“Counterintuitive” Exporting

As noted in toay’s news section, small- and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) engaged in global business reported the most success exporting to Canada, Mexico, the UK and Australia – countries with which the U.S. either has free trade agreements or bilateral trade relations. 

In contrast, nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of SMB exporters say they have not had success exporting to the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China) in the past 10 years.  There are no U.S. free trade agreements with these nations.

We agree with Laurel Delaney, owner of the small-business consulting firm Global TradeSource, Ltd., who says it might seem “counterintuitive” for small businesses to expand internationally with the economic challenges in the U.S., but now is the time for calculated risk.

She maintains that by connecting with companies that have already been successful exporting, companies new to the process can realize the benefits of engaging in global trade a lot faster.

“The simplest way for SMBs to find a successful exporting lead is good old-fashioned word-of-mouth coupled with a great company website,” advises Delaney.