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 21, 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.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 382 pages
• Publisher: Seattle Teachers College Press (November 21, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979551501
• ISBN-13: 978-0979551505
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,425 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

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very well written, August 24, 2006

By 

Michael Bird (Yorba Linda, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How Small Business Trades Worldwide: Your Guide to Starting or Expanding a Small Business International Trade Company Now (Hardcover)

I've read a lot of books about business, investing and similar and this one is superior in writing clarity and focus. It was written by a true teacher who has that special gift of being able to explain the complex and make it understandable. He is able to predict questions the reader will have and answer them. He has broken down the sequence a beginner needs to take to be successful in starting a small importing business.

Having not a clue about how the importing business works, I can't verify how accurate this teacher/writers lessons are, but having common sense (at least I believe I possess it) and a generally good sense of reading people, I firmly believe that Spiers is one of those rare people that really enjoys teaching and helping people and has written this book in the hopes that lots of students are going to be successful. I have read (and reviewed) other works where I thought the author was trying to sell something or was simply blowing smoke, in this case I believe that the writer is genuine.

Now all that doesn't necessarily mean this is the book for you, so read on:

This book clearly lays out a plan to start and develop an importing company, small at first but I think the basic rules would still apply to most companies as they grow. The plan, which I'll briefly outline in a second, is not easy in the sense that it isn't going to be hard work, but it is easy in the sense that it's understandable and taken small step at a time is something most anyone with a strong work ethic and a little bit of brain power could accomplish.

Now that we've weeded out a good ninety percent of the population, let me briefly outline the process that Spiers explains in this book, if it interests you still, by all means you should make the purchase.

Spiers explains that to succeed at importing (small business level) one must be an innovator, that is one able to bring a product to the market that is unique. This product doesn't necessarily have to be an unheard of product, it just has to be a little bit better and different from other similar products. With this newly designed product the importer can now compete on something different than simply price.

Spiers explains all the reasons to forget about trying to patent or trademark or to go to a far away country and hope to find some cool item to import and sell. He explains why it doesn't matter if you know someone in Peru or have a relative in Japan or think you have some other inside track.

Something people often forget when they are getting exited about an idea is that it must actually sell to a public, and despite what people often think the public isn't predictable and often acts in a counterintuitive way.

First the prospective importer must determine if this product already exists, then if there is any interest from prospective buyers (usually the retailers that would most likely sell this type of product). If there is interest, and it doesn't exist already, then the product must be costed (that is the importer must find the best place to make it and the total cost of bringing it into the country).

Once the importer has a cost basis for the product and knows what the minimum order that must be placed is, he then sets the sales force (independent sales reps) loose with samples to try and obtain the necessarily orders to meet the minimum order.

The key here is that the importer doesn't order the factory to make the product until such a time as the minimum order quantity has been sold to various customers. This reduces risk and gives the importer the greatest chance to succeed by not tying up money on losers and only going forward with winners (or at least with potential winners). A product initially ordered isn't really a success, that comes later if the product is reordered, only then will the customers of the importer be saying we need more product because the buying public liked the offering.

There is so much advice and how-to in this book, I've only just scratched the surface, some of the best advice is how to avoid being scammed and ripped off. If you've read this far and are still fascinated and interested, then I'll give you strong recommendation to purchase it.

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
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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
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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!!!