Caribbean Export Readiness Checklist

Ecommerce in its simplest form is selling via an electronic sales channel. In this case that sales channel is the internet. Its import that your operations support this sales channel and your marketing creates and capitalizes on the opportunities.

Business Assessment, Strategy and Goals-To establish a brief snapshot of the Company

Your Name

Email/ Phone

Role

Name of your Company

Country in which you business operates

How long have you been in business ?

What is the legal status of your company ?

Do you have a written business plan

Yes No

Do you have an ecommerce strategy or plan

Yes No

Do you have a marketing plan for the business

Yes No

Does your country have Ecommerce legislations and policies?

Yes No I don’t Know

Current Ecommerce Status

Are you currently selling online?

Yes No

Do you online wholesale transactions?

Yes No

Do you export products you sell online?

Yes No

Do you keep a separate inventory for online sales?

Yes No

How many transactions do you process online?

Which online channel are you selling ?

Do you ship from your location or from fulfillment centers?

Which credit card gateway and processor do you use?

Understanding your products and target markets

Do you sell to consumers (B2C)?

Yes No

Do you sell to business to businesses (B2B)?

Yes No

Which product types represent your products?

Are your products subject to regulatory requirements and certifications?

Yes No

Where are your products made/manufactured?

Into which countries are your products approved for importation?

Are you able to comfortably meet the current demand for your products?

Yes No

Do you buy finished products for resale?

Yes No

If yes, do you rebrand the items?

Yes No

If no, do you buy modify products for resale?

Yes No

How long does it take for you to receive products from your supplier?

< 1 week 1 week > 1 week

Do you have alternative suppliers?

Yes No

Do you produce your own products?

Yes No

On average how long does it take to produce your product?

< 1 week 1 week > 1 week

What percentage of your products are perishable ?

What is the shelf life of your product?

> 5 days 4-5 days < 3 days

Do you have product descriptions (nutritional information, components, ingredients, uses, warnings, restrictions, codes, and additional content)

Yes No

Do you have product images and or videos?

Yes No

Rate the ease with which your product can be packaged and shipped.

very difficult somewhat difficult neutral easy very easy

What is your average fulfillment time for your orders?

< 3 days 4-5 days > 1 week

Selling to Consumers (B2C)

Do you offer coupon codes to your customers?

Yes No

Do you offer any subscription-based products?

Yes No

Do you have a loyalty program?

Yes No

Selling to Businesses (B2B)

Do you offer customer specific pricing?

Yes No

Are there cases when products are available to one customer but not to another?

Yes No

Do you offer volume-based discounts (e.g., "Buy 10 or more, receive 10% off")?

Yes No

Do you allow "pre-orders" on products that are not yet available?

Yes No

Service, Content and Media

Do any of your products require explanation to help the customer select a product?

Yes No

Do you sell many comparable products?

Yes No

Are additional resources helpful in selling, installing, or using your products?

Yes No

Does your team use content marketing, videos, or blog articles to attract customers?

Yes No

Via which medium do you market your products/ services ?

Operations Readiness

How many SKUs (product types) do you have?

How many transactions do you process daily/ Monthly on average offline?

What shipping/ delivery, if any, services do you use?

Do you ever arrange special freight shipping for business accounts? (Wholesale/ Bulk orders)

Yes No

Are you able to accept and process credit card payments?

Yes No

Do you have a return policy and process?

Yes No

Do you have a refund policy and process?

Yes No

How is your inventory managed?

Automated Manual Both

Do you make local deliveries yourself or do you outsource?

Do you offer customer pickup?

Yes No

Do you have the staff and resources to manage an increase in demand in response to increased ecommerce sales

Yes No

What is your internet connection uptime? (What percentage of time is your internet working)

>90 % 51-80 % 26-50 % 10-25 %

Do you possess the required IT resources/staff/ software needed to support selling online

Yes No

If no, how to you intend to meet the demand?

Outsource/Hire/ Acquire No Plans

How would your customers rate your responsiveness to customer queries concerning products?

Are your return and refund policies compliant with local legislations

Yes No

Do you accept telephone orders?

Yes No

Marketing Readiness

Do you have a clearly identified target market? (customer profile: business/personal; location)

Yes No

How do you engage with and influence your target market? (social media; traditional media; emails, word of mouth; referrals, reviews; ratings)

social media traditional media emails word of mouth referrals reviews ratings

Do you research or know information about your competitors?

Yes No

Is your business branded?

Yes No

Do you have a branding kit that can be used across multiple platforms?

Yes No

Do you know your competitive advantage?

Yes No