Small Business, International Trade, and the Blueprint Forward

Interrnational trade is becoming an increasingly large factor in the operations of small businesses. Advances in technology provided by computers and mobile communication devices have allowed small businesses to tap into this lucrative market. The internet provides a platform to gain access to markets all over the world that previously only large scale firms had the resources needed to tap into. The internet has numerous directories which list the resources available to help small businesses find information on how to locate markets abroad, and the methods needed to provide them with products. Search engines can provide listings for specific markets such as Europe or Asia, and specific industries as diverse as mining and medical instruments. Courses can even be found online outlining the business etiquette to be used in such procedures. They will walk the neophyte through every step needed to make such an operation a success. Numerous governmental agencies are devoted to helping small business operators in this regard. In the United States, the Small Business Administration comes immediately to mind, but a search engine request will unlock an abundance of other departments available to help small business expand in this field. There are also many trade associations available that can provide valuable insight into the logistics and financing needed to make a success of such endeavors. These and other sources can help someone in small business wade through the complex of regulations both foreign and domestic that often impede smaller companies from trying to market their goods abroad. International trade is helping to stabilize small businesses by providing a vastly increasing customer base that will inherently be less susceptible to cyclic downturns that often occur in more localized markets. The U.S. Department of Commerce now classifies 96% of exporters as being small businesses. Special financing is available through the Export Import Bank and multiple other governmental agencies as well. Half of the U.S. workforce is now estimated to be employed by small business. 95% of the purchasing market now lies outside the U.S. Despite the high percentage of small businesses involved in international trade, the numbers are seen as a fraction of the amount that could potentially climb aboard this fast growing field. Free trade agreements are lessening or eliminating the tariffs and regulations that once thwarted such marketing. The volume of international trade conducted by small business is expected to show healthy progress in the future as further gains are made in the technology that enables it, and trade barriers are lowered to promote it.