WASHINGTON – The U. S. Small Business Administration is offering new, free tools for new and established small business exporters to help them grow and succeed in international trade. Small businesses will now have access to six-part podcast series, an introduction to exporting Youtube video and an online training course.
SBA is making these new tools available as part of the World Trade Week celebrations taking place May 17-21 nationwide to raise awareness of the increasing importance of international trade to the nation’s economy.
“Exporting is a critical strategy for helping small businesses grow and create jobs,” said SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills. “We’re working every day to help small businesses break into exporting, reach more international markets and be more competitive in the global economy.”
The introduction to exporting video is available at http://www.youtube.com/user/sba#p/u/0/UFQIAszJWn4, and the free, online exporting course, “Take Your Business Global,” is available at http://web.sba.gov/sbtn/registration/index.cfm?CourseId=72.
This year’s World Trade Week activities support President Obama’s National Export Initiative, which calls for doubling U.S. exports and supporting two million jobs over the next five years. President Obama has outlined five steps the Administration is taking to help U.S. firms expand sales of their goods and services abroad: creating a new Cabinet-level focus on U.S. exports, expanding export financing, prioritizing government advocacy on behalf of U.S. exporters, providing new resources to U.S. businesses seeking to export, and ensuring a level playing field for U.S. exporters in global markets.
In addition to the podcasts and other regional events to highlight World Trade Week, SBA will host a business forum on international trade at National Small Business Week, which will be held in Washington, D.C., May 23-25. The forum, Customers, Profits, Jobs and Growth, will focus on how to take advantage of opportunities in exporting to expand your business, reach new markets, increase sales, and weather economic downturns. For more information on National Small Business Week, visit www.nationalsmallbusinessweek.com.
In addition to the new online tools, SBA Resource Partners – Small Business Development Centers, Womens Business Centers and SCORE – are available to assist small businesses in every U.S. State and Territory who are interested in exporting. These resource partners can help entrepreneurs identify potential export markets, facilitate export transactions, develop linkages between United States small business and prescreened foreign buyers, advise on participation in international trade shows, assist in obtaining export financing and in facilitating the development or reorientation of marketing and production strategies. In addition to counseling resources in every state and territory there are export specialists available at the 8 SBDC International Trade Export Assistance Centers and SCORE online international trade advisors. To find your local counseling resources please visit www.sba.gov.
World Trade Week was first proclaimed in 1933 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Originally known as National Foreign Trade Week, Roosevelt announced it as an annual event to be held the third week in May. Over the past decades, it was renamed World Trade Week and has expanded to include many activities to highlight the importance of international trade, especially exports, to the economy.
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