Resources for International Success
Information and partnerships can jumpstart global business opportunities.

by Robert S. Frey, M.A.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), 231,420 U.S. companies—223,681 of which were small businesses—exported goods and services in 1999. Exports have a number of significant advantages for small businesses, including increased profits, spread of overhead costs, smoothing of seasonal fluctuations, increased productivity and competitiveness, tax advantages and extended product lifecycles.

A number of resources are available to support your company’s international marketing efforts.

Leveraging Partnerships
Many small companies simply do not have the staff to dedicate to the time-consuming task of international marketing. Fortunately, there are state-level international trade programs designed to assist you with identifying international markets. Two such programs are The World Trade Center of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and the University of Kansas Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) (www.kctrade.com/WTC_In_Action/Passport.htm).

Creating ongoing business partnerships with a host country’s key decision makers is essential to long-term marketing and overall business success. Partnerships can be strengthened through scheduled in-country visits that include social and community activities, reciprocal invitations to the United States and establishment of offices in country. Well-managed representatives, agents or distributors who understand the language, culture and procurement laws and processes, and are sensitive to in-country political trends, can be invaluable to your company’s success.

Web-Based Resources
To get started, you can turn to a number of Web-based resources designed to help businesses with international trade.

www.export.gov is the portal to all export-related assistance and market information offered by the federal government. Whether your company is looking for trade leads, free export counseling or help with the export process, Export.gov is a key first step in growing your international sales.

www.export.gov/comm_svc is home to the U.S. Commercial Service’s International Buyer Program, which brings thousands of international buyers each year to meet with American companies at major trade shows in the United States. More than 125,000 qualified foreign buyers, prospective sales representatives and potential business partners attend these shows, giving your company excellent opportunities to meet, network and develop business partnerships.

www.sba.gov/oit/export/useac.html is the site for U.S. Export Assistance Centers, which are one-stop shops ready to provide small- or medium-sized businesses with local export assistance. Located in major metropolitan areas, personalized assistance is available from professionals provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Export-Import Bank and other public and private organizations.

www.usaid.gov is the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) site, the federal agency responsible for development assistance. USAID’s Global Trade Network facilitates the transfer of technology and services through the identification, dissemination and matching of industry-specific requests for quotations (RFQs) for member companies located in the United States, developing countries and transition economies. Regionally driven leads are electronically matched to pre-qualified U.S. registered suppliers or companies participating in intra-regional trade programs in Africa, Asia and Southeast Europe.

www.tda.gov is the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) site, an independent federal  agency under the executive branch, which promotes economic development in
developing countries by funding feasibility studies, consultancies, training programs and other project planning services.

www.iesc.org is the International Executive Service Corps (IESC) site. The IESC is a network of active and retired businessmen and women available to counsel and train businesses overseas.

www.uscib.org is the U.S. Council for International Business Web site. The USCIB’s eTraderoom is a Web-based workflow management tool to help small businesses manage its the critical trade process, from order to fulfillment. USCIB members and clients—especially small importers and exporters—can use eTraderoom to manage their leads, orders and related compliance matters in a secure environment.

www.globetrade.com is a resource created to help entrepreneurs and small businesses do business worldwide.

www.sohocentralusa.com/international.htm is the Resource Channel International Resources Web site, which features information, books, and resources on international business.

Assessing the Landscape
Cross-cultural considerations must be taken into account, so it is suggested that key employees or consultants be nationals of the country where you’re seeking business.
Also, it is important that you not try to cover the whole world, but rather develop a profitable beachhead in a country your company knows already. Because of the critical shortages of resources in small companies, international business must be a carefully planned and orchestrated process. Small companies successful in this field often have foreign shareholders who know the local environment and its pitfalls and processes.

International market entry must become part of a company’s strategic plan and marketing plan if it is to be pursued with the diligence that successful international business requires.

Robert S. Frey, M.A. is Vice President for Knowledge Management and Proposal Development with RS Information Systems, Inc. (RSIS; www.rsis.com), an information technology, engineering, and scientific support services firm headquartered McLean, Va. He is also author of three editions of Successful Proposal Strategies for Small Businesses, (Boston: Artech House, 2002, 1999, 1997) a comprehensive book that explains how to plan and write proposals for government, private sector and international contracts.