THE RIDDLE OF THE EXPORTER™
8 STEP PROCESS TO CONQUER 
THE WORLD OF EXPORTING.
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SANTA HELD UP BY TSA...AS AN UNKNOWN SHIPPER!

12/19/2018

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HO. HO. HO...NOT!!!

*Disclaimer:  This is my favorite post of the year but it isn’t mine. Betty Sue would love to give credit for the news update about Santa but she doesn't know the author.  Thank you, whoever you are.  As always, the story is funny. Anyone who can offer Santa advice, please contact him at Santa Claus, 101 Santa Clause Lane, North Pole.
 
Well, we just wanted to let you all know that Santa will not be coming in this year.

Because of incorrect Incoterms® and incomplete documentation, the gifts for all the world will have to be returned to the North Pole (at his own expense).

He decided to ship everything DDP and even though we handled the forwarding on all the gifts, we were unable to determine who the correct broker was.

We also wanted to clear but FEDEX, UPS and DHL were fighting over the Customs Power of Attorney.

Determining importer of record turned out to be a nightmare since EVERYONE  in the world wants a visit from Santa but no one was willing to be the importer of record.

​New laws and regulations regarding entry of exotic animals also had the Fish and Wildlife department forcing Rudolph and his crew back out before they could even land.

All the electronics needed FCC clearance and since the North Pole is nearest to Canada, Santa was trying to claim NAFTA (since the USMCA doesn’t officially go into effect until 2019.) Either way, Customs refused to clear any of it without detailed product literature.

Then we got tons of census warnings because the dimensions and weight were too unreal to calculate and because Santa could not prove where the materials to make the toys came from (the North Pole is not on the approved country of origin list).

He incessantly tried to prove that he makes all of his own gifts, but since there are not defined tariff classifications on "Santa-made" materials, they rejected his entry.

We thought that maybe if we could get his shipment clear, we could at least dispatch some of the stuff through a Warehouse entry but, like we said, clearance through Customs was impossible.

Seriously, we can see the little kids filling out their own Post Entry forms for misclassification!
 
Other problems encountered:·
  • Immigration would not allow entry because Santa's passport expired on December 24, 1603.·        
  • The FAA will not approve the sleigh for U.S. Airspace as Rudolph's nose does not meet aircraft lighting requirements.·        
  • The sleigh does not meet EPA standards due to excessive emissions of reindeer gases & droppings.·        
  • The TSA says that Santa is an unknown shipper and would require a site verification.·        
  • Food and Drug says no Prior Notice was done on some of the gifts that were fresh or frozen and they put gifts on FDA hold.·        
  • Santa did not have a “walk through” letter to give Customs so no immediate release.

Anyway, plan to provide your holiday cheer another way since Old Saint Nick will not be sliding down your chimney this year.

Happy Holidays to Everyone!!!!! 
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How To End The Export Hot Potato Game

12/13/2018

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Shortly after I posted the article, Export Newbies: A blessing or a curse? I received these questions from two of my readers. Almost as if they are star crossed lovers…they are looking for connections for export help on both sides of the fence. I thought I’d share it with you along with my response.

#1 Dear BettySue:
Our company is new to exporting but after careful consideration and study, we think our products have potential in global markets.  Trying to find out a common-sense approach for a newbie exporter is like jetting into space and being lost in a black hole. Everyone we contact just passes us on…to a video link, no less.  The government wants us, consultants want us, but only when were experienced.
 
Help BettySue, what’s a newbie to do?
Signed: Eager, Ready but Ignored
 
Dear Eager, Ready but Ignored:
I feel your pain and have heard it all before.  You are in the first stages of the Export Hot Potato Game, being passed around like a hot potato that no one really wants. The question is, how do you get experience so you can get help?  As we say in Gun Barrel City, that is flat a*s backwards.  
Most of your initial help comes from government sources so read below on my advice to them and you’ll see some good options for yourself.
 
Yours truly,
#BettySueExportQueen
 
#2 Dear BettySue:
We want more exporters. We know that if we have customers, or in our case, businesses, that are exporting, then they are more viable, longer-lasting, and economically sound businesses.
We have a hard time connecting with them.
 
Please help,
Your Friendly Government and Private Business Advisors
 
Dear Government, Friendly Business Advisors and all folks wanting to attract new exporters but not succeeding:
First of all, your marketing, is smellier than a cow pasture on a hot day in Texas. Plain and simple, it stinks.
 
And, by marketing, I mean all of it. Your customer service and referral process (The Export Hot Potato Game), your workshops, and your material. You are as exciting to watch as paint drying.
If you want to attract businesses that want to export, you need to change. Here’s my high-hair thoughts on this conundrum.
 
Make exporting as exciting as it really is.
The benefits of exporting are monumental.  In a survey of small business (SMEs) from 2005-2009, SMEs that were exporting has a 37% increase in revenue, those that were not had a 7% decline.  Tell me one business owner that wouldn’t get excited about those numbers and I’ll show a business owner grabbed by aliens on the way to Mars.
 
