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Workshop at Port of Vancouver to share ins, outs of exporting

Agencies aim to boost prospects for local firms

By Aaron Corvin, Columbian Port & Economy Reporter
Published: October 16, 2010, 12:00am

Think exporting a product or service is only for big companies with worldly sensibilities? Think again.

Small and medium-size businesses can ply their operations overseas, too.

o What: “Creating an Export Strategy: Go Global, Get Paid, Get Going!”

o When: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 20.

o Where: Port of Vancouver, 3103 Lower River Road.

o Cost: $50 per person (lunch included).

o Information: http://impactwashington.org/uncategorized/creating-an-export-strategy-go-global-get-paid-get-going. In Clark County, call Bonnie Moore, 360-567-1055.

In Southwest Washington, a group of economic development agencies has teamed up to show the way. They are sponsoring a workshop on Wednesday to shepherd companies in the region through what it takes to pick a foreign market, find a credible distributor, gain access to capital and to guarantee payments from foreign customers.

The event, “Creating an Export Strategy: Go Global, Get Paid, Get Going!” is slated from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Port of Vancouver’s administrative offices. It is sponsored by the Columbia River Economic Development Council, Port of Vancouver, Impact Washington, Cowlitz Economic Development Council and the Export Finance Assistance Center of Washington. A handful of businesses that attend will have an opportunity to receive still more assistance after the workshop.

o What: "Creating an Export Strategy: Go Global, Get Paid, Get Going!"

o When: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 20.

o Where: Port of Vancouver, 3103 Lower River Road.

o Cost: $50 per person (lunch included).

o Information: http://impactwashington.org/uncategorized/creating-an-export-strategy-go-global-get-paid-get-going. In Clark County, call Bonnie Moore, 360-567-1055.

The workshop arrives as the private market in Clark County remains anemic and as government payrolls continue to experience reductions. The jobless rate here is hovering near 14 percent. The situation begs the question: Where do companies go to boost their business when there’s not much around in their immediate territory?

Organizers of Wednesday’s workshop will point to overseas markets. They’ve lined up speakers and panelists to show area companies how to become successful exporters, including tips to take, pitfalls to avoid and barriers to break down.

“One of the biggest barriers we find is fear,” said Linda Adams, marketing manager for Impact Washington, a nonprofit that seeks to help manufacturers compete globally. “‘I don’t speak the language, I don’t know the regulations, I don’t know how to get paid.’ All kinds of fear like that.”

But it’s a good time to learn how to be an exporter, said Bonnie Moore, director of services at the Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council and the Columbia River Economic Development Council. There are state and federal initiatives under way to increase U.S. exports, Moore said, and Washington is the fourth-largest exporting state in the country, after New York, California and Texas.

During Wednesday’s workshop, companies will learn about everything from the availability of credit insurance to networking with Washington and U.S. trade officials who can introduce them to foreign markets. Speakers and panelists include Corey Green, branch compliance manager for Expeditors International of Washington Inc., and Inga Fisher-Williams, export financing manager for the U.S. Small Business Administration. A representative from Vancouver-based Columbia Machine is expected to serve on a panel that will address logistics.

Two-step process

The workshop is the informational phase of a two-step process aimed at making new — or better — exporters out of small and medium-size businesses. The second step involves the federal ExporTech program, which is intended to help eight to 10 area businesses from Clark and Cowlitz counties who attend the workshop to act on their new-found information. Under ExporTech, these companies will be coached on developing customized international growth plans and be advised on how to execute the plan and make their first export.

Adams said area businesses will be chosen for this program after one-on-one discussions gauging how serious they are about developing an actual export strategy. “They may want to export, but they may not have on-time delivery,” she said. “We could work with them to bring those numbers up.”

Adams said one of the findings of a statewide survey that Impact Washington plans to release in November underscores the importance of being an exporter. The survey found that “companies that are more optimistic about their future are already exporting,” Adams said, while those who aren’t optimistic also aren’t exporting.

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Columbian Port & Economy Reporter