basic-guide-to-exporting_Latest_eg_main_086196

Chapter 4Export AdviceIn this chapter . . .• U.S. Commercial Service assistance• Other government agency assistance• Assistance from chambers of commerceMaking the Government Work for YouNow that you’ve had an opportunity to think about your export plan and how to do the marketresearch that will be a part of building out the plan, let’s examine some key sources of assistancethat can provide additional information and help with implementation. A lot of help is available toyour company at little or no cost and makes the exporting process much easier. One way to thinkabout this help is the Global Entrepreneurship Ecosystem (GEE), which we discussed in Chapter 1.It contains a checklist that you can use to map the GEE in your community. Beyond the nameson a checklist, this chapter gives a brief overview of the assistance available through federal,state, and local government agencies, as well as in the private sector. Other chapters in this bookprovide more information on the specialized services of these organizations and how to usethem. Remember that in our research on successful exporters, their engagement with externalassistance, especially in the form of government export assistance providers, is cited as a majorcontributing factor in making them micro-multinationals or “export superstars.”Local U.S. Commercial Service OfficesThe U.S. Commercial Service maintains a network of international trade specialists to helpAmerican companies export their products and conduct business abroad. International tradespecialists are employed in offices throughout the United States and Puerto Rico to assist U.S.exporters, particularly small and medium-sized companies. U.S. Commercial Service officesare known as “one-stop shops” because they combine the trade and marketing expertise andresources of the U.S. Commercial Service, along with the financial expertise and resources of theU.S. Small Business Administration and the Export-Import Bank of the United States.U.S. Commercial Service • A Basic Guide to Exporting45