International exporting is the coolest yet most unexplored market of the vast majority of U.S. small businesses.  Why don’t they know this? Because you’re marketing to them like they are Grandmas driving Buicks rather than Millennials driving Teslas.
 
Explain exporting in common sense “trep talk” not Greek.
You so underestimate entrepreneurs!  They learn and speak differently.  Don’t begin by drowning them in minutia. Give them the overview of what it takes to get Product A to Country B, then add the details. That’s what we do in The Riddle of the Exporter™.
 
Exporting is more like racquetball than golf.  If you learn the big concept overview (#Exporting8StepProcess) first, it is amazing how it makes sense quicker.  Just like with racquetball, you can play before you are an expert and the longer you play, the better you get, (unlike golf, where you are really bad at the first and only a little better as time goes on.)
 
Don’t be an I.I.S. (International Intellectual Snob). Talk “to” and not “down to”.
Chances are the newbie exporter is only a newbie at international. Chances are they make more in a bad year than most of us in a good year.  He/she didn’t become successful staying in the shadow of their mama’s apron. They’ve been through more scenarios building their business than you can shake a stick at.  Trust me, explain exporting in common sense “trep talk” and they will get it.
 
Once you have a good reliable system in place (The Riddle of the Exporter™) Think before you preach.
Before you create your marketing campaigns, make sure all of your support systems are ready to take on the calls. There are a lot of people in your organization that should know the process of exporting from A-Z. At least some of your people should be able to explain the overall process to anyone interested Then, and only then, point them to the right direction for the next step. How many of your folks could benefit from learning the 8 steps of exporting? How many more customers could you help? How much bigger could your consulting or banking business grow?
 
Connect the dots.  End the Export Hot Potato Game
If you don’t know how they’re connected, then don’t make a newbie exporter figure it out. You’ll lose them. Different agencies, federal and state, handle different levels of exporters, but do people know who does what? Along with knowing the A-Z process, develop a Who’s Who and Who Do You Call informative sheet for your team. When interacting with clients, you can explain the process in a way they understand and point them to the next step…an end to the Export Hot Potato Game. Not sure who to include and how to explain? Call BettySue.  Link to BettySue's 8 StepProcess
 
Market the hell outta global trade.
Nobody knows you can help if they don’t know you can help.
 
And I’m not talking about that old dull boring “you should do this message” but a modern, exciting, this is so cool and so profitable message for a modern audience. If you believe that exporting is one of the most exciting steps anyone can take to grow their business, then act like it! Don’t bore them with the same old stuff. Don’t put them to sleep with boring seminars. Lighten it up! Get excited! Exporting training and consulting can be fun!  Link to Betty Sue's Theme Song
 
About Riddle of the Exporter™
 
As many of you may know, Betty Sue and The Riddle of the Exporter™ is edutainment. Serious export knowledge wrapped in humor, interaction and adult learning techniques. It works!
 
How do we know this? Because glowing testimonials are the norm. Betty Sue is funny but her biggest contribution is that she lets newbies know that if BettySue from Small Town, USA can export, anyone can export! People walk out of The Riddle of the Exporter™ saying “I can do this. I’ve got the key concepts, know the key questions to ask and know where to go for the next step.” They walk out thinking that if an export opportunity presents itself….well they just might take it.
 
So, Friendly, I appreciate you asking. I think you can do this. Just take a different approach. Help us end the Export Hot Potato Game. It is time to start actively finding and growing more newbies.  I know if BettySue can , then you can get people excited about exporting!
 
Yours Truly,
#BettySueExportQueen, excited as ever about exporting!
 
So, folks…once we get the marketing, public and private, going in the right direction (not the current smellier than a cow patty stuff we got now), you can bet these star-crossed “lovers” will find each other.  When that happens, I’ll be there with bells on.
 
Betty Sue has a dream.
 
Want to get really excited? And get those exporters to really connect with you?  Join me and my dream.
 
How about Betty Sue Goes Global, the reality TV show? A show where exporters’ stories are highlighted. We watch their trials, tribulations, and successes. Experts will be there to give some advice (NOT horror stories). Maybe we even shoot an episode in a foreign country to examine cultural communication. We’d have #BettySueExportQueen and her counterparts from each state (Big Marie from Montana, Lisa Rae from Kansas) to be the hosts. We’d have education, fun, branding for exporting.
Stay tuned for the details.
 
 
Yours Truly,
#BettySueExportQueen
The Riddle of the Exporter™
Export Training For Entrepreneurs By An Entrepreneur.

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Export Newbies: A blessing or a curse?

11/26/2018

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This is an elephant in the room story.  The names have been changed to protect their identity but the story is solid truth, so help me mama!

Everyone knows the old saying, “Be careful what you wish for.”

