Thanks to advances in logistics and online communications, international trading has become easier than ever before.

The e-commerce market has become so popular that it’s easily possible to create a successful business based solely on international sales, regardless of your budget. However, there are certainly right and wrong ways to go about it. Here is a brief guide to what you need to get started.

Get an International Merchant Account

An international merchant account is a key investment for any business which is serious about exporting. This account will allow customers to pay for goods using their debit or credit card, making payments quicker and easier for both consumer and retailer.  Such a high proportion of e-commerce websites accept card payments now that is arguably crucial for any newcomer to do the same.

It’s even more crucial when taking payments from abroad. International merchant accounts allow customers to pay in their own currency, which can help save retailers plenty of cash in automatic interchange fees.

Many international merchant accounts some with useful tools to protect against fraud. These tools automatically check the validity of customers’ billing addresses and credit card details to give retailers peace of mind.

Shipping

The packaging and shipping of your goods is one of the most important elements of the customer experience you provide. The difference between good shipping and poor shipping is much more apparent when you transporting goods overseas. In this day and age, customers do not expect to wait more than a few days to receive a product they bought online, even if it was purchased from a foreign website.

With this in mind, it is imperative to team up with a reliable shipping company. It might cost a little more to offer services such as recorded delivery, but many customers are keen to utilise options like these and the majority understand that they will have to pay a bit more for the privilege.

Also, don’t skimp on the packaging materials. No matter how tempting this may be, there’s little more frustrating than goods arriving at your doorstep unprotected or, even worse, damaged. Often your choice of shipping provider and packaging materials will play a big role towards whether customers use your company again.

Promote your business abroad

Your business will need a unique selling point to compete with major challengers in other countries. It will also need to have a solid marketing plan to make people aware of it. Offline marketing is often key to expanding abroad, so it might be worth investing in flyers, brochures or billboards.

Ensuring your website has different language versions is important – and there are certain SEO techniques that can help your website rank better in foreign versions of Google too. Outsourcing your SEO to an industry expert is often an intelligent step for expanding businesses to make.

Plenty of online businesses have already made great successes out of exporting to Europe, the U.S.A and the Asia-Pacific region. Isn’t it time that your business made the leap as well?

Useful Resources

First Atlantic Commerce is  a leading provider of secure internet payment solutions with services ranging from multi-currency transactions to online consumer authentication. 

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Brazil is a large country (5th largest in the world) with an abundance of resources. The question is, “Is this a good time to think about Investing in Brazil?” The probability is that Brazil most likely will scratch out a 1% GPD this year. This is well below the 2 to 3 percent estimates that many economist were touting at the beginning of the year. Brazil’s Central Bank kept publishing estimated for growth to suggest that Brazil was growing. The problem turned out to be that the actual quarterly number came in a lot lower than expected.

Some further reading here on Sustainable Brazil

Currently the Central Ban is telling the populace, press and business community that 2013 shows a growth of 4%. No one is saying that the Central bank is inflating estimates on purpose but many analysts are saying that that 4% goal is a long way from a sure thing. Even if it turns out that the Central Bank is right, 4% really just barely justifies the use of the term “rebound.” It just isn’t enough to explain Brazil’s valuations.

The stocks in Brazil didn’t do to well in 2012. They faced low growth, rising inflation and falling profits. Stocks in Brazil aren’t cheap and most indicators are very mixed on what to expect for 2013. Many Brazilian stocks appear to be very alluring for the long term bet, but many say they are riskier than waiting out the fiscal cliff melodrama of the U.S.

For a long time banks in Brazil have counted on high interest for their profits. This year te government has slashed consumer and base rates, and they plan to keep them low. There are also new bank fees being investigated.

Telecoms holdings were all hit with new fines and orders to invest multiple millions in upgrades to the infrastructure this year. It doesn’t look like shareholders will benefit while industries, telecoms and banks make the adjustments to the expensive orders that are coming from the central government. To most, the word seems to be that Brazil still remains risky for short term play. Many are saying that long term investments are best because of the uncertainty of the markets in the USA.

Part of the reason that investing is so expensive is the economy boomed for over a decade, mainly because of China’s nearly inexhaustible appetite for all kinds of “things,” which caused many commodity prices to rise. The worry is that if China was to implode, so will commodity prices and that will not be good for Brazil.

