International Shipping Tip

You recently landed a sizable order from Japan. How do you ship it in an economical, timely and safe fashion? Hire an international freight forwarder to ship goods by land, ocean or air. Some of the services they offer:

• Arranging global transportation
• Preparing price quotations
• Advising on packing
• Preparing documentation
• Issuing cargo insurance
• Suggesting banking collection methods

Forwarders offer transportation consolidation services that are often cheaper than those an exporter could arrange because they consolidate many small shipments into a larger, more economical load. Forwarders also offer extensive knowledge of docu-mentation, transportation rates and regulations.

For more information, visit Export.gov, Freightgateor Freightnet. If you are a first-time exporter, contact several forwarders, ask for recommendations from other exporting firms, and obtain references before choosing one.

This article was originally published in the August 2006 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Looking Forward.