Do You Really Want To Have A Foreign Affair?

Contrary to popular opinion, the grass isn’t greener on the other side.  It’s true of situations in life and it’s true in business.  To those comparing the domestic dusty plains to the international green pastures, the BRICK (Brazil, Russia, India, China and Korea) markets may appear green. But, upon closer examination they are fraught with their own challenges—differences in business culture, contract law, design and construction standards, and process, as well as, the need to develop a process for developing new business.

It goes without saying that the easiest way to branch out into overseas business is if a client (domestic) wants to take you there.  But, what if you still want to “go international” but don’t know how to proceed.  What do you do?  My best recommendation is to meet with the U.S. Department of Commercial Services.  The U.S. Commercial Services is the trade promoting arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. They are located in over 100 U.S. cities and in more than 75 countries in order to assist U.S. companies in getting started in exporting or increase sales to new global markets.

U.S. Commercial Services is able to provide information regarding compliance, market access, standards, policies, barriers, and competitiveness in order to support and inform your decision to explore an overseas expansion.  Additionally, they able to offer prospective companies low to moderate cost information via conferences, seminars, trade missions, and training.

U.S. Commercial Services is not just for the export of goods.  It is a viable and strategic way of exporting intellectual property in the form of design, construction and engineering.  For more information or for the U.S. Commercial Services office or location near you, go to www.trade.gov

A foreign affair may be in your future.