FAQ ON EXPORT AND INTERNATIONALIZATION

1. I have never exported, but I would like to start doing it: what should I do?

Once you have determined the country to export to, it will be necessary to establish the actions you intend to take as well as quantify the related cost/investment to be incurred. These actions may include the following:

• Research of potential foreign clients;

• Participation in foreign, international fairs;

• Research and surveys of the market;

• Research of Italian companies to undertake a Collective Export action (with possible establishment of a Business Network);

• Research for commercial partners or foreign distributors (even in joint ventures);

• Creation of commercial points abroad (even in joint ventures);

• Creation of production centers abroad (even in joint ventures);

• Creation of assistance centers abroad (even in joint ventures).

2. Once the most appropriate actions have been determined, what is the next step?

To prepare a Business Plan sample or, even better, a Feasibility Study that considers the following:

1. Description of the actions that have been decided to undertake and careful budgeting of the costs of each individual action as well as determination of the total amount of the investment;

2. Availability or procurement of the financial resources needed;

3. Facilitated financing and public incentives as well as any existing benefits in the country where one intends to export or internationalize;

4. Possible training of one's human resources;

5. Regulations and tax aspects of the country where one intends to export;

6. Projections of sales revenues derived from export activities and calculation of the Break-even Point.

3. I have no idea which country to choose to export my product, how to do it?

It is possible to have guidance from experienced professionals in the field or, to get a rough idea, one can conduct independent research by looking up data and statistics for the merchandise sector related to foreign trade on the Internet.

4. Is it possible to independently manage the start of Export or Internationalization activities?

Yes, if you have or train or insert human resources in the company that have specific know-how in the field of Export. Otherwise, it will be advisable to rely on experienced professionals in the field such as Genia Business & Partners.

5. How much can it cost to start an Export project?

There are many variables at play. If it is the first time you are undertaking an Export activity, it is still better to focus on a single country, at most two. The overall investment, in addition to taking into account the chosen country, must consider the cost of the individual actions you have decided to undertake, the type of product you want to export and, above all, whether you want to undertake these actions independently or by joining other companies. Generally speaking, for a project that leads to concrete results in terms of profits and sales revenues of your products abroad, you should budget for an investment starting from around 50,000 euros if you do not plan to join with other companies.

6. If I do not have sufficient financial resources to undertake an export activity, should I give it up?

The company has several options to solve this problem. There are, for example, various incentives and facilitated financing available. Moreover, banks, in this moment of absolute credit tightening, seem to evaluate positively a well-structured, articulated, and detailed Export Project. One should also consider the opportunity provided by collective export.

7. If I were to consider the opportunity for a collective Export action, that is, by aggregating with other Companies, how and what should I do?

By aggregating with other Companies (possibly also in a Network) to undertake a collective Export activity, the advantages are significant; in this way, for example, the investment is shared, significantly reducing the cost. In this regard, on our website, you will find very interesting insights in IDEAS FOR EXPORT (COLLECTIVE)

8. I heard that there are subsidized financing, incentives, and contributions for those who want to export: is it true?

True, very true. As already mentioned, there are (and new ones are always being published) various calls national, regional, and provincial that provide subsidized financing and non-repayable contributions for companies that undertake export and internationalization activities; regarding this Genia Business updates its clients in real-time on the opportunities for subsidized financing for export.

9. If I wanted to make use of professionals capable of handling everything, from identifying the foreign market, to the most appropriate actions to take, to the possibility of starting a collective Export action, to obtaining the necessary financial resources up to incentives and grants, who can I turn to?

You can turn to Genia Business & Partners. To this end, without any obligation, you can fill out the coupon by clicking here or contact us attoll-free number 800 893 419.

Dear Entrepreneur, we have included here the questions and considerations that are most frequently asked by Entrepreneurs.