Plan B Business
Trade

Stop floating containers with your own working capital.
Build a trade business that compounds.

We work with import-export and wholesale distribution owners doing $3M-$20M in annual revenue who are tired of working capital traps, customs delays, currency surprises, and inventory sitting on the floor. Our 12-month engagement gets you to disciplined Incoterms, faster turn, and 12-18% net margins.

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Industry Reality

9 patterns we see in >70% of import-export wholesale

85%
frequency

Working capital tied up 90-120 days from order to customer payment

Root cause: Pre-payment to overseas supplier, 30-45 day ocean transit, 20-30 days warehouse aging, 30-60 days customer terms. Owner floats $500K-$3M permanently.

What we do: Restructure working capital cycle: 30% supplier deposit with LC/SBLC backing (not 100% wire), faster turn target (45 days inventory aging max), customer Net 30 with early-pay discount and autopay. Float reduces 40-60% within 12 months.

80%
frequency

Inventory turn at 2-3x annually when industry target is 6-8x

Root cause: Owner over-orders to avoid stockouts. Container ordering rewards bulk. No demand forecasting. Slow movers age on shelves.

What we do: ABC inventory classification. A-items (top 20% by velocity) - tight reorder discipline. B-items - moderate. C-items - eliminate or special-order only. Turn lifts from 2.5x to 6x+ within 12 months. Cash unlocked: $200K-$1.5M.

75%
frequency

Incoterms misunderstood - paying for risk you don't need or vice versa

Root cause: Owner uses 'CIF' or 'FOB' without understanding the legal/financial implications. Pays for insurance twice or carries uninsured ocean risk.

What we do: Incoterms audit: which terms (FCA, FOB, CIF, CIP, DAP, DDP) make sense for which suppliers and which products. Standardize on 2-3 terms with clear playbook. Insurance and risk allocation documented per supplier.

70%
frequency

Customs broker relationship is reactive - delays cost $5K-$25K per container

Root cause: Owner uses cheapest customs broker. Brokers are reactive. ISF (10+2) filings late. HTS codes wrong. Containers held at port.

What we do: Customs broker vetting and tiering. Single-broker relationship for primary lanes. Pre-arrival documentation discipline. Annual HTS code review for accuracy. Demurrage and detention drops 70%+ within 9 months.

80%
frequency

ERP system can't handle multi-currency, landed cost, or container-level visibility

Root cause: Agency using QuickBooks Online with spreadsheets duct-taped on the side. No landed cost calculation. No container-level P&L. No multi-currency.

What we do: Migrate to NetSuite, SAP Business One, or Acumatica. Landed cost capture (freight, duty, broker fees, financing cost) per SKU. Multi-currency native. Container-level P&L. Revenue per SKU per region.

65%
frequency

Currency exposure unhedged - margin swings with FX

Root cause: Owner pays suppliers in USD or EUR or CNY. Customers pay in USD. FX moves 5-10% wipe out a quarter's margin.

What we do: Forward contract discipline for major supplier currencies. Natural hedging where possible. Pricing structure with FX clause for large customers. (Note: we don't provide FX trading advice - we connect you with vetted FX/treasury specialists.)

70%
frequency

Customer concentration - top customer = 40%+ of revenue

Root cause: One large customer (often a big-box retailer or one regional distributor) built the business. They squeeze you on terms, price, and exclusivity.

What we do: Aggressive customer diversification. No customer over 20% of revenue. Vertical diversification (don't depend on one channel). Active prospecting for mid-market accounts. Within 18 months, top customer should be 18-25% max.

75%
frequency

No e-commerce / direct-to-business channel - 100% traditional wholesale

Root cause: Owner views D2B / e-commerce as 'not what we do.' Misses the 20-40% margin uplift on direct channels.

What we do: B2B e-commerce platform (Shopify Plus B2B, Faire, BigCommerce B2B). Direct-to-business with tiered pricing. Mid-market accounts ($5K-$50K) self-serve. Target 25-40% of revenue through D2B channels within 18 months.

65%
frequency

Compliance pressure - tariffs, sanctions, anti-dumping - changes weekly

Root cause: Owner doesn't track trade policy. Section 301 tariffs hit unexpectedly. Anti-dumping duties on competitor products affect supply.

