Do your homework first...

In reference to: "Riding the Export Wave - How to find good distributors overseas" by Sara Goldstein, Inc., January 2008
www.inc.com/magazine/20080101/riding-the-export-wave

Reply to the above mentioned Inc. Magazine article:

Although I agree with the Ms. Goldstein that export is the way to go I would go even further and say that export is always good, not just when the dollar plunges in value.

Some of the advantages of always focusing on export are: 1) it provides a new lifeline for your existing products, 2) it helps spread your bets, especially during economic slowdown, 3) it helps spread your fixed costs, 4) you may learn some useful ideas from foreign markets that you could adapt to your domestic market, 5) it helps fend off domestic and foreign competition. (For more information, please check the following blog: http://www.mdtinternational.blogspot.com/)

However, the one point that I disagree with Ms. Goldstein on is that working with a distributor may not be your best bet.

First and foremost, you need to do your own homework and find out for yourself what each targeted market is all about.

Relying on others to get an idea of the potential, challenges and ways to market your product means that you are giving up control of your destiny in that particular market. After all, how are you going to judge whether your distributor is doing a good job, giving you the right advice and/or focusing on your product line?

What I suggest instead is that you perform first and foremost an independent market research to gauge the market potential, the competition, the regulatory approvals as well as the best ways to market - as it can be via an Agent, Licensing, OEM or a distributor. Not just via a distributor.