You will find this Export Import Business blog contains important information, including many questions and answers to those questions from nearly 23 years in this businesss. This blog has posts going back to February 2006 that contain valuable knowledge for both individual international traders as well as company owners who are seeking to enter or expand their business operations - be sure you visit and read the archived posts listed by Month/Year on the lower right side navigation area of this blog and bookmark them so you may reference later.
Today's export import business question is:
What if I have no formal business education, business experience, and very little sales experience? Does interest in foreign cultures/languages and prior residence overseas help?
My first suggestion for you is to visit our Export Import business blog (this blog) at the link below and spend a day or two or however long it takes to read the posts that are not outright advertising.
Over the past years I have posted most of the best questions that I have received over the past 23 years along with the answers to those questions. You will serve yourself well to spend whatever amount of time necessary to read all those Q&A posts as well as others related to the business. I will try to answer your questions in reverse order.
Does interest in foreign cultures/languages and prior residence overseas help?
Yes, but simply having lived there and simply having an interest in their culture does not guarantee you success in international trade, it merely gives you that advantage in your business over someone who does not have the interest or living experience.
And, by the same token, someone who has the business educations, experience and sales experience is at a disadvantage to you by not having the experience you have. Am I making any sense??
"Business education" is often sold for more than it is worth - most courses that are taught in universities are done so by professors who have 'never' sold a single item of anything, whether into the domestic or foreign market.
Most of your formal courses get into technicalities that simply make the business seem unattainable or at a minimum, incredibly complicated.
What if I have no formal business education, business experience, and very little sales experience?
Some of my answer to this question is posted above but in regards to experience or sales experience let me state that more important than either one of these factors is "your will to succeed" and "your interest in doing so in this business".
The "your interest in doing so in this business" is probably the more important of the two.
The business has to interest you. You cannot focus on the money, you have to have an interest in bringing about business between two parties and getting paid for your efforts and time in doing so.
You need a seller and you need a buyer.
The seller's products has to be needed by a buyer. Their product has to be competitively priced. It has to be a quality product. The buyer may be looking simply for price, quality or both.
I will not get into repeating some of the information that is already posted on our import export business blog but suffice it to say, our self study course teaches you how to export and import. At what level you work in those businesses is your decision and believe me there are MANY levels in which you can work. And yes, it is WORK but it is YOUR work and YOUR business, remember that.
Many people also ask, which business is best to get started right now. Again, this is your decision but in my opinion, exporting is the better of the two to focus your attention on now. You can always get into importing later and it is really better to focus on one and become successful before trying to get into the other.
In closing, I cannot emphasize enough my suggestion that you read all the information (non-advertising) posts in the blog. Do not make a decision about our course until you have read through those posts.
If you have any questions after reading any of the posts, please put them alltogether in one email and send them to me and I will "try" to answer them.
Hope this email and blog will help YOU make a more informed decision about your future in regards to international trade