Well, BettySue cannot help herself. She wishes for lots and lots of newbie exporters. She has been traveling around, preaching the gospel of exporting to anyone who will listen.  
Newbies require special attention, extra attention. They require extra time to get them up to speed. Maybe it’s the extra time and energy that no one wants to spend to get them going. It’s easier to work with businesses that already exporting. They know what questions to ask. They know how to better tell you what they need.
 
But those up-to-speed exporters had to start somewhere… and they all started as newbies. Is it time to start actively finding and growing more newbies?
 
IF you agree that it’s time. And you recognize the importance of exporting to small-to-medium sized enterprises, and to our economy, then read on.

Exporting from a newbie point of view is pretty daunting. We, as business advisors, consultants, and government representatives, often come across newbie exporters by accident, or they accidentally stumble on to our resources. We know there are more out there, but why are they not coming to us? Maybe we should ask ourselves if we are doing all that we can do to make it easy for newbies to get the assistance and support they need to start exporting or are we just contributing to the “Export Hot Potato Game”.
 
Fair enough. So how do businesses that are exploring the opportunities for exporting learn about our services? I can think of five ways they can get started. You can probably think of more. Four out of five start with an online search. The fifth is through referrals.
 
1.        U.S. Export Assistance Center (USEAC) and
2.        State International Trade Agencies
The USEACs and State International Trade Agencies often work hand-in-hand and are an amazing resource for all exporters…except newbies. They are often the first contact in the Export Hot Potato Game. Unfortunately, USEACs are spread thin and can’t spend time on a business that won’t add to their bottom line for a long time. According to a reliable source, they are told to send all newbies to educational video links (THIS DOESN'T WORK) and so the Export Hot Potato Game begins.    

3.        SBDC-Small Business Development Centers
The SBDCs are a mixed bag. There are specific international trade centers in California (CITD), Florida, Illinois, Texas, and more that operate under the SBDC flag. At these locations you’ll find more experience folks that understand the ins and outs of international trade. But, if you are in another state, help might be more hit-and-miss. Beyond the international SBDC centers the level of export competency varies greatly from state to state and city to city. So, a newbie may or may not find the starting point they need at the SBDC.
 
4.        World Trade Centers
The World Trade Centers are also a mixed bag. Many offer trade services but many are also just real estate. There are good WTCs and then in some states there are none.
 
5.        Bankers and Accountants
We see bankers and accountants as the wise ones in our financial lives but they are human. If they don’t know the scope of the answer, guess what they do…they pass the newbie on to someone else. You got it…the Export Hot Potato Game continues!
 
So, the question is, Where do newbies turn to get the help they need to start exporting and avoid the Export Hot Potato Game?
 
As many of you may know, Betty Sue and The Riddle of the Exporter™ is edutainment. Serious export knowledge wrapped in humor, interaction and adult learning techniques. It works!
 
How do we know this? Because glowing testimonials are the norm. Betty Sue is funny, but her biggest contribution is that she lets newbies know that if BettySue from Small Town, USA can export, anyone can export! People walk out of boring export seminars thinking that a grasp of exporting is beyond them. People walk out of The Riddle of the Exporter™ saying “I can do this. I’ve got the key concepts, know the key questions to ask and know where to go for the next step.” They walk out thinking that if an export opportunity presents itself….well they just might take it.
 
Let’s talk. What’s your answer to end the Export Hot Potato Game?
 
Yours Truly
#BettySueExportQueen
 
The Riddle of the Exporter™
Export Training For Entrepreneurs By An Entrepreneur.
 
 




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Do You Have I.I.S. Syndrome? Do You Know An I.I.S?  You Can Get Help.

11/12/2018

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* This is an elephant in the room story.  The names have been changed to protect their identity but the story is solid truth, so help me mama!

Last year at an exporting event, in a room of international trade advisors, BettySue was shocked and offended by an IIS. You know the type. He was in need of showin’ off with a little TDS-Talking Down Syndrome mixed in, definitely an IIS - an International Intellectual Snob. This wasn’t my first, nor my last experience with this species of human, however it was my most memorable.  
 
During an open group exchange, this young gentleman, obviously very skilled in international commerce, stood up and shared a short story about a recent business owner he met in his daily work.
 
Long story short, (because ya’ll know I can tell long stories) he shared his experience with a potential exporter who had a successful small business and wanted to expand internationally.  He chuckled as he recalled that this man “didn’t even know what a Harmonized Tariff- Schedule B number was, much less how to spell it.” He said it with such an air of arrogance that my blonde BettySue hair stood on end. For those of you that don’t know me, my hair is usually about 18 inches high but rose to a full 24 inches from the bottom of my bangs to the top of my coiffed curls.
 
