Considerable support and assistance is available to new exporters from state and federal governments and various independent institutions. Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) runs New Exporter Development Program that provides advice, resources, overseas business matching and information on grants - such as Export Market Development Grant (EMDG) - to exporters. More information can be found on Austrade website. It will also be useful to attend relevant seminars that Austrade organises throughout the year in all the states.

In Victoria, BusinessVictoria's export portal provides valuable information for new exporters. Other departments such as Export Finance and Insurance Corporation (EFIC) can be helpful with information on export finances. These and other resources can be found on our Resources Page . Enormous amount of information is further scattered on the Internet if you have the patience.

Some of the issue/barriers that new exporters face may include;

- Lack of skilled and experienced staff
- Limited resources, including investment capacity
- Limited or no exposure to international business
- Modification of products to suit international requirements
- Facing unknown domestic (respective markets) competition
- Legal issues such as international trade mark registration
- Cultural clash, language barriers, different social norms
- Finding trustworthy overseas business partners
- Increased business risk and legal responsibilities
- Slow returns, lower profit margin (compared to the home market)
- Fear of unknown and unexpected

The list can still go on. However, it is not to dissuade new exporters. With the help available from the government departments and industry bodies, many of these barriers can easily be overcome.

Contact us to find out how we can best assist you in preparing your business for exports and identifying opportunities in overseas markets.