What we do: Quarterly trade compliance review with vetted trade lawyer or customs broker. HTS-classification audit. Country-of-origin discipline. Sanctioned-party screening for suppliers and customers. (Note: we don't provide legal/compliance services - we connect you with trade law specialists.)

Benchmarks

The numbers we hit

KPIMarket avgPlan B targetAfter 12 mo
Inventory turn (annual)2-4x6-8x4-7x
Working capital cycle (days)90-130<6055-85
Demurrage / detention cost % of revenue1.5-3%<0.4%0.5-1.2%
Net profit margin4-8%12-18%10-16%
Customer concentration (top customer %)35-50%<20%20-30%
% revenue from D2B / e-commerce0-10%30%+20-35%
Owner-importer weekly hours on operational fires30-45<108-18
Engagement Model

What working with us looks like

  1. 01

    Month 1: Trade + financial audit

    We pull 24 months of container P&Ls, supplier payment terms, customs broker performance, FX exposure, customer terms. We map your working capital cycle and identify the 1-2 highest-leverage actions.

  2. 02

    Months 2-3: ERP + Incoterms discipline

    ERP migration begins (NetSuite, SAP B1, or Acumatica). Landed cost capture deployed. Incoterms audit complete with standardized terms. Customs broker tiering and primary-broker selection.

  3. 03

    Months 4-6: Inventory turn + D2B channel

    ABC inventory classification rolled out. Slow-mover liquidation campaign. B2B e-commerce platform launches with top 50 customers. Currency hedging discipline with vetted treasury partner.

  4. 04

    Months 7-12: Diversification + compounding

    Working capital cycle below 75 days. Inventory turn 5x+. Customer diversification underway. D2B at 20-30% of revenue. Owner-importer operational hours below 15/week. We shift to quarterly cadence.

Common questions from import-export wholesale owners

What size import-export business is this for?−
Sweet spot: $3M-$20M annual revenue with 5-30 employees. Below $3M, you're still in early-stage and need different help. Above $20M, you typically need full-time CFO + Director of Operations - we'd hand off.
We import from China / Vietnam / India - does that affect the work?+
Methodology is the same regardless of source country. Specific tactics vary: China sourcing involves more tariff and FX volatility (especially post-2018 Section 301), Vietnam and India have growing capacity but newer logistics. We adapt the playbook to your sourcing mix.
What categories do you work with?+
Consumer goods (apparel, accessories, home goods), industrial wholesale (parts, components, hardware), food and beverage import (where USDA/FDA compliance allows), and specialty chemicals or materials. We do not work with pharmaceutical import (different regulatory regime), firearms/munitions (ITAR), or hazardous chemicals (different specialized compliance).
NetSuite vs SAP Business One vs Acumatica - which ERP do you recommend?+
NetSuite for $5M+ with multi-channel sales and global supply chain. SAP B1 for $3M-$10M with European or Latin American customer base. Acumatica for $3M-$15M with strong distribution focus. We help you choose based on your situation. We don't sell software.
Tariff policy is unpredictable. How do we plan?+
Tariff uncertainty is the new normal. The agencies that thrive build flexibility into their cost structure: dual-sourcing (China + Vietnam or China + Mexico), tariff-engineering (legal HTS reclassification where appropriate), pricing structures that include tariff pass-through clauses for B2B customers. We help you build the resilience, not predict the policy.
Will you help with customs brokerage or freight forwarding?+
We don't provide customs brokerage or freight services directly. We help you select, vet, and manage the brokers and forwarders. The right relationships save $50K-$300K per year for a $5M business. We make sure you have the right ones at the right scope.
What about FCL / LCL container strategy?+
Both work. FCL (full container load) is more cost-efficient if you can fill it. LCL (less than container load) reduces inventory risk and improves turn for slower SKUs. We help you model the breakeven point for your specific SKU mix and demand profile.
Who does the work?+
Ligal Frish and Eitan Eshtemaker - the two co-founders. Direct access, no associates.
What's your fee structure?+
Diagnostic: $1,500 one-time. Advisor: $3,500/month (most import-export businesses, 12-month). Partner: $8,500+/month (multi-channel or fast-scale operations).

Stop floating containers. Build a trade business that compounds.

30-minute strategy call. We'll diagnose your top 2 levers and tell you if we're a fit. No pitch. No pressure.

Book My Free Strategy Call