As we say in Gun Barrel City, I was “as mad as a hornet when their nest is jabbed.”  I wanted to stand up and shout, “the man you are snickering about probably makes more than everyone in this room!” but one numbskull remark didn’t deserve another. And, if I had said anything, I would have stood alone. There were a number of people in the room that chuckled right along with him. I quietly sat there and realized to my horror that there are a lot of folk with IIS syndrome in the export and import world.
 
BettySue has experienced the chill of more than a few IIS (including some in higher education). How can we possibly hope to encourage exporting if this is the attitude of those who are supposedly trying to help?

Is Nightmare on Elm Street motivational?
And it’s not just the snobs, it’s the horror stories that are told over and over again that curl my toes...in a bad way. Anyone who has been to an export conference has heard from the podium, a chilling export horror story. It grabs everyone’s attention in the room, but it seems to do more harm than good. Save the Halloween stories for, well, Halloween.
 
In the government world (yes, I was there for a short time) the jargon is a little different but not by much. It’s all about NOT making a mistake. As you can guess, risk is frowned upon and not high on the agenda. (Does anyone see the disconnect here to entrepreneurs whose middle name is risk?) They often communicate more what you “can’t do” rather than “working through.” Government people who take the “can do” approach are those that have spent time in the private sector. They know that risk is part of any business so instead of a hurdle, ya might as well look at it like a speed bump and zip right through.
 
Of course, there are exceptions. Exporting is business expansion. And as with any expansion, caution is advisable. But this should be informed caution and not Nightmare on Elm Street fear. And it should be supported by people that stand next to, rather than look down on, those they are trying to help.
 
As a lifelong entrepreneur, I feel that I can speak for other small-to-medium size enterprises, so let me be clear.... export horror stories do NOT motivate potential exporters and the arrogance of International Intellectual Snobs just piss us off.
 
Turn exporting hurdles into speed bumps.
 
Since BettySue’s training, The Riddle of the Exporter, aims to make exporting an easy to understand #Exporting8StepProcess by mixing facts with fun, it’s often perceived from the outside as too simple. While great training should look simple, there is nothing simplistic about it.  
 
The Riddle of the Exporter™ covers all the facts from the Schedule B/HTS number to the ECCN (Export Control Classification Number) to the DCS (Destination Control Statement). The facts are presented in a way that is absorbed and remembered. There is no TBU (true but useless) information and "no death by PowerPoints". Experts in finance and logistics are Included but no IIS are allowed in the room.  
 
The goal of everyone in the room is to give potential U.S. exporters information to know about the export process. When they do take the jump, they know how to find the specific experts and the right questions to ask - without being disrespected by an IIS.
 
So what is the cure for IIS Syndrome?
  1. Don’t be like that young man...all hat and no cattle, ever!
  2. Know that the person who is the recipient of your advice probably keeps his success stories under his ten-gallon hat.
  3. Paint a scenario of turning export hurdles into small speed bumps with the right tools.
  4. Speak their language and encourage exporting for all the right reasons. With just a little help from you, these savvy business owners will be in tall cotton with their new exporting gig.
 
We love newbie exporters!  In a short amount of time, using common sense adult learning techniques, we can take a novice exporter and turn them into an informed participant ready to seek the next level of expertise. If you’re newbie exporter or a banker with a newbie exporter, give us a jingle, we’ll light the way.
 
It’s time to get excited about exportin’!
Yours truly,
#BettySueExportQueen
Export Training for Entrepreneurs Written By An Entrepreneur
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Why Are There No Exporters at Exporting Seminars?  Part Two

9/6/2018

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In our last blog post we made a great case for why there are no exporters at export workshops. Then sure as we wrote the blog post, we experienced success beyond our wildest dreams!
 
What in the world?  
 
WoW! WoW! WoW!
This summer I started working with a client that was interested in export training.
 
Angelyn DeYoung, International Trade Director with the Montana Department of Commerce and I put our heads together to talk exporting. We planned a workshop in December but decided to move it up to August. This gave us one month of prep time - which as many of you know, can totally spell disaster.
 
What happened? Angelyn and her team at Export Montana brought the house down! They were expecting around 20 people. Seventy, that’s right, 70+ people (all exporters) showed up at the party!
 
Here’s what Angelyn DeYoung and her team at Export Montana did right and I think that everyone should consider when marketing an export event.
 
1. Marketing. They appealed to the business owner. Export Montana combined the “meat”, with some interesting fancy sides. Their marketing campaign let every attendee know that businesses were going to learn a proven #Exporting8StepProcess backed by plenty of testimonials. They also advertised a guest appearance by Betty Sue, Export Queen - which was catchy enough to get a second look. They avoided government jargon and communicated in real world terms.
 
