Innovative Trade

Change is rule of life and innovation is in every industry anymore. Due to enlarging needs of last users, companies allocate a lot of sources for adaptation to new trends. Exporter and importer companies have to join this movement too. International trade cannot be stable while all industries around are changing and developing. Innovation can be in two forms in trade operations:

·         Product innovation

·         Process innovation

·      Product innovation: People don’t buy products but needs and they are always changeable. Companies need to understand what exactly existing and potential customers look for and this can be attained only according to feedbacks from customers. Therefore, continuous communication is a very essential part of international trade. On this perspective, we have to change our perception of export and import, which is only consist of selling and buying. We should start innovation in our mind first.

Process innovation: Beside product adaptation, companies need to look over process they follow in international trade. Most important issue at this point is increasing efficiency of trade model you embrace. It can be possible that applied trade pattern cannot be suitable for other sides, even though it seems to be most proper one. You can need to change methods of transportation and communication and way to reach new clients continuously.   

Best source of innovation is first-hand information, which can be only obtained existing and potential customers in industry. For this purpose, you need create large networks to keep information flow alive. Networking is not only about to reach new customers but to get innovative ideas as well. You know Salesupp.NET always emphasizes on: International trade is result of networking. J

INTERNATIOANAL TRADE IS NOT ONE TIME TRANSACTION: Kaizen Approach

Due to requirements of our new start-up, Salesupp.NET and industry interests, I always talk with our existing and potential users. I aim to understand what they think about b2b online platforms and how they try to reach new customers and suppliers. What I realized is actually shows that most of exporter and importer companies are not on the right way. Because, they have mind that international trade is one time transaction. But it is not! It requires continuous effort. You cannot find new customers by writing introductory emails or looking for import demands, which are generally fake or expired, on b2b marketplaces. In that case, how can we get new customers continuously and get sustainable trade?

At that point, I strongly recommend Japanese Kaizen approach. Kaizen offers continuous improvement by getting first hand information and adaptation. Information comes from networking. This method is applied by Toyota very successfully. Company has set up very effective network system with its suppliers and with this advantage, they could change way of automotive industry.

In international trade, networking as Kaizen propose is the best way to get trade leads continuously thus, to get sustainable trade. By setting up large and effective supply, sales and logistic networks and staying in contact with companies in these networks, you can get long term and very profitable export/import connections. Networking is also base of Salesupp.NET. You can get in very easily, find new companies and add them to your sales and supply networks, which you will have automatically on Salesupp.NET. It is FREE J and only thing you need to do is to sign up in a few minutes. I also recommend to check one of our previous posts:

The lean trading, http://salesuppnet.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-lean-trading.html

Achieving sustainable trade with gritty networking!

As Salesupp.NET, we always insist on networking in order to get long term sustainable trade. So, what does sustainable trade mean? Sustainable trade is cooperating with existing buyers and suppliers efficiently while at the same time adding potential buyers and suppliers into network. Once you add a new company in your network, the most important thing should be done is staying in close contact. By this way, you can run existing business while generating new ones. This is how long term sustainable trade can be achieved by networking. But, this process requires continuous effort on the contrary of what almost all companies do on online marketplaces.  International trade is not something like that you will have new business while sending same long messages and emails automatically. On this perspective, online world works like offline, which relies on personal relationships.

Last week I have read the article of Cheryl Conner from Forbes and watched speech of Angela Lee Duckworth on TED, which emphasize on being gritty to be successful. “Being gritty”! This is the word I was looking for to define sustainable trade process. So, let’s look against what we should be gritty in trade networking. 

There can be industry, market or product specified obstacles on the way of networking for sustainable trade. But, I have determined 5 big sets you should jump overJ.

- Not having plan. Beginning is the hardest part. So, take time for forecasting, correcting deficiencies and planning for future steps. I know, your plan will not go smoothly but, it will give you considerable insights.

- Questions. Networking starts with meeting with new companies in your interest field and naturally questions come with it. But, you should reply these questions by one by, not in automatic mood. Listen and reply carefully. You should value other side’s ideas and thoughts, as we always underlineJ.

