Start an Export Management Company

1. 1

   Choose the vertical and the model

   An EMC works either as a commissioned agent (the manufacturer ships and invoices; you sell and coordinate for 5 to 15 percent) or as a trading company taking title (buy at a distributor price, resell abroad at margin, carry the inventory and currency risk). Start as an agent in an industry you genuinely know; take title later only where the margin justifies the risk.

2. 2

   Sign manufacturers with export-ready products

   Look for non-competing producers with domestic success, capacity to grow, and products with documented foreign demand (real trade data, not purchased buyer lists, as the report stresses). A written exclusive or semi-exclusive agreement for defined territories and commission terms is the foundation document.

3. 3

   Do the market homework like a professional

   Use trade statistics, the U.S. Commercial Service's programs, industry associations, and trade shows to identify which countries actually buy your category. Free and low-cost government export assistance exists precisely for this and is chronically underused.

4. 4

   Find distributors, not just buyers

   Durable export revenue comes from foreign distributors and wholesalers who reorder, not one-off deals. Vet them like a sourcing agent vets factories: references, financials where possible, and small first orders with secure payment terms (letters of credit or export credit insurance through the manufacturer's bank).

5. 5

   Master the paperwork spine

   Incoterms, commercial invoices, certificates of origin, export classification and license screening (most goods need no license, but you must check), restricted party screening, and freight forwarder coordination. Documentation competence is the product; one clean transaction template per market makes it repeatable.

6. 6

   Layer consulting on the same expertise

   Export readiness assessments, market entry research, and documentation training for manufacturers not ready to sign long-term contracts. Consulting fills revenue during long sales cycles and converts clients into managed accounts, and strong verticals (environmental technology, safety equipment, food processing machinery) can define the whole practice.

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