Greater Philadelphia Metro Export Plan SME Capacity and...

Greater Philadelphia Metro Export Plan

SME Capacity and Awareness Working Group

Friday, October 30, 2015, 10:00 to 11:30 am

Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP

One Penn Center, 19th Floor, 1617 JFK Blvd., Philadelphia

Strategy: Build export awareness and capacity among the region’s SMEs

Meeting Agenda

o Welcoming & Introductions

o Working Group Charge

o Prioritizing Tactics

Review and Discussion of Proposed Tactics

Current Efforts, Gaps, Successes

Actions, Roles, Resources

SME Awareness and Capacity Working Group

October 30, 2015, 10:00-11:30am Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP One Penn Center, 19th Floor 1617 JFK Blvd., Philadelphia

Meeting Materials

SME Awareness and Capacity Working Group Meeting Agenda Page 1

SME Awareness and Capacity Working Group Memo Page 3

Greater Philadelphia Metro Export Plan Elements Page 9

Additional Resources

Milwaukee’s Export Strategy Executive Summary Page 10

Minneapolis-Saint Paul’s Export Training Program Menu Page 14

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MEMORANDUM DATE: October 29, 2015

TO: Greater Philadelphia Metro Export Plan SMEs Working Group

FROM: Josh Sevin, Managing Director for Regional Engagement, Economy League

RE: Building export awareness and capacity among the region’s SMEs

This memorandum lays out the charge of the Greater Philadelphia Metro Export Plan SMEs Working

Group and presents proposed tactics and implementation considerations for discussion at the working

group’s two meetings. As a “straw man” document, it is intended to spur reactions and suggestions

about key items for inclusion in our metro export plan.

Building export awareness and capacity among the region’s SMEs has been identified as one of three

priority strategies that we will focus on to accelerate regional growth via a dynamic export economy.

This working group will spend its first meeting on Friday discussing opportunities to engage more SMEs

in our region around export opportunities and prioritize up to three tactics to advance this strategy.

During our second meeting on November 19th, we will discuss implementation details for these priority

tactics, including specific action items, roles and responsibilities, resources, and metrics.

These efforts will help develop critical pieces of the export growth plan for review by the Greater

Philadelphia Metro Export Plan Steering Committee at its December meeting.

METRO EXPORT PLAN ELEMENTS AND STRATEGIES

The Greater Philadelphia Metro Export Plan will be a 16-to-24 page document that makes a compelling

case for exports as a driver of our region’s long-run economic success and provides a guide for how to

achieve stated export growth goals and objectives. It will be a vehicle for educating a wide range of

audiences about the exports opportunity and how our region plans to take advantage of it.

Our plan will present an explanation of why exporting is critical to the region’s competitiveness, key

findings from the market assessment, goal and objectives, strategies and tactics, performance metrics to

gauge progress, and an implementation plan summary. (Background on preparing a metro export plan

and examples of other regions’ plans are available at the Global Cities Initiative’s website at

http://www.brookings.edu/about/projects/global-cities/exchange.)

Drawing upon the market assessment results and metro export initiative efforts to date, the Greater

Philadelphia Metro Export Plan Core Team has drafted several plan elements, including key findings and

plan goal and objectives. A summary of current draft plan elements is included in the meeting materials

on page 9.

The metro export plan should be viewed as similar to an effective business plan for an organization. It

will not aim to address every opportunity or cite every possible strategy that could be employed to

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http://www.brookings.edu/about/projects/global-cities/exchange

Greater Philadelphia Metro Export Plan – SMEs Working Group Memorandum (October 2015)

achieve regional export objectives, but instead will present three or four priority strategies with clear

action steps and commitment toward implementation.

At the Greater Philadelphia Metro Export Plan Steering Committee’s October meeting, the group

reviewed three proposed strategies for refinement and inclusion in the plan:

1) Building Export Awareness and Capacity among the Region’s SMEs;

2) Catalyzing Export Growth for Priority Clusters; and

3) Strengthening and Enhancing Coordination within Greater Philadelphia’s Export Support

Ecosystem

These strategies represent approaches that the Core Team thinks will best drive the region towards

achievement of the plan’s overarching objectives of boosting the region’s export intensity, increasing

the number of new exporting firms, and elevating exports as a top-of-mind economic development

priority. They focus on core opportunities and needs that emerged from the market assessment

findings: limited awareness of export opportunities or services among small- and medium-sized

enterprises (SMEs) in the region, the existence of regional export industry cluster strengths, and the

potential for greater collaboration and coordination among export service providers and economic

development leaders.