2.Positive Deviants-They deviated and did the uncommon. As you may remember from Part One -Positive Deviance is an approach to behavioral and social change based on the observation that in any community there are people whose uncommon but successful behaviors or strategies enable them to find better solutions to a problem than their peers, despite facing similar challenges and having no extra resources.                                                                                                Angelyn and team had the courage to try a different approach introducing BettySue. (She admitted to me that once she introduced BettySue, she had a few sleepless nights.) In the words of one attendee, “I admit that I was skeptical about Elyse, given the "corny" notion of her high haired, gravel-voiced, Texas-down-home oddball-export backdrop in the promotional link that was part of the invite to this seminar. But there was enough meat in the topic outline, that I thought ‘What the heck!’”
 
3.Connection. No mass emails and links for exporting YouTube videos from this group.  Export Montana believes in knowing their people and they do. They personally reached out to their existing and potential exporters and told them this was a unique experience and they needed to be there. Exporters were there. In total there were more than 70 exporters in the room and only four government service providers.
 
4.Export Training For Entrepreneurs By An Entrepreneur. Any person who is giving export training should do some research on adult learners. (Duh!) When you’re sleeping you’re not learning, when you are bored you’re not learning. Angelyn DeYoung knows her people and knew that if she was bored at an export seminar, they would be bored too. She met Betty Sue at a State International Development Organization (SIDO) conference and was sold on the entrepreneurial approach.  Angelyn gave me, Elyse, the credit for having the guts to don a 2’ tall blond wig at a serious exporting event.
 
5.A room of smart entrepreneurs learning together. The room was a mix of experienced entrepreneurs (i.e. Paradise Dental Technologies who exports to 50+ countries and gave us a great testimonial) and newbies. Even though some had a lot of experience and some had none, we recognized that they all had something to share so we all learned from each other.
 
This is a sale job like any other but with higher stakes. Getting exporters in the room is the first part. It takes a person-to-person approach speaking with businesses in a way that is relevant and compelling. The second part is to deliver solid goods (i.e. The Riddle of the Exporter™) in a way that is usable and digestible.  Cannot have one without the other.
 
Proof is in the pudding. All 70+ attendees stayed all day 8am-4pm. (No one ever leaves early.) We worked together, learned together and laughed together. In one day, we produced a draft export plan for Betty Sue to export her products around the world.
 
At the Montana event, the skeptical attendee who traveled 4.5 hours round-trip to attend wrote a one-page testimonial on why he was glad he came. “How could anybody take a dry topic with more acronyms than Carter has pills, and keep me engaged for a full day? Elyse did it. Engaging, practical, humorous, illustrative...even during the harsh "hour of hell"...after lunch. This is unique! Time is my biggest currency and this was well worth the time invested.”
Thank you, Tom. Another attendee shared,  “This was almost too much fun to be an export seminar.”  It’s called edutainment, folks and its how people learn best.
 
Export Montana set the bar high, but not unreachable. They found out how to get the right people in the room and deliver the goods.  You can too.
 
For more information on The Riddle of the Exporter™ give us a shout.
 
Let’s get people excited about exporting!
#BettySueExportQueen
 
The Riddle of the Exporter™
Export Training For Entrepreneurs By An Entrepreneur
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The Elephant in the Room?  Why are there no exporters at exporting seminars?  Part One

8/29/2018

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On average, 60 percent of invited guests will show up to a party. If you invite closer friends only, about 75 percent will come. - Epicurious
 
What happens when you invite strangers? To a business event?
 
Having spoken, trained and attended numerous events over the last several years, hosted by public and private agencies, we decided to conduct our own informal poll and found the numbers to be even worse. Not only were there a smaller percentage show up to the event, but there were very few of the people we were really trying to reach in the room.
 
We found that 90-94% of the room consists of government employees hosting the event or speaking and service providers looking for clients. Only 6-10% of attendees were actual exporters - the people we were trying to reach.
 
So we’re asking why are there no exporters at exporting seminars?
 
Maybe we haven’t heard about it because no one wants to admit that they have the wrong people in the room. It’s easier to say, “we had 30 people” or “a great turnout” rather than adding “but they were the wrong people.”
 
Exporting, tariffs and international trade are a big deal in U.S. business and search for these terms are on the rise. So, why are organizations - both public and private - struggling to get exporters into the room?
 
Now before I go further, there are exceptions. When export training is mandatory, such as with the Bureau of Industry and Security, there are ONLY exporters in the room. Who else would voluntarily suffer this inhuman form of torture and Death by PowerPoint? There are also trade groups whose mission solely focuses on export/import and of course, their audience is interested exporters. 
 
So, why are we struggling to get the exporters into the room?
 
  1. Marketing. Unfortunately marketing from government groups is designed by people who know exporting, but don’t understand business marketing.  An entrepreneurial mind thinks differently. So a government approach to a marketing campaign and education will not work (or at least it hasn’t yet). The possibility to recession-proof a business (one of the biggest perks of exporting) should get anyone’s attention, yet it falls on deaf ears because the message is lost in a bunch of government jargon.
  2. Connecting. The powers that be, federal or state, may think a slew of tired blah, blah, blah marketing, impersonal emails, and links to training will cut the mustard. Doesn’t work!
  3. Boring training that is the same old, same old. All export seminars today (except The Riddle of the Exporter™) are painfully boring and offer a slow Death by PowerPoint  - which I personally believe falls under the U.N. Convention Against Torture. The latest approach is sending new exporters to watch hours upon hours of videos.  Doesn’t work!
 
