How Much of Export Success Is Luck?

When to hire? When you're turning away orders and leads go cold. Start with a part-time assistant. Build to a full team gradually. Hire slowly and invest in training.

The hardest part of the first SOHO year is surviving no-order periods. Cultivate 3-5 potential clients before leaving your job. Save 6 months of expenses. Your first order doesn't need to be big — complete the cycle.

Time management is the biggest challenge. Handle emails and order follow-up in the morning. Develop new clients in the afternoon. Learn in the evening. Use a CRM — your brain isn't a database.