These strategies will be accompanied in the metro export plan by a set of tactics that lay out what

specific actions the region will undertake to execute each strategy. Specific quantitative and qualitative

outcome and output indicators will be tracked in conjunction with plan strategies and tactics. Working

groups have been established to identify priority tactics and implementation items for each strategy.

BUILDING EXPORT AWARENESS & CAPACITY AMONG THE REGION’S SMEs

With only an estimated five percent of US firms exporting, all metros have a significant number of small-

and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) that have the potential to export or expand to additional markets. Our

market assessment survey and interviews confirmed this for Greater Philadelphia. Getting exports on

the radar of more SMEs and connecting them to resources to help them become export-ready can spur

a virtuous cycle of increased export activity in the region as the density of globally-oriented firms grows.

Many firms, government officials, civic groups, universities, and other key stakeholders are not aware of

the array of existing export assistance supports in the region, making it difficult to efficiently refer

companies to appropriate services.

With a strong set of export assistance services available in our region and a high level of satisfaction

among firms that use them, this strategy focuses on raising awareness among SMEs of their export

potential and getting more of them engaged with existing export supports. Drawing upon the market

assessment and metro export initiative efforts to date, the Core Team is proposing a primary focus on

three tactics to advance this strategy:

1) Activating business networks of chambers of commerce and for-profit service providers that

have trusted relationships with SMEs to increase the pipeline of firms considering exporting;

2) Expanding export mentoring initiatives for SMEs; and

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3) Increasing coverage of exports and export success stories.

The remainder of this memo presents background and perspectives on each of these three proposed

tactics, including potential action items, examples of what other regions have done, questions for

consideration, and potential metrics. It also includes some other tactics for consideration as we

prioritize up to three for inclusion in the metro export plan.

As you review these potential tactics, please consider the following questions:

What current efforts in our region aim to engage more SMEs with export opportunities?

What current gaps exist around engaging more SMEs with export opportunities?

What successes or bright spots can we build upon to build export awareness and capacity

among SMEs?

Do you agree with the three proposed tactics to advance the SMEs strategy? Are there others

that you think we should include among the two or three included in the plan?

After selecting up to three priority tactics following working group discussion, we will consider the

following questions over the remainder of the group’s two meetings:

What are impactful and feasible actions that we can take for priority tactics?

Who will take leadership roles and responsibilities to implement priority tactics?

What kind of additional resources, if any, will be required for implementation?

What are the best metrics to gauge progress for the SMEs strategy and tactics?

What policy recommendations would support the SMEs strategy and tactics?

TACTIC 1

Activating business networks to increase the pipeline of firms considering

exporting

Market assessment interviews noted the importance of area chambers of commerce becoming more

active in engaging their members around export opportunities and recommending global market

expansion as a smart and viable growth strategy. Several interviewees noted the potential for activating

networks of trusted for-profit service providers including banks, law, tax and accounting, and logistics

firms, and customs brokers by arming them with clear and standardized information and messaging

about export growth opportunities and resources. In addition to chambers and business service

providers, this tactic could focus on engaging county economic development officials, industry

associations, and CEO fellowship groups to build on trusted business relationships and influencer

networks for SMEs. With limited current marketing and outreach budget for export service providers,

this tactic can go a long way to help with overall awareness and increase the pipeline for SMEs seriously

considering exporting.

What Are Potential Actions for Greater Philadelphia?

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Hold briefings with key business organizations to engage with our export growth efforts and

encourage engagement of SMEs in their network

Crystallize and standardize messaging about export opportunities and resources across export

service providers, economic development, and business network organizations

Develop and circulate outreach materials for use by key business organizations

Produce a consolidated, easy-to-use map of export assistance resources for the plan’s release in

April

Develop new or strengthen existing web resources geared toward SMEs around export growth

opportunities and services

Enlist business network organizations to survey members about their export activity and interest

Questions for Consideration

How can we excite and educate targeted business networks about export opportunities and services

and foster information-sharing with the SMEs that they engage?

(How) will export service providers have the capacity to accommodate increased demand from SMEs?

