You can grow a large business by operating solely in your country. But as time goes on, you probably want to expand globally. After all, people everywhere will likely want your products if they are good.
But shipping to other countries is easier said than done. You need the right plan to do so with success.
Are you ready to grow your brand across borders and start international shipping? Read the guide below to learn how to build a global brand.
Learn About Customs
You can’t ship wherever you want without any paperwork. Different countries have various regulations that govern what comes in and out of the country. That means you need to tell foreign governments what you’re shipping with customs forms.
The customs forms you need to fill out will depend on your destination country, the nature of your shipments, if it’s personal or commercial, and other items. Get these forms as soon as possible to learn what information you need for when you’re ready to file.
Determine Shipping Restrictions
While most companies won’t have a problem shipping their products to other countries, that won’t always be the case. Some governments have restrictions that deny specific product categories to their countries.
Make sure you learn about these restrictions before planning your international strategy. You can avoid doing a ton of work for nothing by learning what you can and can’t export to your target markets.
Calculate Your Costs
Countries don’t allow products to come in without a cost. They want to collect taxes on fees to gather revenue from foreign companies. These duties also exist to prevent too many foreign products from coming in and disrupting local industries.
These costs can drastically alter your expected profit internationally. It’s wise to begin shipping to countries with lower fees to maximize your profit margin. You can then continue expanding as you increase your net profit per item and don’t need to worry as much about shipping fees.
Get Shipping Insurance
Your products are at much more risk when you ship internationally. You can’t guarantee the transportation methods to keep your products safe even if you do your part to package things correctly.
In cases like this, having insurance is vital. Insurance will cover any damage your products incur up to a certain amount. This means you have to worry less about losing cash because of product damage.
Find the Right Shipping Partner
You don’t want to create a shipping plan on your own. There’s too much that can go wrong, which means you need a reliable shipping partner to do the job right. The first place to start is finding a carrier to send your products.
It also pays to work with a shipping partner to help create an international plan. View here to learn more about PEO services.
Take International Shipping Seriously
It’s hard enough to build a shipping strategy in your own country. When you expand to international shipping, you must contend with a whole set of new problems.
That’s why getting your shipping strategy right is critical when you become an international business. By following the shipping tips above, you should be able to set up your supply chain overseas successfully.
Did you find this shipping guide helpful and want to read more? Check out the blog for more advice for growing your brand.
