The July 2013 Strategy Session is all about exports. And it’s fascinating. Really. Go read it: You’re doing it wrong. Here’s how to do it right. Featuring Paul Draeger, senior counsel with the Calgary office of Norton Rose Canada–now Norton Rose Fullbright–and Hans Gjerdrum, vice-president of international business with Kudu Industries.

My fave paragraph:

The attitude is, ‘Our order books are full, we don’t have time to send anyone there – it’s just a cost.’” The unspoken assumption is that when the lull comes, when there’s time, you can penetrate those new markets quickly. “Because you’re so good and the world is waiting for you.”

Yeah, princess. It doesn’t work that way. And the thing is, when it comes to domestic plays and expansions, you know this. You’ve got a stellar, multi-stage Canadian business plan, right? But you think you’re going to start shipping your product to Peru, Russia and Malaysia with three weeks’ notice, when the domestic or nearby U.S. market goes soft? Come on. Reality check. It takes time. It takes having a plan. And working at it for years. Y-E-A-R-S. Not the bottom part of one Alberta cycle.

• Full text at Alberta Venture.