Potential Metrics

Number of new firms entering the export service system; total demand for export services; number of

referrals to export services; participants in trade missions

TACTIC 2

Expanding export mentoring initiatives

Both exporting firms and export service providers tout the success of mentoring initiatives to engage

SMEs as they learn about and overcome early barriers to exporting. Several formal and informal export

mentoring program already exist in the region. This tactic would aim to scale and expand these efforts

to generate more peer-to-peer and large-to-small firm mentoring around expanding sales to

international markets. While managing such initiatives demands resources, they ultimately can expand

capacity within the region’s export support ecosystem by enlisting private sector leaders to provide

technical assistance and support to firms expanding into new markets.


Scale existing formal and informal export mentoring programs in the region

Focus on recruiting large manufacturing firms

Establish more peer-to-peer mentoring forums like the International Design and Engineering

Consortium and China Club

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How can we efficiently enlist and manage more peer and large firms to mentor SMEs?

Do we need to establish new programs or can we expand/build upon existing ones?

Potential Metrics

Number of firms serving as export mentors; number of firms being mentored

TACTIC 3

Increasing coverage of exports and spread of export success stories

With international trade and exports currently not held up as a consensus top economic development

and growth priority for the region, market assessment interviewees suggested focusing on broader

media engagement and business networks around exports messaging and communications. Many

interviewees repeated that firms get the most out of stories and examples of peer firms expanding into

international markets, pointing to the potential of a broader awareness-raising campaign. Major media

outlets can help to get out and amplify the stories of successful area exporters and broaden acceptance

of exports as a critical part of success in today’s business world. Producing a consistent stream of

success stories describing local companies and their experiences exporting can have a greater sustained

impact than communications focused solely around the metro export plan development and release.


One- or two-year media and partnership messaging campaign about the region’s export

economy and success stories, including newspaper stories, events, and web resources

Develop a repository of brief export success stories/case studies across key regional export

sectors

Include success stories in engagement of SMEs with potential export interest

Maximize coverage of Greater Philadelphia export market assessment and metro export plan


How can we sustain media coverage and attention to export success stories over time?

How can we encourage placement and promotion of export success stories among networked

business organizations?

Potential Metrics

Number of stories/media placements on exports and exporting firms; number of case studies produced

on exporting firms

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OTHER POTENTIAL TACTICS

Engaging foreign-born individuals and foreign-owned firms to identify firms with export or

export expansion potential

Engaging entrepreneurs and startups to think about international markets from the start

Helping threshold firms export to other regions within the US – both as an immediate growth

strategy and as a potential starting point to consider international markets

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

Per Brookings’ suggestion and the efforts of other GCI metros, we will highlight export growth priorities

that require change at the federal or state level in a policy memo that accompanies our metro export

plan. This approach will help bring together a shared policy agenda to foster an environment that

enables the Greater Philadelphia export plan to succeed and facilitate engagement of public and private

sector leaders around policy priorities.

One clear policy priority to support building export awareness and capacity among SMEs would be to

sustain and expand support for export service provider capacity. This would be critical to ensure

adequate resources for increased SME demand for services.

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Greater Philadelphia Metro Export Plan Elements

RATIONALE (Why are we doing a metro export plan?)

Persistently slow job growth has prompted Greater Philadelphia to focus on global business and export

strategies to expand its economy.

KEY FINDINGS (What did the market assessment tell us?)

1) Greater Philadelphia’s export economy is large and diverse, but its growth has been slow relative to

other metros.

2) Despite an overall decline in manufacturing, the region has maintained a competitive advantage in

several specialized goods-producing industries, including precision instruments, aircraft products and

parts, and medical equipment and supplies.

3) Greater Philadelphia has experienced recent export growth in leading service sectors, including research

and development, higher education, and software/IT, with potential for further expansion.

4) Many small- and mid-sized companies have limited awareness of their global growth potential or of

existing export services.

5) Greater Philadelphia has a comprehensive export support ecosystem, but some gaps and weak links

exist.

GOAL (What do we hope to ultimately accomplish?)

Accelerate regional job and revenue growth via a dynamic export economy

OBJECTIVES (What measurable outcomes will we achieve?)

Increase Greater Philadelphia’s export intensity to match or exceed the average for the top 100 US metros

within five years

Increase the number of identified new exporting firms in the region by 10 percent within five years

Elevate exports as a top-of-mind economic development priority among regional leaders within three

years

STRATEGIES (What will we do to achieve these objectives?)