So, how do we fix it?
  1. These are smart, sharp people.... treat them that way. At The Riddle of the Exporter™, we don’t want to show them how smart we are, we want to show current and future exporters how smart they are. These are sharp business people that have handled challenges a lot tougher than exporting. Once we show them the steps, they realize that if Betty Sue from Gun Barrel City can export, they can export. Touching their passion and showing them there is an easier way to understand a tough topic that has great benefits is our goal.
  2. Change the mindset at the top. The solution to the problem does not lie with the individual government agency employees. The people of the USEAC, SBA, EX-IM, BIS,   Census and state international trade specialists  are full of knowledge and eager to help. You can actually reach these people by phone and they return your calls! The solution lies with the mindset at the top.
  3. Deviate and do the uncommon. We subscribe to the theory of “Positive Deviance.” Positive deviance is an approach to behavioral and social change based on the observation that in any community there are people whose uncommon but successful behaviors or strategies enable them to find better solutions to a problem than their peers, despite facing similar challenges and having no extra resources.  The Riddle of the Exporter™ is definitely uncommon in the world of export training. We take hard-core information, apply proven adult learning techniques and make edutainment-an entertaining, interactive, compelling learning scenario that works.
 
Will things change? We believe they can. What do you do that is uncommon? Any new ideas on how to get exporters into the room and people to the party? Please share.
 
Let’s get people excited about exporting!
#BettySueExportQueen
 
The Riddle of the Exporter™
Export Training For Entrepreneurs By An Entrepreneur
 

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The  Best Way To The Blue Ocean Is Through Exporting

8/9/2018

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Trade wars are a hot topic right now. So, if you’re looking for new market spaces for your business, the global market may be a little unnerving.

But in reality, trade wars have been around for ages. It’s just easier in our ‘Google it’ world to read more of the chatter in real time. In 1806, Napoleon issued a trade ban against Britain. Guess what the British did? Sought new markets in South America.  

For a quick look at recent U.S. trade spats, check out this article from The Visual Capitalist http://www.visualcapitalist.com/history-u-s-trade-wars/. Brush up on your Smoot-Hawley, Chicken Friction, Japan Jabs, War of the Woods, Pasta Spat, Battle of the Bananas, Steel Stabs, and Trump’s Tariffs.

You need a new ocean

Even in the midst of trade war frenzy, people are forgetting that the only way to swim in the Blue Ocean and avoid the shark fest of the Red Ocean is through expanding markets to less inhabited waters—exporting.

Growth through exporting helps your business better manage the ups-and-downs of the domestic economy. The National Small Business Association can prove it. From 2005-2009 (remember 2008?) small- to medium-size enterprises that were exporting had a 37% increase in revenue, while those that were not exporting saw a 7% decrease in revenue. 

Since I’m from Texas, I’ll even give you a real-life example. A small, family-owned cement additive company in Garland, Texas lost almost half of their revenue during the 2008-2010 recession. Deciding they weren’t ready to throw in the trowel (get it...trowel?), they decided to start paying attention to inquiries they were receiving from potential new international customers before it was too late. Fast forward to 2018 and 35% of their business now comes from international trade.

But it’s still scary. And we get that. We know that in any business it doesn’t matter if you are selling in Boston or Beijing, there are always tough situations.

You need a compass and a guide

That’s why we developed The Riddle of the Exporter™ - an International Launch Plan that can help guide your exporting decisions whether trade wars are in the news or not.

In our 8-step process to exporting we focus Step #3 on Market Entry. Step #3 is divided into two critical sections: pricing and practical methods of market entry.

The first teaches about market entry components such as competitive pricing through landed costs. This takes into consideration duties/tariffs plus other numerous costs to “land” your product at your client’s backdoor. When tariffs skyrocket, it’s a tough rodeo trying to be competitive. Ingenious entrepreneurs are using creative negotiations, price exceptions and customer loyalty to keep clients from bailing.

The second section of Step #3 helps you identify new markets and walks you through the methods you can use to reduce the risk of your decisions and increase your success through expansion.

The domestic market may feel like a safer bet, and it may be, in the short term. And, chances are good that trade wars will continue to be a part of our dialogue in the long term.

So what’s Betty Sue’s advice?
  • Trade wars be darned. Get some sound guidance. Step into new markets.
  • Remember #BettySueExportQueen’s words of wisdom...somebody, somewhere is always buying something!

