New On-Line Tool for Small Exporters

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recently unveiled a new on-line tool for small businesses interested in starting or expanding their exporting operations. The free on-line tool will help small businesses evaluate their export readiness and help them fill in any gaps to come up with a comprehensive export business plan.

The Export Business Planner, as it’s called, will allow small businesses to:

• Determine their export readiness
• Learn about training and counseling opportunities
• Complete worksheets for global market research
• Obtain financing information and options
• Customize export marketing plans, and
• Access resources for exporters

The Export Business Planner is a PDF file that can be downloaded and customized, and offers a comprehensive list of resources and links to helpful Web sites and training videos. Through the new tool, small businesses can get a very basic introduction to exporting, conduct financial analysis and forecasting, and implement a timeline for their new or expanded exporting goals.

The new tool aims to make exporting more accessible by providing a variety of customizable worksheets and templates which offer a solid starting point rather than having to start from scratch.

Please click here to learn more and to download the Export Business Planner.