International Trade Resources Online

It is an oft-misheld perception that the average American entrepreneur who desires to become successful in international trade will be severely handicapped by his lack of expertise and experience, according to Dr. Carl Nelson, in his book entitled Import/Export-- How to get started in International Trade. Many resources have been directed towards enabling entrepreneurs to conduct international trade, and much information is available online.

The Department of Commerce, together with numerous independent international trade consultants, is leading the efforts to help small business owners to understand the fundamentals. of capitalizing on the global marketplace. According to Nelson, there are 10 factors that an entrepreneur must consider to increase the margins of success. They include:

1. A serious commitment to enter the global market.

2. An understanding of the cultural differences that may exist in chosen market.

3. A well prepared business plan

4. A thorough understanding of the political and financial stability of the country(ies)of choice.

5. Thorough market research.

6. Clearly defined market goals.

7. A clear understanding of competitors.

8. Patience and persistence.

9. Well-planned budget.

10.Expert counsel.

Private Sources

The Trade Compass web site can assist entrepreneurs in navigating the Internet for information on the importing and exporting of products and services. This site prides itself as the gateway to international commerce. It can be found athttp://www.tradecompass.com. There are a number of other independent sites as well.

However, it is often advisable to start with the government sponsored sites. because they usually tend to be more reliable and updated regularly.

Government Sources

U.S. Department of Commerce There are a number of well-informed government sites that a prospective entrepreneur can turn to for feasible solutions to the aforementioned factors in addition to the fundamentals of exporting and importing. The business and trade web sites for the Commerce Department can be accessed at http://www.doc.gov/bureaus/bustrade.htm The most comprehensive site for government export assistance programs and direct trade counseling is the Trade Information Center which is affiliated with the U.S. Department of Commerce. This site can be accessed at http://www.ita.doc.gov/tic/ticmain.html.

Another significant site is the DB Trade Link that can connect a surfer to the federal departments dealing with major issues surrounding international business. These include the U.S. International Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Commerce. International Organizations (IMF, NAFTA, OECD, and World Trade Organization) are also covered. The DB Trade Link is at http://www.dbtrade.com/links.htm.

Interested searchers can also discover resources for conducting trade within North America at the NAFTANET site at http://nafta.net/it.htm.

The Small Business Administration The U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of International Trade offers assistance to novice exporters/importers through financial assistance links and SBA-sponsored trade conferences and events. Internet explorers can directly access the site at http://www.sba.gov/oit/.

A collection of international trade publications from both government and independent sources can be found at http://tradecenter.ntis.gov. The Department of Commerce operates this site.

Minority Business

The Minority Business Development Agency - MBDA addresses minority issues and concerns and provides helpful links to minority vendors and much other business opportunities. The site can be found at http://www.mbda.gov. The information is also in Spanish.

World Trade Centers Association

The independent minded entrepreneur can make good use of the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) web site. WTCA, a not-for-profit apolitical association, registers affiliated businesses for networking purposes for a nominal fee. Users can post offerings, bids and make online offerings to more than 500,000 affiliated businesses through 300 World Trade Centers in 97 countries. The site caters to people of various languages. Finally, members can post products or services that are for sale or make inquiries on the WTCA Trade Opportunities Database. The website can be found at http://iserve.wtca.org.

Other Helpful Sites

Finally, there are a number of other sites that can prove to be useful to the interested entrepreneur. They include: -

The World-Wide Web Virtual Library International Affairs Resources (Int'l Trade). http://www.pitt.edu/~ian/resource/trading.htm - The Internationalist - The Center for International Business and Travel. http://www.internationalist.com/business -

International Business and Technology: World Level. http://www.brint.com/International.htm-

Virtual International Business and Economic Sources http://www.uncc.edu/lis/library/reference/intbus/vibehome.htm -

International Business Resources on the WWW (sponsored by Michigan State University Center for International Business Education and Research). http://ciber.bus.msu.edu/busres.htm

These international trade web sites can help budding and established import/exports progress. Do you have additional international trade resources to add to the list? If so, email us here at sbdcinfo@yourbizpartner.com and put something about international trade web sites in the subject line.