Gettin’ excited about exporting!
#BettySueExportQueen

Disclaimer: #BettySueExportQueen makes no apologies that she is an avowed export cheerleader who believes exporting can save your business, cure the common cold and improve your relationships!
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Let's  get  excited about exporting!

7/6/2018

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Picture
Elyse Eriksson, Creator of Betty Sue, Export Queen
 
Although I have trained many people across a variety of industries, I’m not a trainer by trade.
 
My business life has been as an entrepreneur with ventures in manufacturing and product export and import. Along the way, I discovered that I was sharing with other entrepreneurs the process of exporting in a way that was easy for them to understand. I turned my ideas into a business and the result was The Riddle of the Exporter™ with Betty Sue as our imaginary client.
 
So who is Betty Sue, and why is she important?

Meet Betty Sue, Export Queen and small business owner, along with her husband Earnie Earl, from Gun Barrel City, Texas. In Texas everyone has two first names. Live in Texas long enough and we’ll give you one! Betty Sue is known for her Texas-style big hair and sparkle. You will know she is in the room when you hear, “Betty Sue is my name and exporting is my game.”
 
While Betty Sue is from Gun Barrel City, Texas, she could be from Toad Suck, Arkansas, Bullfrog, Utah, or Egg Harbor, Wisconsin. She represents the best of small town and small business, using her common sense backed by hard work. She’s exported many of her products around the world including her Rattlesnake Olive Oil and Rhinestone Studded Night Vision Goggles. She is certain that exporting can change any small business just like it did hers.
 
Betty Sue, Export Queen, loves exporting and has been speaking about the joys of exporting to just about anyone who will listen. She does this by sharing The Riddle of the Exporter™, the 8 Step Exporting Process workbook and the e-learning game. ‘Fun’ is her middle name and she creates fun even while sharing serious information. The important thing to remember is that if Betty Sue can export, anyone with common sense and business sense can export. 
 
Betty Sue’s goals are:
  • To show people an easy to understand, common sense exporting process
  • To give people the confidence to step forward when opportunity arises
  • To give interactive, entertaining seminars
  • To create a forum for exporting discussion
  • To host an export reality TV show
  • To get people excited about exporting!
 
Look for Betty Sue’s blogs, coming soon!
  • The elephant in the room:  Why are there no exporters at exporting seminars?
  • The elephant in the room:  Are you an I.I.S. (International Intellectual Snob)?
  • The elephant in the room:  Why exporters aren't coming to the party!
  • The elephant in the room:  Will it take another recession to get us exporting?
  • The elephant in the room: Newbie Exporters: A Blessing or a Curse?
  • The Trade War Question:  Advance or Retreat or Hold the Line?
  • The Grand Canyon gap between university programs and international jobs!
  • Export seminars: Free and bad is not free!
  • Why your expansion by exporting isn't as difficult as you might think!
  • If you don't know the Ws of the export process, you don't care!
 
Connect with Betty Sue! Or the entrepreneur behind the name, Elyse Eriksson  on LinkedIn
Twitter @exportconnector

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Santa Held Up By TSA As An Unknown Shipper

12/22/2016

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*Disclaimer: Betty Sue would love to give credit for the news update about Santa but she doesn't know the author.  Thank you, whoever you are.  As always, the story is funny. Anyone who can offer Santa advice, please contact him at Santa Claus, 101 Santa Clause Lane, North Pole.
HO. HO. HO...NOT!!!
Well, we just wanted to let you all know that Santa will not be coming in this year.

Because of incorrect Incoterms and incomplete documentation, the gifts for all the world will have to be returned to the North Pole (at his own expense).

He decided to ship everything DDP and even though we handled the forwarding on all the gifts, we were unable to determine who the correct broker was.

We also wanted to clear but FEDEX, UPS and DHL were fighting over the Customs Power of Attorney.

Determining importer of record turned out to be a nightmare since EVERYONE  in the world wants a visit from Santa but no one was willing to be the importer of record.

​New laws and regulations regarding entry of exotic animals also had the Fish and Wildlife department forcing Rudolph and his crew back out before they could even land.

All the electronics needed FCC and, since the North Pole is nearest to Canada, Santa was trying to claim NAFTA. Obviously, Customs refused to clear any of it without detailed product literature.

Then we got tons of census warnings because the dimensions and weight were too unreal to calculate and because Santa could not prove where the materials to make the toys came from (the North Pole is not on the approved country of origin list).

He incessantly tried to prove that he makes all of his own gifts, but since there are not defined tariff classifications on "Santa-made" materials, they rejected his entry.

We thought that maybe if we could get his shipment clear, we could at least dispatch some of the stuff through a Warehouse entry but, like we said, clearance through Customs was impossible.

Seriously, we can see the little kids filling out their own Post Entry forms for misclassification!
 
