Developing a wine export plan

Developing a wine export plan

Having a documented wine export plan helps you define the direction of your business and create strategies to achieve your goals.

There are a number of key reasons to write a plan, including: 

• having a way to share your vision and align your export goals with your team and other stakeholders
• identifying gaps in your export capabilities and capacity; and
• having documentation to secure financing to fund your exports. 

Using the export plan template

Edit your export plan to suit your business

Wine Australia’s export plan template is designed to be a guide only. Largely based on Austrade’s export plan template, it’s a Word Document template that you can edit and make your own. Consider who the plan is for. Will it be used internally or externally? What level of information do they need and how much information is your business willing to share? 

Delete the Wine Australia cover page then tailor the flow, structure and content – and adjust the branding – to best suit your audience, business and objectives. The black bold headings are intended to stay if applicable, whereas the coloured descriptions in italics should be deleted before sending to external audiences. You should also delete the various ‘learn more’ links. 

Do the legwork first

Unfortunately there aren’t quick guides or cheat sheets when it comes to export plans – you’ll need to do a significant amount of background work in order to complete the template. This includes making decisions on business structure, marketing strategies, export markets and pricing. Having the right information on hand will also allow you to be more accurate in your forecasts and analysis. 

If you’re unsure what to put in a specific section, look for the deletable ‘learn more’ links within the document or search the Wine Export Ready Hub to find the relevant background information and how-tos. 

Don’t attempt to fill it in from start to finish

First decide what’s relevant to your business, then add information or delete sections that don’t apply. As mentioned above, you’ll likely need to do some more background work before you can complete all sections. 

It’s a good idea to write your executive summary last, even though it’s the first section. It summarises your entire plan and therefore communicates your most important points. It’s also often the only part prospective investors or partners will read. 

Set realistic financial projections

The finances section identifies your financial objectives, as well as financing requirements. It’s important these figures are realistic and give potential investors confidence in your assumptions. 

Existing exporters can include actual figures in the plan, but if you’re new to exporting you’ll need to include expected turnover figures. Make sure you clearly disclose that these are expected figures or estimates. 

Obtain feedback

Seek input from business associates, your accountant or other stakeholders. You can also enlist the help of an export adviser or similar to provide professional advice. Your plan is a ‘living document’, meaning it will often be reviewed and refined – particularly as your export business develops and grows.