1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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’

6. 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

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

8. 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.

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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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!

13. 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.