Other problems encountered:·        
  • Immigration would not allow entry because Santa's passport expired on December 24, 1603.·        
  • The FAA will not approve the sleigh for U.S. Airspace as Rudolph's nose does not meet aircraft   lighting requirements.·        
  • The sleigh does not meet EPA standards due to excessive emissions of reindeer gases & droppings.·        
  • The TSA says that Santa is an unknown shipper and would require a site verification.·        
  • Food and Drug says no Prior Notice was done on some of the gifts that were fresh or frozen and they put gifts on FDA hold.·        
  • Santa did not have a “walk through” letter to give Customs so no immediate release.

Anyway, plan to provide your holiday cheer another way since Old Saint Nick will not be sliding down your chimney this year.

Happy Holidays to Everyone!!!!! 
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Dear Betty Sue, Tornado Alley BBQ Company Needs Help With Global Logistics Growing Pains!

10/31/2016

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*Disclaimer: The names of exporters and their stories have been changed to protect their identity.  The names and expertise of our advisors are very real and often understated.   The story is funny, the advice is authentic.

Dear Betty Sue,
Howdy from up north, Bowlegs, Oklahoma in the heart of Tornado Alley. We are well known for our Tornado Alley
BBQ Sauce and are starting to ship worldwide. We started off small and just shipped samples through the USPS.
It worked for some countries like Germany but certainly didn't work for Mexico. (Yikes!). Currently, we are shipping small orders through UPS and FedEx. 
Here is what is happening now. We are moving past the small stage and on to the big stage. We have two new distributors (big ones!) in South Korea and in Colombia. When the orders get bigger and bigger what do we do about shipping? Right now we don't think we have enough of an order for a full container but if things go as planned by next year we will.
Signed,
Moving up to the big stage....Linda Kay, the BBQ Queen of Tornado Alley


Dear Linda Kay and our brave friends in the “Alley”,
You Oklahomans are strong folk, living in the eye of the tornado! Sounds like you are making the best of it with your Tornado Alley BBQ Sauce. Maybe we could carry it in our store in Gun Barrel City.  
We all know from The Riddle of the Exporter™ that our BFF-Best Friend Forever is our freight forwarder so let’s find your answers from two of the best.  Meet Mike Mahoney Regional Sales and Linda Reynolds, International Freight Forwarder for  Hellman Logistics. Hellman Logistics is the 10th largest Freight Forwarder in the world.  They are based in Germany.  Bestway International is their exclusive rep for the MidCentral USA.

Signed,
BettySue, Official BBQ Judge ready for a taste test


Dear Linda Kay and Brave Friends in Bowlegs,

It is excellent to see you planning ahead for the big stage. What we at Bestway like to do is to work with your customers as they grow.

You are correct the USPS works fine for samples, depending on the import country’s level of service. The USPS is rated the #1 postal service in the world but not all others are up to the same level, so beware.

Of course, as you continue to grow, you will need to develop a logistics plan. First, determine which of the four modes of transportation is best for your quantity, time and cost requirements. You will use one of the four modes of shipping-air, ocean, rail or truck. Utilizing more than one mode is referred to as multimodal. You will also need to calculate your landed costs which means determining the final cost to land your product in the other country. This will include many “hidden costs” such as tariffs, union fees, harbor fees. Your freight forwarder (your BFF-Best Friend Forever) will assist you in doing this.

Shipping by ocean is much cheaper than air but there are some things to consider. The time it takes to deliver will be longer especially if you have less than a container. A full container (20’ or 40”) is called an FCL-Full Container Load and if you cannot fill a container, you will have an LCL-Less than Container Load. The LCL must be transported to a warehouse for consolidation with other LCLs.

The second important thing to consider (for all shipments ocean or air) is proper packaging. In the case of the BBQ sauce, the glass jars must be sufficiently packaged in full strength boxing and palletized. If cartons are palletized ISPM-15 wood restrictions are valid for both countries listed. All of this should be able to withstand the rolling sea! If ocean containers are loaded, prepare a load plan, taking weight in consideration and order your blocking and bracing materials. For air shipments consider the temperature ranges and non-pressurized cabins. For multimodal, all of the containers will be moved several times and possibly dropped (many times!). Package for extreme circumstances. Check with your distributors for best port of destination in desired countries.

Before you proceed, you need to check the regs!! If the USDA has not given any red flags in regards to the components of the BBQ sauce you’re only half way there. You still need to work with your distributor to determine the testing required to import the food product into the foreign country. Are any health certificates required? There will be a government agency that is similar to the USDA. Remember, without this approval your shipment will be stopped at customs. Of course your BFF, your freight forwarder, will assist you but always remember the responsibility lies with you because you are the USPPI-the U.S. Principal Party of Interest.

So you have decided the best mode of shipment, determined your landed costs, paying attention to any “hidden costs” and checked out the regs on both sides of the ocean. As you sell more and grow, follow the same steps for each new country and always remember your BFF is always your freight forwarder.

Best of luck and hoping to be your new BFF-Mike and Linda, Bestway




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