e-Business Trade Roadmap 
Step 3: Qualify e-Trade Leads

Companies should develop and follow a specific protocol in deciding whether to pursue or abandon solicited and unsolicited trade leads. This involves the following:

A. Screen by Country of Origin

Companies should screen e-trade leads by country of origin. They should consider the following:

• Perform an address verification check.
• Steer clear of countries with a high incidence of fraud
• Abandon orders where it is impossible to determine the identity of the prospect or country of origin.
• Case Study: BlackBear Company Store

B. Evaluate Country Risks

Companies should recognize that macroeconomic fundamentals and political stability are important in evaluating the risk of default in transactions. Some resources include:

• Country Information from Export Development Canada
• Coface
• ebusinessforum.com — Doing business in…
• economist.com — Country Briefings

C. Gather and Evaluate Market Intelligence

In this final phase of market research, companies should evaluate local market conditions such as regulations, competition, etc. Some resources include:

• infoexport.gc.ca
• Economist Intelligence Unit

D. Evaluate Credit Worthiness of e-Trade Leads

For orders which are not credit-card based, companies should assess the credit worthiness of the prospective international customer. Some resources include:

• Dun & Bradstreet
• Equifax Canada