- Solve problems. There can be many problems on your way. Solve them not skip. Don’t be in mood of “not that important”. This is really important to flatten your way and see the future clearly.

- Tiredness. Networking for sustainable trade is a long way. You should be patient. Gaining confidence of other companies is not easy and you should keep contacting with them.

- Down times. Sometimes your business can fluctuate. You should be resistant and not forget networking. Otherwise, when you back to your networks, you will have to show effort one more time.

Yes, networking requires being gritty. Find new companies, add them to your networks and stay in close contacts with them. These are not that easy as it is read. You should go on networking way with patient and by overcoming obstacles. After some time, things will be on their ways and you will have to spend less effort. Of course you will be achieved big gift, sustainable trade.

'True Grit': What It Takes To Succeed As An Entrepreneur: http://onforb.es/13s8fDw

The key to success? Grit: http://bit.ly/10B3REF

LET'S CREATE OUR TRADE WORLD ALL TOGETHER !

In my previous posts, I have always emphasized on how important having large and effective network is. You know our mottoJ: “Trade is all about human relations”. Yes, these are easy-to-say words. In international trade there are a lot of issues and details, which can be problematic. Such as physical distance. All we know that face-to-face meetings are cornerstones of builing mutual trust, which is crucial for trade. But, physical distance is matter. We have a passion: To create an online trade world. For this purpose, we have created the first form of our platform, Salesupp.NET. This is just the beginnig. We will create our trade world all together.

I want to inform you about this new platform. Firstly, you will be able to create your sales and supply networks, which is really important in order to set up continuous relations. International trade is not one day work or not a few transactions. It is a progressing  process. To get expected return you should be close to your buyer/supplier companies. Continuous relation is the key and the only way to do that is networking. You will find the best way of it on Salesupp.NET.

Ok you have high number of companies in both of your sales and supply networks. What to do then?  Salesupp.NET presents you very effective tools for communication. You can create promotional or informative “posts” or trade lead “posts” and send them to companies in your networks. Also, you can send your posts to whole your sales or supply networks by just one click.

 Let’s assume that you need a product. You already have companies in your supply networks, which you are close with thank to networking. The only thing you should do is to create a “demand” for product you need  and send them to suppliers you will choose. Again, if you wish you can send this demand to whole your supply network with one click. Is demand tool on Salesupp.NET guarantee buyer companies exact return in the shortest time and suppliers to have trustable demands? That is for sure J

Besides, these three function, you can search for companies in any country, in any chapter number or by firm name. You can monitor their pages and assess if they are appropriate business partners for you. You can message with firms in your networks at any time and keep contacting. 

You will be able to use all these functions on a very user-friendly and stylish platform. No banners, no information overolad, no many links and nothing will make you confused. As I have mentioned at the beginning of my words, this is just the initial form of our trade world. There are many other tools, which will help you, are on the way. All we need is your feedbacks. Because, we want to create a trade world with you. If you want to see anything on the platform, just tell us.

We are waiting to see as many users as possible on our website. We want to have a effective and easily affordable trade platform for all of us. So, we want to see you as signed up member. Is it enough ? No J We kindly ask you to invite your friends to our platform as well. Because, international trade is all about networking and more valuable with more companies around. 

Let’s start to create our trade world all together !!!

 

Salesupp.NET – where sustainable trade is

www.salesupp.net

info@salesupp.net

THE LEAN TRADING

Probably most of you heard that there is a popular book in entrepreneurship field, which is written by Eric Ries and called as “The Lean Startup”. It is a really great book and I strongly recommend you to read to enlarge your business mind. In this book, one of the most important points the author emphsizes on is the learning in as the shortest time as possible and developing startups according to this learning process. This will help you enourmously to reduce the time and cost while starting a new business. While I was reading, I was thinking that starting export/import operations or entering a new market also can be seen as a startup. This is exactly what Ries asserts by saying that “Entrepreneurs are everywhere”. Also, a few days ago I have read an article of Meghan M. Biro and I really like one definition in it, which is “Learning and Development (L&D)”. Both of the book and the article explain how learning and getting first-hand information are important. This is exactly the secret of success in international trade and the base of our startup,Salesupp.NET.

