Kategorie: Exporting to Germany

„Importing“ in this article refers to the process of bringing goods into Germany/ the EU. The process of moving goods across international borders was an aspect that I felt most of my clients did not understand very well. Some seemed to never have considered it at all, others thought it wouldn’t require any admin. „I’ll…

Disclaimer: This article does not constitute legal advice. Speak to a lawyer or specialist consultant based in the EU or your target market to ensure you are aware of all the regulatory requirements you have to meet. Regulation is probably the most important and the most-hated topic when bringing a product into a new market.…

Don’t underestimate your competitors. Most of my clients did – within their industry in general, and for their specific product. „We have no competition anywhere,“ more than one told me proudly. A quick Google search would typically reveal plenty of competition, some already well-established in the market. In one case, it turned out there was…

In a crowded market such as Germany, it is not sufficient to simply place your product on shelves. You also need visibility and brand recognition to sell. You are friends with a celebrity (ideally a soccer player or an actor) who will promote your product for free? Great! You can probably ignore everything in this…

It may be enough to travel from one neighborhood to another in your city to arrive in a completely different world. But you expect people abroad to be exactly the same as you? Even McDonald’s adjusts its menu to local tastes across the world. So you, too, might find that your product is not ideally…

Many of my former clients wanted to export to Germany because the market was large and wealthy. A wealthy market will not automatically support your pricing. Remember the German market is also extremely competitive and difficult to enter. Pricing therefore is definitely a factor. German Spending Habits Yes, Germans have money, but they are also…

As an entrepreneur, you are proud of your product and want to share it with the world (and make a profit in the process). You are seeing good results in your home market and in your initial export markets, too. To you it’s clear you have a winner. Unfortunately, however, success at home is not…

I love language and words, that’s why I started a blog. I’ve also been astonished by how things can go wrong with the use of language. Who hasn’t tried to decipher a user manual that was poorly translated from a foreign language, or wondered about strange sentences in dubbed TV shows (idiomatic expressions don’t translate…

Entering a foreign market can be a daunting task for a new exporter. Especially if your target market is on a different continent and you don’t speak the local language, there are many potential mistakes waiting to be made. A network of local contacts can further your understanding of the market and of operating conditions.…

Whenever I got a new client, I would try and have a conversation with them. My first question would be, „Why are you targeting Germany?“ Their answer was almost invariably, „Because it’s a big market.“ This was typically followed by, „And Germans have lots of money.“ Lots of people + lots of money = lots…