Finding your best potential international market opportunities
Certified Global Business Professionals (CGBP) from the Kansas SBDC utilize over a dozen data sources such as the ITC Trade Map, the World Bank, Michigan State University’s Global Edge, UN Comtrade and more – even the CIA Factbook (!) – to determine potential demand overseas for your product(s).
We then distill that data in an Excel scorecard, weighting the data as appropriate, to determine your top potential international markets.
But: Wait. You don’t know anyone in Qatar? That’s when we bring in the U.S. Commercial Service, who can introduce you to vetted agents and distributors there, perform an international customer profile (similar to a background check so you’ll know who you’re dealing with) and more. We’ll also introduce you to the Kansas STEP program, which can help you pay for the services provided by the U.S. Commercial Service, export training and much more.
Market Entry begins with U.S. Commercial Service's Country Commercial Guides
Once you’ve determined a good (hopefully, great!) potential international market, the U.S. Commercial Service also offers excellent Country Commercial Guides, with current information on the country. For example, their guides include a section on Market Entry (using Qatar again as an example but please note that they cover 160 countries):
From: https://www.trade.gov/knowledge-product/qatar-distribution-and-sales-channels
“Using an Agent to Sell U.S. Products and Services
In certain circumstances, foreign companies doing business in Qatar may elect to have a local commercial agent. A commercial agent generally acts as the exclusive provider of services of the foreign principal or exclusive seller in Qatar for foreign produced goods. U.S. firms are strongly advised to avoid appointing one regional agent for a number of countries.
U.S. companies with agency agreements or planning agency agreements with Qatari firms are encouraged to review Law No. 8/2002 as amended by Law No. 2/2016 (the “Commercial Agents Law”). The law consists of 28 articles, enshrining two basic principles:
- The business of commercial agents is exclusively restricted to Qatari nationals or to companies wholly owned by Qatari nationals, and they must be registered with the Qatari Commercial Agents Register to receive the benefits.
- Any Qatari agency is to be considered as an exclusive agency.”
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