First thing's first you have to decide where you want to position yourself. There are several areas within international trade where most people decide to focus. Specialising in one of these areas is usually a good idea for those new to the market although further down the line you may wish to expand.
Import Merchant: In essence you are a freelancer. You find a product overseas you believe will sell in your domestic market. You buy directly from the manufacturer and import into your market. After organising freight and customs clearance with a freight forwarder (or if you feel brave by yourself) you ship the goods to your warehouse - which could be your bedroom. From here you may decide to repackage the goods to meet official local standards and/or regulations. Then comes the final and hardest part... you have to sell what you've bought. Your buyers could come from retailers, whole sellers, individual customers, catalogue companies etc... anyone is a potential buyer. The risk here is that you buy the product and therefore if you can' sell it you're stuck with it.
Sales Agent: Here you work with your supplier to source buyers within your market. Your capital outlay is minimum as you do not actually buy the product instead you receive a commission for every trade you broker, usually around 5% of the value of the transaction. The logistical aspect of trades is also negotiated to suit the deal - for example your sole responsibility could be simply to book buyers and not worry about shipping the goods. Naturally as a sales agent you must first build up a solid level of trust with your supplier.
Distributor: Working as a distributor is one step up from a sales agent. Here you become even more interlinked with the supplier. Not only do you once again source buyers but now also all or some of the logistical considerations will be your responsibility - shipping, insurance, customs etc. Here you are also paid on a commission basis or there is also the option of purchasing the supplier's product with your own capital and selling the stock when buyers are signed. Here the pinnacle is securing an exclusive distribution agreement with a supplier which grants you the right to be the only distributor of their product in a set country for a certain period of time - all dependent on certain conditions being met.
Now let's talk about how to get involved in the business. Here I'll use my own personal experience which some may disagree with but has worked for me. The following points are general and can apply to any of the three strands I highlighted above.
Learn Learn Learn - For the vast majority of us international trade is a Rubik's cube. How to ship goods in containers from halfway across the world is complex and that's why you have to learn what's going on before even thinking about signing your first trade.
* Take an import export course. Make sure it is accredited in some way for example by a trade association or university. Although it may be pricey trust me it will be worth it. Buying books that explain import export are only so good, at the end of the day the entire sector uses new language and terms you've most likely never heard. Having someone from the inside explain it to you in plain English will make a significant difference to your understanding. Adequate course material handouts are a bonus. Make sure the course covers insurance, Incoterms, documentary letters of credit, customs clearance and import documentation as minimum.
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