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

What do you expect from virtual trade fairs? (Comments are highly expected !!!)

Trade fairs are one of the most important parts of the international trade. Every year, a lot of trade shows are organized and millions of business people visit these fairs. These organizations generate many connections and businesses. But, on the other side they have some shortages or difficulties such as cost and time. Companies and visitors spend a lot of money and time to attend trade fairs. Ok, it is good to travelJ but, still so costly. And among all these issues, footprints of online world have shown themselves in this area as well and we have learned a new term: Virtual trade fairs. This new service can be defined as online simulation of real life trade fairs without travelling and spending high amount of money. But, can they replace real life trade fairs at least in some extent? 

We expect you to share your ideas about what you expect from virtual trade fairs.

To help you, I would like to emphasize on general benefits why companies attend and visit to real life trade fairs:

-  Companies display their new and existing products in these organizations.

- Exporter and importer companies meet with potential partners and can get new businesses.

- Companies can enlarge their networks by attending lounge room meetings and exchanging business cards.

- Companies can monitor new trends in their industries.

- Companies can monitor their rivals. 

- Taking place in trade fairs brings prestige with itself.

These are general advantages of trade fairs and we expect your comments and ideas by considering these issues. Of course, you can add more benefits you think you can get from trade fairs.  So, tell us what you would expect from a VIRTUAL trade fair in comparison with real life trade fair.

P.S. You know our motto: International trade is all about networking J and you also know the new address to create your sales and supply networks: Salesupp.NET. FREE sign up stage is open!!! Don’t be late to join the new trade world :)

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

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How to Start to Export / Import?

The most difficult part of starting something new is the beginning. There are many questions and uncertainties about where to start, how to start, what next is and so on. This stage requires a lot of efforts and even can make you unable to sleep. So what is the solution? What can rescue you? Answer to these questions is NETWORK. Yes, I can hear your murmurs. Probably, you have expected something new, unheard or maybe magical. This is what most of us do. Instead of looking for creating something doesn’t exist, we better learn how to use what we have but perhaps in different formats.

                

So, answer for how to start export/import is the same: NETWORK. Creating network brings many benefits in international trade. You can meet many new potential customers or suppliers, can reach to real and current demands or leads and moreover, information you collect via networks will be updated and generally reliable. Besides, contacting with different people continuously can enlarge your visions about how to seize opportunities and how to run your business in more efficient ways. Ok, but question is how to create network? For answer let’s look at the video below:

Derek Sivers refers this video as a leadership lesson. But, I would like to enhance his circle and to apply similar approach in creating networks as well. In the video, first followers are defined the most important stage of starting a new movement. Similarly, first people you will have in your networks will have same effect. They will open you new point of views and attract more people to your sphere of influence. By the time you will enlarge your network with serious effort. But, the most important point in your international trade network is staying in continuous touch. This is the KEY issue. Once you have someone in your networks, you should keep contacting with them. By doing so, you can get sustainable trade and can have increasing awareness. Another point is going through specialization in your networks. You can divide your network into sub-networks in order to get highest return in exchange for your promotional campaigns. This approach will also help you to keep companies in your networks informed about what exactly they want to see.

You saw at the end of the video that the crazy dancing guy (looking crazy is always case if you start something new and unseen) had a lot of followers, as Sivers define them. I would like to portray them as companies in networks. So, you see how many they can be J Here is the road map to have such as large networks: Create your networks, look for the first companies, divide your networks into sub-networks in order to give companies what they want and set up continuous relationships with firms in your networks by keeping them informed. At the end the result will be sustainable trade for you. Sounds good? J