I always emphasizes on the importance of having large and effective networks for success in export/import. Because, international trade has highly changeable dynamics and requires continuous efforts. Therefore, setting up close relations with potential partner firms is crucial in order to follow the market you are in or interested in and to incrase profit as well. Networking is a gradual process of learning. But, at this point we can use the appraoch, which is explained in the book, “The Lean Startup”. We can test validation of market for our porducts or services by launching our minimum viable product (MVP), as it is named in the book. Our MVP is creating a limited network in target market. We can get connection with small number of suppliers and/or buyers from target country and set up intesive continuous relationships with them. By doing so, we can learn from them and decide whether to enlarge the network or to move to another country. This is not difficult to do and can save time and cost for us. 

International trade is all about networking”. This is what I always say. When you have a large and effective network, you can learn from updated information, create a trust atmosphere between you and potential/existing trade partners and increase your level of adaptation. By launching Salesupp.NET, we aim exactly to present these benefits. I am finishing my words with a new statementJ:

“International trade is profit of networking”.

ROAD MAP OF EXPORT/IMPORT FOR SMEs

A considerable part of total import and export volume arise from operations of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). These type of firms are limited in terms accumulated trade specific information, finacial sources and time, perhaps the most important one. Besides, there are some other small but time taker problems as well. So, under the light of these issues, what kind of way can SMEs follow in order to get the most effective trade ? Let’s begin with the theories (first boring parts J).

There are two mostly known trade theories for firms: The U-model (The Uppsala Theory) and the network approach. The U-model says that companies firstly operate in domestic market and then, when they reach to sufficient capacity, they can go for international operations. On the other side, network approach explains the pattern of export/import by claiming that companies can run international operations at the same time with local operations or even in some cases before local ones. I accept the second option. So, I will explain road map of export/import by considering the network approach. 

International operations seem more complicated than domestic ones and indeed, they are. First moves SMEs should do is getting required permissions and registering to institutional offices. Then, market research gets started. Determining right market to enter is very important in order to save time and cost. After maket selection, finding suppliers/buyers, the most difficult part, comes and in this post, I will explain how you can do it effectively. There various ways for this purpose such as contacting with chambers of commerce in target markets, emailing, phone calls, commercial visits and so on. However, I am a big fan of B2B portals and strongly recommend them. Because, on these portals you will find companies, which have same aims as you. So, you will not have to convince them for export/import and it will save you a lot of time. Although B2B platforms are beneficial, still there are some considerable problems such as expired or fake leads, fake companies, swindlers and low efficiency. Let’s see how to solve them.

To overcome these obstacles, what I recommend you is getting as many connections as you can via B2B portals and by the time, eleminating weak ones. By doing so, you will create your networks and then, you can divide your networks into sub-networks to make them more effective (I have explained why and how to do it in my first blog with details, “How to start to export/import” - http://bit.ly/15m2JFI ). By embracing such as approach, you can solve problems mentioned above but, of course by staying in contact with firms in your network. In this way, you will have many trustable companies in your networks and correspondingly, you will be able to reach real and updated trade leads. Even, with continuous relationships with firms in your network, you can generate new ones.

Yes I know, still there are some problems with existing B2B portals. Non of them allows you to create your supply and sales networks online. Besides they can be time taker and can be expensive. But don’t worry. Solution of these problems are on the way J  Salesupp.NET will be online on the 20^th of March. With Salesupp.NET, you will be able to create your sales and supply networks and to get sustainable trade by having continuous relationships with firms in your networks. And the best news is it will be really cheaperJ So, follow us and catch the trend: www.salesupp.net

Twitter: twitter.com/SalesuppNET

LinkedIn: http://linkd.in/13vYMQh

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/15pfjUw

To be informed more, please leave your emails to our sign up page: http://salesuppnet.kickoffpages.com/