International Business Questions And Answers

Import Export Business Question:

We are to Norwegian export agents based in Vancouver, Canada,
who would like to find potential buyers in Norway for Canadian
and American companies. Even though one of us has a bachelor
degree in International marketing & export, we still have some
questions about how things really work in the real world.

Due to our limited resources, we have just started a home-based
export business, and we think we have everything in its place now.
However, we are a little bit unsecured if we as agent need to be
responsible for the shipping of the goods and custom declaration?

Could some companies require this?

Import Export Business Answer

Even though you have a degree, I would still suggest you get a copy of
our Exporters Master Training package since it contains "real world"
information, not just theory - you may review details at:
http://www.importexporthelp.com/trdspm1.htm

I will attempt to answer your question below, but you should also take
several hours and visit our import export business blog at:
http://importexportbusiness.blogspot.com
*** look on the right side - down a bit - to find the dated archived posts -
not all will be of interest but the majority are questions and answers
that we have received and answered over the years which will be
beneficial to you.

Now to your question - working as an agent/broker can involve you doing
everything that is part of the exporting process from taking care of the
shipping, customs, financing, etc. if that is what you agree to do or
what your client requires in order to do business.

You can also work the business (again subject to your negotiated
agreement with the supplier/manufacturer) in a manner like I do where all
I do is generate or identify potential buyers for manufacturers and pass
those qualified leads on to the supplier - upon completion of a sale to
the parties I introduce them to, I get paid a commission which is far
less than the one I could earn if I wanted to handle all the follow up
details as you have described.

Some purists would say I am a finder, some would say I am nothing
more than a lead generator and I would respond, call me what you will
but as long as they have my name or my company's name spelled
correctly on their checks, I could care less what anyone else wishes
to call me.

So bottom line, it comes down to you and the supplier and what
involvement you wish to have in the process - the more involvement,
the more you can demand in payment, the less involvement and the
you can expect to be paid less - you have to weigh the offset of the
time you spend on a deal versus what you will get paid for that time.

Hope this helps and again, I strongly recommend you and your
partners get the Exporters Master training package - it is something
you all may use and continue to use if and when you hire any employees
or take on any new partners in your business.

Good luck and I wish you success!

Ron Coble
http://www.importexporthelp.com