WSU-SES/Extension Economics/Exporter's Toolkit/Step 1: Assessing Readiness
The first step is perhaps the most important: assessing readiness to export. There are certain characteristics that are common (but not necessarily essential) to export-ready and successful exporters. For example, successful exporters typically are already successful domestic sellers, and are large enough to have staff, time, and resources to devote to international travel, marketing, and sales. Typical successful exporters also are able to sustain themselves for a year or more for international sales to become profitable.
Step 1.1: Assessment of Export Readiness
TradePort provides a theoretical assessment of export readiness. This assessment assists you in sharpening your thinking about the necessary motivational and organizations factors required for exporting. This allows for more informed decisions based on logical and systematic thinking.
Action: Assess export readiness at Tradeport
Step 1.2: Export Readiness Quizzes (Short)
For a simple assessment of export readiness, it is useful to take online export questionnaires. Participants receive results, addressing export readiness and suggesting personalized steps for building on strengths and overcoming weaknesses. These quizzes are less then 20 questions.
Action:
- Washington Small Business Development Center assessment.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service assessment.
- Export.gov assessment
Step 1.3: Export Readiness Quiz (Long)
After you have completed the short export readiness quizzes, try this assessment. It is longer than 20 questions, but targets your current operations, export attitudes, and products.
Action: Centers for International Trade Development assessment.
Disclaimer: This manual is a demonstration based on interviews of successful exporters. Each individual case is specific and optimal strategy may differ from those discussed here. References to sources and documents outside of WSU Extension and the IMPACT Center are for reader convenience. WSU does not review, control, or take responsibility for their content, nor does WSU or any person therein explicitly or implicitly endorse the positions or policies of these sources.
Some WSU Extension web sites provide links to external sites for the convenience of users. These external sites are not managed by the WSU Extension. Furthermore, WSU Extension does not review, control or take responsibility for the content of these sites, nor do these sites implicitly or explicitly represent official positions and policies of WSU Extension.
Created December 20, 2011