Guest Blog: 10 Commandments Export Marketing by Coach Bengo (Part 1)
By Anika in Guest Blogs on 20. Nov, 2012No Comments
Having been asked to make a presentation to aspiring new Small Business Exporters by the Free Zone Aruba and emboldened by my experience of ʻsimple Berniceʼ exporting ʻmobile chat servicesʼ to India from rural Trinidad, I decided to pen my most valuable experiences in Export Marketing and came up with ten lessons which I named CoachBengoTen Commandments of Export Marketing.
These Ten Commandments have been condensed from the innumerable experiences I have had during over twenty years of Export Marketing and I believe should be kept in the back pocket of every new small business exporter. My presentation can be viewed on the Free Zone Aruba website and on my own YouTube Channel ʻCoachBengoʼ. I will start to comment on them in this blog and will continue in a series of blogs.
The first Commandment is the absolute necessity of having a Purpose and a Mission for your enterprise when embarking on Export Marketing. As a small business exporter only such clarity of thinking can give you the courage to venture forth like Christopher Columbus did over 500 years ago. His Mission of discovering and conquering new lands in the name of Christianity inspired him to make passionate presentations to the King and Queen of Spain and having gained their support by virtue of his belief in his Mission was able to secure the funding for this worthwhile venture. And even before him another adventurer Don Quioxte set forth as a knight errant to rid the world of evil and save damsels in distress. His Mission as well led him to fight windmills and to Dream the Impossible Dream.
When defining your Purpose and your Mission look towards your talents and your small business’ core competencies, that is, what you can do well, what makes your business different. Select a Mission that would take beyond your life to complete. For instance the Mission for our small businesses is to ‘Promote the development of the Caribbean through Training and Development of individuals and small businesses’. This Mission is to us a calling, a vocation.
Recently one of the presenters at the Small Business Convention used her talent of making cakes to create a very successful cake making business the ships cakes internationally. I would suggest her Mission be ‘Helping People celebrate special moments in their lives through creative cakes’.
So until our next issue of this Blog start recognizing your talents and reflect deeply on your Purpose and Mission in taking your business overseas. Take the Leap!