to connect in real time with potential customers and business professionals in other parts of the world. Yet, small businesses often leave this important resource untapped with the false belief that international trade is only for large corporations. When you are ready to take serious steps toward expanding your business, consider these six ways that international trade can help your company reach its goals.
Tap Into An Open Market
Market saturation is a major problem in the U.S. that hinders growth, and small businesses are at an increased risk for failure if they fail to expand beyond their local area. Fortunately, there is an entire world just waiting to benefit from the products and services that your company has to offer. Expanding to an international market allows you to take advantage of having less competition so that you can continue to build.
Extend the Life of Your Products
Product development is costly and time-consuming, and businesses need to carefully consider the return on investment before adding new items to their line. In the U.S., trends and seasonal changes tend to cause the demand for products to fluctuate wildly, which makes it hard to recover the dollars spent on putting a new product on the market. International trade opens up ways to mitigate the potential damages associated with this volatility since the global marketplace is full of potential customers who may be interested in what your company has to offer at any point in the year.
Practice Better Risk Management
Relying upon a single market also places your company in jeopardy of failure during political or economic events that affect the U.S. Unfortunately, many companies have gone down during minor economic downturns that could have been handled had they been trading internationally. Expanding your company’s reach to other countries helps it stay afloat when the local market sinks.
Build a Stronger Reputation
A global mindset is revered in today’s society that recognizes the importance of diversity. Whether your small business showcases the work of artisans from around the world, or you open up a shop overseas, international trade shows potential new customers that your business focuses beyond the borders of its home country. Since international trading is viewed as a sign of a successfully expanding business, this strategy also lends you greater credibility with others within your industry.
Enjoy Greater Control Over Cash-Flow Management
Requiring payments upfront is a common practice in international trade, which is often hard to negotiate for in the U.S. Early payments allow your business to benefit from immediately having the funds available to initiate projects or to invest in new materials. You also see productivity increases when your company’s staff is not strapped with menial tasks such as contacting customers to collect on late payments.
Identify Innovative Ways to Expand
At some point, most businesses hit a wall, and stagnation is often the sign that something must be done before your company fails. International trade has a unique way of opening up everyone’s minds to new possibilities. As your company’s team learns more about the international market, ideas are spawned regarding new ways to specialize or add products that meet the new needs of the areas that your business serves.
At first glance, the prospect of opening your business to international trade may be overwhelming, especially if you’ve always viewed it as something reserved for larger companies. However, being willing to look at the bigger picture is one of the most critical traits for any small business, or startup, to survive. Whether you start out small by expanding your product offerings to one country or go all out with a major campaign, branching out to the global market puts your business in the right position to excel.
