How Export Development Canada can help your small business excel in global e-commerce

Operating an e-commerce business can broaden your horizons well past your local community, province or country. You can have customers anywhere and the more you expand your e-commerce business, the more you’ll need to know.

Expand your business globally with EDC

Whether you’re shipping within Canada or beyond the border, knowing the basics and leveraging the resources available to you can help your business thrive. Export Development Canada (EDC) has the knowledge and tools to guide you. With 75 years of experience in helping Canadian companies take their business globally, lean on their expertise to sell internationally.

As COVID-19 continues to impact and amplify the e-commerce landscape, you might be looking to take advantage of increased online shopping activity in new or international markets. Attracting new customers, providing the best customer experience possible to retain repeat shoppers and operating effectively will be critical for your business. Defining your operational end-to-end process will allow you to stay organized and deliver the customer experience shoppers are looking for.

Access free educational resources from EDC

MyEDC provides trusted expertise, free of charge, to Canadian businesses looking to grow internationally. Featuring over 50 webinars, hundreds of reports, articles and blogs and answers to hundreds of trade questions, MyEDC is a reliable resource to consult as you consider selling internationally, optimize your current business model and continue to grow and adapt your business in the evolving retail landscape.

Expand into new markets with the help of Canada Post

Selling products internationally and shipping to new markets will come with a learning curve. In addition to our resources, Canada Post can help you determine what you can ship to which countries, the specifics surrounding duties and taxes for different countries, as well as the shipping rates for your parcels. Some things to keep in mind as you consider expanding beyond Canadian borders are:

• A customs broker. If you’re shipping through the commercial, non-postal stream, a registered customs broker can help ensure your products reach your customers, quickly and efficiently.
• Postal clearance. Items clearing in the postal network that don’t require formal customs entry will not require a customs broker to clear customs at destination.
• Regulations. Each country has their own regulations surrounding what can and cannot be imported. Canada Post’s International Destination Listing enables you to search by country to view their restrictions.
• Scale. Ensure you’re able to scale your business and output to 10 times your current volume and that you have strategically located inventory for rapid fulfillment. Read more about how to get your e-commerce business ready for action.

Succeed in selling products internationally with EDC

At EDC, we can help you expand your reach, find new customers in new markets and determine when you’re ready to start expanding beyond Canadian borders. We can support and guide you through any growing pains you may experience. With insights and resources to help you at every stage of your journey, our curated advice can help your business expand into international markets.

Get helpful resources and guidance from export experts

Also available through the Shopify App store is EDC’s Export Help Hub. The hub is a collection of free, reliable resources about international sales, up-to-date market insights, regulations on customs, taxes and logistics and other related topics. In addition to the provided resources, you also have the ability to ask questions and receive answers from expert advisors. Curated and maintained by a dedicated team of advisors, and with new questions and answers added regularly, the hub is always evolving to better meet the needs of your business.

Regardless of what stage your online business is at – just launching or pursuing international sales – leveraging the insight and experience of experts can help to bolster you as you take the next step.