{"id":52873,"date":"2026-06-10T09:16:04","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T09:16:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/barcelonaexport.com\/exportar-por-primera-vez-por-donde-empezar\/"},"modified":"2026-06-16T14:32:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T14:32:20","slug":"where-to-start-to-export-for-the-first-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barcelonaexport.com\/en\/where-to-start-to-export-for-the-first-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Export for the first time: Where to start if your SME wants to sell outside the local market?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In this article, we give you an honest guide to the first steps to export for the first time<\/strong>, and explain how you can train yourself\u2014free of charge\u2014to do it with the highest guarantees of success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You have a good product, satisfied customers in Spain, and a persistent feeling that there is demand abroad. But every time you consider exporting for the first time, the same question holds you back: where do I start?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you recognise yourself in this situation, you are not alone. It is the starting point for most Catalan SMEs taking their first international steps, and it is also exactly the starting point of the Catalunya Exporta training sessions by ACCI\u00d3<\/strong>, designed and delivered by Barcelona Export in collaboration with Foment del Treball Nacional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The most common mistake when exporting for the first time: jumping in without looking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many SMEs that try to export for the first time<\/strong> make the same mistake: they start at the end. They receive an enquiry from a foreign client, or someone mentions an opportunity in a specific market, and they jump straight into negotiations without any prior preparation. The result is almost always the same: a failed deal, a poorly chosen distributor, or a market that wasn\u2019t suitable for the product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Successfully exporting for the first time is not a matter of luck, but of preparation.<\/strong> And that preparation begins long before contacting your first international client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The 5 first steps to export for the first time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Assess your product\u2019s export potential<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first step is not choosing a market: it is honestly assessing whether your product is ready to compete abroad. Does it comply with destination market regulations? Is the export price competitive once logistics costs and channel margins are included? Does it require adjustments in packaging, labelling or ingredients?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many SMEs discover at this stage that adjustments are needed before going abroad. It is far better to identify this now than after signing a contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Choose the market based on criteria, not intuition<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The ideal export market is not the one you\u2019ve heard most about, nor the one someone recommended at a trade fair. It is the one that best combines three factors: real demand for your product, accessibility (logistics, regulation, entry barriers), and manageable competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tools such as the ITC Market Access Map, ACCI\u00d3 market reports, or foreign trade databases allow you to make this decision based on real data. In the training sessions of the Catalunya Exporta programme<\/strong>, we dedicate specific time to teaching how to use these tools in practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Understand the rules of the game: documentation, tariffs and regulation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Exporting for the first time<\/strong> means becoming familiar with a documentary framework that can seem overwhelming at the beginning: commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, export customs declaration, Incoterms\u2026 The good news is that once you understand the logic of the system, it becomes manageable. The bad news is that a documentation error can cost you the deal or lead to customs penalties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Decide how you will enter the market: the distribution channel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Will you sell directly to the end customer? Through a commercial agent? With an exclusive distributor? On a B2B marketplace? This decision\u2014the distribution channel\u2014is one of the most strategic in the export process and has a major impact on results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each option has advantages and drawbacks in terms of control, margin, speed of market entry and risk. The right choice depends on the product, the market and the company\u2019s resources. There is no universal answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Set export pricing correctly<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Export pricing is not your domestic selling price plus a percentage. It has its own logic, including production costs, international logistics costs (insurance, transport, customs), distributor or agent margins, local taxes in the destination market, and your desired market positioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Incorrect pricing is one of the most costly mistakes an SME can make when trying to export for the first time<\/strong>. In too many cases, it results in selling abroad with lower margins than in the domestic market, making the export activity unsustainable in the long term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Exportar<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Catalunya Exporta training sessions: free training to export for the first time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

All these topics\u2014and many more\u2014are exactly what is covered in the training sessions of the Catalunya Exporta programme<\/strong> designed and delivered by Barcelona Export in collaboration with Foment del Treball Nacional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These sessions are designed to share basic but solid knowledge on the most relevant export topics and provide companies entering internationalisation with practical tools to export successfully<\/strong>. Key features:<\/p>\n\n\n\n