Although there are some similarities between doing business in Australia and in foreign countries, there are a number of differences that exporters must consider. This section provides ICT industry-specific advice to assist you to do business overseas.

• Planning your overseas expansion
  Successful exporters spend significant time up-front planning and preparing for export. To prepare your company for export, you may need to make changes to your business structure and products.

• Creating an export plan
  You will also need to develop an export plan – this forces you to organise your thoughts and identify elements of the business that need to be improved to export successfully.

• Analysing your competitors
  Understanding your international competitors is also an essential element of doing business overseas, as is determining your market entry strategy.

• Visiting the market
  Once you have completed your planning, you may make an overseas business trip to meet with potential partners or customers and gain first-hand insights into your target market.

• Establishing a market presence
  Your export strategy may include the establishment of a local presence such as a representative office or subsidiary to support and grow your overseas customer base. There is a range of marketing tactics you might employ to expand your business overseas and importantly, you should make sure you will get paid.

• Government support for ICT companies
  Local, state and federal government departments provide support for ICT companies seeking to go offshore. Read more about Australian government support for the ICT industry.

• Exporting online
  Gain practical advice on how you can export your product over the Internet in our exporting online section, which offers guidance on topics such as making your website suitable for doing business over the Internet, identifying suitable e-marketplaces for your product or service, and structuring your pricing strategy to sell online.

• ICT export success stories
  Finally, see how other Australian ICT companies are succeeding in exporting by reading our ICT export success stories. Learn from their experiences, including mistakes, so that you can fast track your export success.