A personal touch to marketing abroad: August Bishop benefits from network of contacts and not-so conventional research.

Opportunities abound for small business owners abroad. But it takes creativity, ingenuity and that pioneering spirit to tackle the wide world of importing and exporting. Equally important, it requires building the right network of contacts and gathering the appropriate research.

This has certainly been the case for August Bishop L.L.C., a New York-based, black-owned firm that provides marketing, publicity and promotional management. The fledgling company, with projected sales of more than $100,000, handles international sales for Indigo New York, a new monthly fashion magazine. Right now, the owners are looking to open up distribution for the magazine in clothing and music stores throughout Japan, the U.K., Canada, Germany and Italy.

The first order of business was to go right to the source. "We contacted people who owned clothing and record stores in the countries where we wanted to do business," says the 22-year-old CEO, Dexter Wimberly. "We asked what the music and fashion scenes were like--which magazines were selling well, which ones weren't and why."

While there is no substitute for conventional research, "we made sure to tap personal resources," notes Barney A. Bishop, 24, the firm's president. "Nothing can replace that one-on-one contact, getting firsthand accounts from someone who actually lives there and understands what the culture is like."

Bishop and Wimberly also work with a major distribution company in Japan. The enterprising partners, who met while students at New York's Brooklyn College, work on a commission basis and serve as agents to help the foreign entity purchase U.S. goods, mostly clothing.

As for many business owners new to the export game, managing costs is a major issue. One of the main complaints made regarding export is that products are not received in a timely fashion. Shipping items abroad can be very costly.

To stay on top of this area, the firm uses shipping services. "We needed to find a way to get the magazines there [closer to the U. S. publishing date] and at the same time keep the costs low," says Wimberly. "Since we weren't shipping items [in bulk], we were going to spend as much money to send the magazines as they cost." To send, say, 50 magazines to London through conventional methods, such as UPS, would cost a little over $100. Copies of Indigo New York sell for $2.50. "We would have to double the price of the magazine to avoid losing any money," he explains. "Plus you have to take into account that [British] currency is stronger than the U.S. dollar right now."

So, instead of using UPS, FedEx or regular mail, the firm uses a shipping company that sends items regularly to countries where it does business. "If we want to ship copies of the magazine to a shop in Munich, we know there is a flight or a boat going out there to deliver furniture. It wouldn't cost us much to put a box on that delivery," Wimberly says. "That way, we cut costs at least in half."

Not to be overlooked is the handling of currency. "When we received our first check from London, it was for [pound]35, which was equal to $53," cites Bishop. "The bank wanted to charge us $40 to exchange the money into U.S. currency. We would have made only $13. So we sent the check back, and decided to do only wire transfers from then on."

It's important when dealing with another country to understand its currency and exchange rate, shipping costs and customs fees. You should also acquaint yourself with a country's customs when it comes to correspondence. For instance, the company sends international faxes daily, which is cheaper than direct telephone calls--$60 a month compared with over $100.

The key to global success, say Bishop and Wimberly, is to keep abreast of trends, and to stay informed about the customs and business practices of your global allies.