Brazil is expensive for foreign investors, but the local investors are making the same complaints too. If you want to get into Investing in Brazil, carefully pick reasonably valued companies and stay away from all of the turbulence being experienced through ETFs.

The general consensus is short term investors should look elsewhere while long term investors able to weather some hard bumps in the market will do well.

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Bridge Street (Photo credit: Leonard Bentley)

No matter what kind of business you have, there is the potential that you’ll will experience cash flow problems from time to time. This is especially true if you sell a luxury item or provide luxury services in a tough economy.

There are some companies that face cash flow problems at the same time every year. For example, a company that sells bathing suits may experience a slow time from October through February. This kind of slowdown can cause many smaller businesses to close their doors because they haven’t had time to build in their own savings for the slow times of the year.

There is an option for many businesses, however, especially businesses that have done a good job maintaining good credit and keeping up their sales at other times of the year. This option is known as a commercial bridging loan. My friends at Bridging Loans Online do a good one.

Commercial Bridging Loans Explained

A commercial bridging loan is a short term loan that provides money to a business to help them their cash flow is low. This type of loan is designed to “bridge” the gap between good and bad cash flow – hence the name.

Cash flow problems aren’t the only reasons that a company might get a bridging loan. This kind of loan can cover business expansion, the purchase of a new building and much more. It’s important, however, that you not get crazy with this kind of loan because it is a short-term loan.

Length of a Loan

This type of loan is very short-term, with the longest terms only lasting a year. That’s why it’s important to not overextend yourself when it comes to this type of loan because you’re going to have to pay it back relatively quickly.

Qualifying for a Bridging Loan

While a business may not need to have perfect credit to get a commercial bridging loan, it will help if it does. What’s more, the business will have to provide documented proof of sales to show that the loan is only needed for a short period of time. It’s unlikely that a start up business will be able to qualify for a bridging loan.

Lenders that offer bridging loans typically offer them based on a focused assessment of the company requiring the loan. This means that a bridging loan offered to one company may not be the same as one offered to another.

In many cases, lenders to require a company to offer up something as collateral in order to secure the loan. This many be the personal property of the business owner, business equipment or a building owned by the business. The larger the loan the more substantial the collateral will have to be.

When to Get a Bridging Loan

This type of loan is best when you need cash for an immediate, but not a long-term problem. It’s ideal for business who don’t normally have cash flow issues and know that they can pay back the loan in the terms determined by the lender.

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View of the Strait of Gibraltar opening into the Mediterranean Sea, looking southeast from Gibraltar. Français : Vue du détroit de Gibraltar, vers le sud-est et la mer Méditerranée. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Those who are looking for a new opportunity should consider Investing in Gibraltar. This is an interesting choice as they offer several strategic benefits. It is a small area connected to Spain in the mouth of the Mediterranean Ocean that gives excellent central access to range of European localities. Even though it is connected to Spain by land, it is actually a territory of the United Kingdom. These features have given it the unique chance to offer advantageous business opportunities, as written about here

There are special tax breaks available for those who are looking for a new place to set up shop. The local government has partnered with businesses to make relocating resources, or transitioning processes, as easy as possible. There is a ready work force as the local population numbers about 30,000. They have been working with elements locally so any transitions to new facilities will be easy. As a British territory, the official language is English, but the site is so close to Spain, Spanish is also very common. Gibraltar is well regarded as a safe, secure, and economically prosperous location, making it attractive to those who need access to international markets throughout Europe.

Changes to the military presence in the area have had a major shift in economic opportunities. While public sector jobs were more common and secure, there are more opportunities for private business. Most operations were based on services as there are no manufacturing or production facilities available. Gibraltar is highly reliant on imports since it does not have any production facilities for exports. The legal structure is set up for foreign interests to make an investment and develop creative opportunities. For instance, repatriation for earnings, interest, and capital, are all unrestricted and can be done using any form of currency. The banking system and financial services are well-developed and attractive to foreign investors.

There is a particular good opportunity to use the available infrastructure to grow online businesses and e-commerce. Considering how rapidly the Internet is changing and the number of people who are finding more ways to stay connected all the time, this can be very profitable. Building an online market share for an industry or a specific form of commerce will pay off for those who act fast. All the necessary resources are available for those who are willing to take a chance. There is excellent potential to carve out a profitable market and set up a thriving business.

See The-Report For erudite global business reports.

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