Best practices for market entry strategies encompass the following:

• Secure an agent, representative, or distributor in Ecuador.  Sales to the Ecuadorian government require the company to have a local representative in Ecuador.  Given the small territory, one distributor often suffices.  Focus on formality, personal relationships, and trust when negotiating agreements and contracts.
• Select a law firm early on to have legal support available in different areas like taxes, political/economic analysis, contracts, sanitary registrations, and legal reforms.
• Conduct thorough due diligence to know your partner and understand the market.  The U.S. Commercial Service offers a host of services to assist your company with its due diligence process.
• Communicate with the Commercial Unit of the U.S. Embassy in Quito regarding specific concerns, such as regulatory issues.
• Visit the market often; take advantage of Ecuador’s geographic proximity to the United States and the abundance of flights connecting Ecuador to all regions of North America. 
• Recognize that business planning can be a challenge because of frequent changes in Ecuador’s tax, commercial, investment, and economic policies and regulations.
• Attend functions of local business promotion organizations such as the American Chambers of Commerce (AmCham), which number five in Ecuador (Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Ambato, and Manta).
• Keep in mind there are two distinct regions in Ecuador: the mountain and the coastal region.  Distinctions among the two regions are highly visible in consumer behavior, personalities, buying patterns, hobbies, and even political ideologies.