Catalyze export growth for priority clusters

Build export awareness and capacity among the region’s SMEs

Strengthen and enhance coordination within Greater Philadelphia’s export support ecosystem

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Export StrategyE X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y

G L O B A L C I T I E S I N I T I AT I V E

WIIFM

What’s in it for me?

COMPANY GROWTH RATE

2005-2009

Exporter

37%Non

Exporter

-7%

ANNUAL REVENUESSmall/Mid-sized Enterprises

(SME) in 2009

Non Exporter Exporter

$3.8M

$1.5M

In Millions

$5M

Exporter

$1.2

$6M

Reve

nue

EBIT

DA

Valu

atio

n

Non Exporter

$5M

$1M

$4M

Reve

nue

EBIT

DA

Valu

atio

n

THE MULTIPLEMarket risk is lower for the Exporter

5X4X

Non Exporter Exporter

To export or not to export? That is the question. Here are six extraordinary reasons why companies who can export should do so... and should do so strategically, not serendipitously.

EXPORTERS ENJOY HIGHER REVENUES Companies that export get bigger faster. On average, revenues for exporters are more than twice as much as non-exporters.1

FASTER GROWTH Selling to multiple markets makes companies more resilient and they grow faster than non-exporters.2

STRONGER LABOR POOLIn addition to higher revenues per employee, exporters tend to enjoy higher margins on exported goods. This in turn allows exporters to pay their workers better than non-exporters and thereby gain access to a stronger labor pool.

HIGHER VALUATIONBy selling into multiple economies exporters reduce their market risk. With lower market risk and stronger margins they tend to enjoy higher valuation multiples.

Consider two similar companies with identical revenues, however, one exports while the other doesn’t. The exporter enjoys higher margins that yield a higher EBITDA. When the higher multiple is applied to the higher EBITDA, then the relative valuation of the company goes up significantly.

1 Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Characteristics and Performance, United States International Trade Commis-sion, Publication 4189, November 2010, Washington, DC,xii2 Ibid.3 Salomon, R. M. and Shaver, J. M. (2005), Learning by Exporting: New Insights from Examining Firm Innovation. Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, 14: 431–460. doi: 10.1111/j.1530-9134.2005.00047.x

4 Ibid. (Data for manufacturing SMEs are from the Commission’s questionnaire; data on services SMEs are from Census.)

PUBLISHED JANUARY 2015

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MORE PRODUCTIVITY PER EMPLOYEEEmployees of exporting companies appear to be far better at generating revenue. In 2009, exporters generated 72% more revenue per employee than non-exporters.4

EXPORTING SPURS INNOVATIONMany companies become more competitive after they begin exporting. Within two years of exporting, companies file seven times the number of patents and deliver four times the number of new products as compared to peers who do not export.3 As employees travel, they are exposed to more new knowledge, which the employees then turn into new ideas and products.

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5

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COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE FOR EXPORTERS

Two years after beginning to export

Product Innovation

Patents

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1Non

ExporterExporter

4

REVENUES PER EMPLOYEE2009

Non Exporter

Exporter

$163

,000

$281

,000

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WIIFU (What’s in it for us?)

Exports matter to the Milwaukee RegionThe Milwaukee region (M7), consisting of Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington, and Waukesha counties, boasts a rich history of innovation and exporting: the hallmarks of economic success. It is also a region where cooperation among companies, industry associations, governments, education institutions, social organizations and economic development organizations is treasured.

The M7 region is one of America’s top manufacturing centers. Exports over the past decade have become crucial to sustaining economic health in the region and today manufactured goods account for 82% of total exports.

From 2003 to 2012, the seven-county region saw a flat economy producing just under $100 Billion in output with a workforce of nearly one million people.1

COMPETITIVENESS IS THE MAINSTAYFor the region as a whole, from 2003-2012, domestic GDP declined 6% while the nation’s total domestic GDP grew (1.8% annually). Across most industries in the M7 region, domestic GDP growth has fallen below the national average over the past decade.1 This is an indicator of a shortfall in the region’s competitiveness.

Today, the region is at an economic crossroads. Rebuilding market share is the key economic imperative for the region. In a global economy it is critical that tradable industries in the region be competitive both domestically and internationally or they’ll fail to thrive against the global competition. As part of that strategy, exports will play the key role of providing early stage growth into the economy. The good news for M7 is that the export opportunity is substantial.

