New to Exporting probably means you need to start exporting with personal savings and investments

There really are a number of neat government programs to help you export, but unfortunately most of them require you to have at least one year of exporting experience, so in the beginning you may need to consider starting out by using personal savings and or investments. Or if your business already exists and you have established cash flow you may be able to redirect some the cash flow to invest in your new export program.

Naturally you might be able to get someone to invest in your export program, but in the beginning it may only be friends and family because experienced investors are not overly interested in an unproven business.

And this for SBA International Trade or Export loans:

• Export Express

  Provide exporters and lenders with a streamlined method of obtaining financing for loans and lines of credit up to $500,000. Lenders use their own credit decision process and loan documentation; exporters get access to their funds faster. SBA provides an expedited eligibility review with a response in less than 24 hours.

• Export Working Capital

  Offers loans targeted at businesses that are able to generate export sales but need additional working capital to support these opportunities.

• International Trade Loans

  Gives term loans that are designed for businesses that plan to start/continue exporting or those that that have been adversely affected by competition from imports. The proceeds of the loan must enable the borrower to be in a better position to compete.

So you did all that other stuff and now you are ready to start exporting, but what you really need to do is find some working funds to actually pay for everything until the money starts rolling in -- but how?

There are a number of options and strategies for getting International Trade financed and we will address them in this section:

Personal loans or investments

Investors

Bank loans

SBA loans

OPIC

Export-Import Bank financing (EX-IM Bank)

OPIC is NOT what you thought - (that is OPEC for Oil)

Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) does, among other things, Investment Project Financing: OPIC enables U.S. businesses to acquire financing for large-scale projects that require large amounts of capital, such as infrastructure, telecommunications, power, water, housing, airports, hotels, high-tech, financial services, and natural resource extraction industries.

There are a number of organizations dedicated to helping exporters:

• OPIC Small and Medium-Enterprise Financing: Provides medium- to long-term funding through direct loans and loan guarantees to eligible investment projects in developing countries and emerging markets. Learn more about Small and Medium-Enterprise Financing and apply…
• 
  Small Business Administration - Export Working Capital Program: Provides up to $5 million in short-term, transaction-specific working capital loans to U.S. small business exporters. Uses of this financing include: pre-export financing of labor and materials; and post-shipment financing of the accounts receivable generated from transaction-specific overseas sales. Learn more about Export Working Capital and apply…
• 
  Export-Import Bank - Working Capital Guarantee Program: Provides transaction-specific working capital loans to U.S. exporters, made by commercial lenders and backed by Ex-Im Bank’s guarantee. Uses of this financing include: purchasing finished products for export; paying for raw materials, equipment, supplies, labor and overhead to produce goods and/or provide services for export; covering standby letters of credit serving as bid bonds, performance bonds, or payment guarantees; and financing foreign receivables. Learn more about the Working Capital Guarantee Program and apply…
• 
  Small Business Administration - Export Express Program: Provides small businesses that have exporting potential, but need funds to cover the initial costs of entering an export market with up to $500,000 in export development financing to buy or produce goods or to provide services for export. The loan proceeds can be used for most business purposes, including expansion, equipment purchases, working capital, inventory or real estate acquisitions. Learn more about the Export Express Program…