How Small Business Trades Worldwide: Your Guide to Starting or Expanding a Small Business International Trade Company Now [Paperback]

John Spiers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 12, 2001

At some point in most careers one considers the idea of starting a business. Some people want to pursue a dream, some figure they can beat the boss at his or her own game, and for some people unemployment forces the issue. US Customs tells us most international traders are small businesses, and world trade continues to grow rapidly. Given the improvements in transportation and communication worldwide, inevitably now small business in USA has some international component...some more than others. Surely there is no safer investment for your time and money than self-employment. Surprisingly, for many who start their own businesses, making money is not always the prime motivator. Nonetheless, recent studies provide some remarkable information about self-employment: 80% of the millionaires in USA became so in their own career - 2/3rds are self-employed; the self-employed are four times more likely to be millionaires than others. It seems the most common career move in becoming rich is to become self-employed. This book now shows you how to build a business and takes you through the steps so you will know you can do it, and is structured so you may take positive steps after each chapter toward building your business. Surely you will finish the book before your business gets started, but by the time you finish the book, not only should you feel "ready to go", but actually be on your way. World trade is different from the domestic variety, and small is different from large business. Small Business International Trade has some specific challenges which this book illumines and solves. Starting a business is necessarily disruptive... but to what extent? Like the tennis pro who shows you how to get great improvement out of small changes, book assumes you can stand minimal disruption and risk. For those who desire to engage directly in world trade, and for those who are hired to do so, this book explains how small business trades worldwide.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Spiers has been developing trade worldwide since 1974. Self-employed since 1984, John shares his how-to in seminars highly rated by participants for content, experience, pace and humor. He shares over 25 years experience in international trade buying/selling, operations and computerization, market penetration, sourcing products, structuring finance and distribution plans.

Product Details

• Paperback: 382 pages
• Publisher: Seattle Teachers College Press (November 12, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595199550
• ISBN-13: 978-0595199556
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,126,388 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Spiers has worked in Seattle and San Francisco with international trading companies since 1974, in virtually every position. Self-employed trading internationally since 1984, John shares what he has done in the past, what he has advised others to do successfully, and what he is doing now all in a seminar highly rated by participants for content, experience, pace and humor.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential tool to starting your business!!!, December 17, 2004

By 

Mary Morrison (Coral Gables, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How Small Business Trades Worldwide: Your Guide to Starting or Expanding a Small Business International Trade Company Now (Paperback)

Great praise for this book!!! If you are about to start a product-based business this is a MUST-HAVE. Mr. Spiers is an expert in his field, this is a hands-on manual for every step of the way.. to finding a concept ("compete on design"), where/how to source your product, importing logistics, pricing, marketing, sales, etc. He emphasizes solving a problem, and to be passionate about your product.

Two years ago I bought this book and have re-read it 30 times since. Mr. Spier's book (and online class) steered me away from some bad ideas to good ones and now my business is up and running, and growing. "How Small Business Trades Worldwide" is a phenomenal resource!

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The absolute BEST book on getting a product to market!!!, August 4, 2006

By 

J. Teel (Tucson, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How Small Business Trades Worldwide: Your Guide to Starting or Expanding a Small Business International Trade Company Now (Paperback)

This is without a doubt the best book out there on how to get your product ideas out in the market place. I've read this book twice and refer to it constantly and I swear every time I refer to it I learn something new. I have tons of books on bringing products to market but none of them offer the amount of wisdom that this book does. Although the title may sound complicated the book is essentially about how to find suppliers for your products and retailers to carry them with you acting as the importer. EXCELLENT BOOK! Also the author has a very helpful Yahoogroup set up for discussing the book topics. After reading the book you can even email the author directly and he is very good about answering questions. Best money I've ever spent!!!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book fills a real need in the marketplace., January 16, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: How Small Business Trades Worldwide: Your Guide to Starting or Expanding a Small Business International Trade Company Now (Paperback)

The author knows his material very well, and that authority saturates the writing. For every point he makes, he marshals an impressive collection of anecdotes and reasoned-out thought processes that make his point seem not only a good idea but common sense. And the best is the winningly uncomplicated tone of the writing; it lacks pretension. The book's structure is easy to follow, as the author has rigorously structured the chapters to give the reader a clear arc of thinking. He takes the reader thru all the steps, until there are no aspects of the topic left unexamined. It's an ambitious menu of subjests, but the author manages to address it all and have it make sense.