School of Economic Sciences > Extension Economics > Step 2: Planning

Step 2: Planning

The next step is to develop an individualized, customizable, and somewhat flexible export plan. The export plan integrates resources allocation, market research, product characteristics and pricing, and goals. The export plan is dynamically developed. The initial plan is simple and short. This plan is modified and revised as more information and data are available to exporters. This process generates a complete and detailed export plan.

Step 2.1: Preliminary Considerations

It is important to broadly consider some of the important decisions made in exporting. For example, management departments need to agree on all aspects of an export plan. This substep walks you through most of these considerations.

Action: Consult Export.gov

Step 2.2: Planning Guides

Now that you have considering the preliminaries, it is time to develop those thoughts into a formal plan. The following are guides to help you develop your export plan. They are geared for agricultural exporters.

Action:

Breaking into the Trade Game: A Small Business Guide to Exporting (PDF) (U.S. Small Business Administration)

Step 2.3: Developing a Plan

As you work with the planning guides, also consider these sample export plans. Compare your plan to these samples.

Action:

Plan Template (PDF) (Foreign Agricultural Service, United States Department of Agriculture)
Sample 1 (Export.gov)
Sample 2 (PDF) (SBDC)
Sample 3 (PDF) (Foreign Agricultural Service, United States Department of Agriculture)

Disclaimer: This manual is a demonstration based on interviews of successful exporters. Each individual case is specific and optimal strategy may differ from those discussed here. References to sources and documents outside of WSU Extension and the IMPACT Center are for reader convenience. WSU does not review, control, or take responsibility for their content, nor does WSU or any person therein explicitly or implicitly endorse the positions or policies of these sources.

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