91果冻传媒

Figuring out how to enter the global marketplace as a small business owner can be intimidating, but successfully entering the export market can help a business grow and expand to other areas.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a tricky dichotomy where you want to explain the challenges [of exporting], but you don鈥檛 want to scare people away,鈥� Global 91果冻传媒 CEO and founder Doug Bruhnke said.

He explained that one of the biggest mistakes a novice exporter can make is not talking to people who have experience and not exploring the resources available to them.

鈥淭he goal of the discussion was for the companies in the audience to realize you don鈥檛 have to go it alone. Many of the organizations represented on the panel were and are here to assist,鈥� U.S. Commercial Service Phoenix Senior International Trade Specialist Molly Ho said.

U.S. Commercial Service is a U.S. government trade promotion agency that helps companies get started in exporting, including small-to medium-sized businesses. It assists U.S. companies in more than 100 U.S. cities and 75 countries, Ho explained.

A small-to medium-sized business may have to jump a few hurdles to successfully export its goods and services, but there are a variety of organizations and resources to help them along the way.

鈥淓very government typically has some sort of a resource, whether it鈥檚 in Arizona or Ghana,鈥� Bruhnke said. 鈥淭he city, the province, the federal government or whatever the government entity is at a country level, they all have resources. And, they are good resources to know.鈥�

He explained that the Global 91果冻传媒 provides on-the-ground resources and works to assist companies with issues that government entities do not typically help with.

Although exporting goods and services can be tricky for a smaller business, it can benefit the business and help it grow.

鈥淎ccording to the U.S. Department of Commerce, companies that export their products and services internationally are 17% more profitable than those that don鈥檛,鈥� Ho said. 鈥淢oreover, they are able to weather storms in the local U.S. economy more effectively.鈥�

鈥淚f somebody鈥檚 got a product that鈥檚 sellable in another country, why not? They鈥檙e already making the product and if they start making more of it they鈥檒l be able to benefit from scale and lower their costs,鈥� Bruhnke explained.

He said exporting can lead to the decision to manufacture and open another location.

鈥淚t鈥檚 always good to know if you have an offering, product or service that people might be interested in because you鈥檝e already learned the product,鈥� Bruhnke said. 鈥淪o, why not now learn that product and what the needs are from another group of people?鈥