1 2 3 4 THE 4 STAGES OF EXPORT PREPARATION E X P O R T P L A N Preparing your Business STAGE 1 Conducting Market Research STAGE 2 Developing a Marketing Plan STAGE 3 Entering the Market STAGE 4 3.2 – Developing an Online Strategy 3.3 – Winning Business 4.1 – Market Entry Options 4.2 – Financing and Getting Paid 4.3 – Contracting and Legal Aspects 1.2 – Assessing Export Readiness 1.3 – Developing your Export Plan 1.1 – Understanding Trade in Services 2.1 – Researching Markets 3.1 – Starting with a Marketing Plan 2.2 – Researching Sectors 2.3 – Gathering Market Intelligence E X P O R T P L A N

1.3 Developing Your Export Plan 1.3.1 Briefly introduce the topics in module 1.3. Why Have an Export Plan 1.3.2 Components of the Export Plan 1.3.3 Best Practices 1.3.4 Export Plan Template

WHY HAVE AN EXPORT PLAN? Planning for Success In this section we cover the importance of having and maintaining an Export Plan. WHY HAVE AN EXPORT PLAN? Planning for Success

Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail! Exercise – Stand up/Sit down: 1. Ask the participants to stand if they are a business owner. Stay standing. 2. Ask the participants to stand if they are in senior management within a business. (If not all the participants are standing, ask if they have ever been involved in a senior management position. Objective is to get everyone standing). 3. “If you have never developed a Business Plan”, please sit down. (Those still standing have developed a Business Plan.) 4. Of those still standing, how many of you are in business today – either as owner or manager? Stay standing. Others sit down (if it is past experience). 5. Of those still standing, you are in business today, do you have a Business Plan in place? If not, please sit down. 6. If you have not looked at your Business Plan in the past year, please sit down. The majority of small businesses either do not have a business plan, or do not use it effectively. This could be a major contributor to success or failure.

Typical Structure of a Business Plan The relationship between your business and export plans A good place to start your Export Plan is with your Business Plan - since the Export Plan is a component of a this larger strategy. Present the topics in the Business Plan. The Export Plan adds specific topics to the Business Plan. It is customized to reflect your export strategy or your international business strategy. Business Plan Export Plan Executive Overview Business Description SWOT Analysis Market Analysis Competitive Analysis Strategy Marketing Plan Resources Plan Implementation Plan Management Summary Business Plan customized to include your ‘International Business Strategy’

Purpose of an Export Plan Service characteristics The Export Plan is a central holding place for goals, facts, figures, information, clients, ideas, strategies, costs, opportunities, challenges, decisions, and most importantly helps to answer the question… “how can we make money doing this?” To assess export potential and capabilities To facilitate establishing realistic export goals To record market research findings To identify target markets, To develop the best market entry strategy To develop an action plan To measure success

Your export plan is your map. It is your tool.

Are You Convinced Yet? How effective is? ... an architect without a blueprint? ... a teacher without a curriculum? ... a traveler without a map? ... a orchestral conductor without sheet music? ... an electrician without house plans? ... a workshop without an agenda? ... a project manager without an implementation plan? How effective is? Encourage the audience to think of other analogies. Then asked them if they are convinced of its importance. Remind them that an export plan need not be a one hundred page document; the right 5-10 pages will do – even if just in a PowerPoint format. Also remind them that an Export Plan is a living document and should be updated as needed and annually.

EXPORT PLAN BEST PRACTICES In this section, we examine some of the best practices related to developing an Export Plan. EXPORT PLAN BEST PRACTICES

Elements of an Export Plan For service providers Your export plan should provide details on the following: Company description, including SWOT analysis and services offerings Customer description, including ideal customer Value proposition Export objectives and expectations Export capacity Management commitment Competitiveness Market/sector research and intelligence Target markets Market penetration strategy Marketing strategy Financial plan

Best Practices in Developing Your Export Plan My First Template Best Practices in Developing Your Export Plan Making export planning easy and effective Dust off your old business plan. Update it. Then put the ‘international’ plan elements into it. Business Plan Use it as a strategic tool to secure financing or other types of support. Bankable Document Ask participants if they can think of other best practices or approaches that would work in their environment? Example: perhaps asking a marketing student to help out in exchange for the experience? Devote the necessary time. Set aside one or two hours a week – same day, preferably in the morning. Prioritization Save time and money and become much more effective by seeking expertise. Work with a Coach Revisit the plan often and adjust as necessary. Revisit Set up monthly meetings with your staff, your Board of Directors, your ‘virtual team’ of volunteer experts. Assign responsibility for different sections. Team Building Keep it concise, focused, short. Simple

1.3 Developing Your Export Plan SUMMARY 1.3 Developing Your Export Plan The Export Plan template will be used throughout the GATEWAY to Trade programme. Your ability to summarize the results of your research and strategize on the way forward will be greatly enhanced if you document the key points into a plan. Research. Plan. Write it down. Succeed!

Group Discussion and Action Plan What was the most interesting thing you learned in this module? List 3 or more action items. Update your Export Plan. If time permits, engage the participants in further discussion and encourage them to think about their next action items.