A GLOBAL CUSTOMER OPPORTUNITYOver the past few decades there has been a significant shift in market opportunity, away from domestic sales and toward international sales. The biggest opportunity is to tap aggressively into that non-U.S.A. market.

OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE BALANCECanada and Mexico represent 40% of Milwaukee 7’s current exports. This is a typical pattern for metropolitan regions in the U.S. Combined, Canada and Mexico account for just 4.2% of global GDP. This disproportion suggests the region has significant export growth opportunities beyond Canada and Mexico.

MORE COUNTRIESIn surveying regional companies, on average, they export to only a handful of countries. An obvious strategy is to increase the number of countries to which regional companies export.

ENGAGING MORE COMPANIES IN INTERNATIONAL SALESThe vast majority of exporters and potential exporters fall into the Small/Mid-Sized Enterprises (SME) category.2 The total number of companies in tradable industries in the region is estimated to be between 7,500 and 15,000 companies.3 However, only about 2,500 of these SMEs currently export. For every company that exports there are two more who could, but don’t.

1 U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Interactive Data2 SME is defined as having fewer than 500 employees3 The split between tradable and local industries is difficult to estimate. The two numbers used here and are the high and low proportions, which are only estimates based on GDP and employment.

50% of companies export less than $1M to an average of 3 markets

25% of companies export $1M-$100M to an average of 5 markets

25% of companies export more than $100M to an average of 8 markets

72.7%78.9% 81.4% 83.8%

1950 1980 2008 2013

SHARE OF GLOBAL GDP

27.3%21.1%

18.6% 16.2%

NON-U.S. SHARE

U.S. SHARE

M7 REGION

A decline in domestic output is offset by

STRONG EXPORT GROWTH

20122003

$85,529M

$10,528M

$80,690M

$15,308M Exports

Non Exports

*Brookings Export Nation, 2012

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Success in business is about identifying and overcoming obstacles. When it comes to exporting, the challenges change as companies gain experience. Depending upon where they are on the export experience continuum, companies will face different obstacles (below).

COGNITIVE HURDLESCompanies in tradable sectors who do not yet export typically face cognitive obstacles. Company leaders frequently express sentiments like, “We don’t know anything about exporting, including how to get started,” or “Right now we have too much domestic opportunity to worry about exporting,” or “Getting into exporting seems risky and expensive.”

These sound like reasonable objections until they are compared to the upside. The objection that “we have too much domestic opportunity right now...” is short sighted. Unfortunately, in the region numerous companies who focused only on domestic sales were unable to weather the 2007-09 recession and no longer exist, while their competitors who did export survived the recession and are now thriving.

The obstacles are not as significant as they first seem. In our region, more than 2,500 small/mid-sized companies have already overcome these obstacles and today are participating in the export market successfully.

PROCESS HURDLESIn a 2014 exporting survey conducted by Milwaukee 7, respondents who already do some exporting or are active exporters pointed to process-related hurdles including: finding a partner they could trust, getting good market intelligence, handling foreign regulation, and protecting their intellectual property as their greatest obstacles. Nationally, SME firms identify financing issues as being the main hurdles; obtaining financial resources to support the export activity; covering transportation costs; and dealing with high tariffs.

POLICY HURDLESLarger companies focus more attention on policy-related hurdles, including trade agreements, tax laws, regulatory bilateral agreements and standards of all kinds.

STRATEGIC FOCUSA strategy works if its tactics deliver against the identified opportunity. The tactics also must create a road map for overcoming hurdles along the way. The Milwaukee 7 region enjoys a well developed and highly cooperative set of resources that can address almost all the cognitive and process hurdles. M7 can help educate companies and reduce fear of the unknown.

GOALWhile external factors such as the strength of the U.S. dollar impact the speed that a strategy will impact exports, this initiative seeks to double exports for the Milwaukee 7 region as quickly as possible by pushing hard to maximize the potential of companies in the region. A significant growth in exports will help:• Fund growth while companies drive for innovation; and• Create new ideas as a result of exposure to new environments.

Both outcomes help address the broader goal of increasing competitiveness in the region.

OBJECTIVES• Double the export impact of SMEs in the region, i.e. increase the

number of SMEs that export and increase the number of markets SMEs export to.

• Increase the number of countries larger firms export to. Encourage larger firms to bring their regional suppliers along with them to export markets.

• Increase the sense of global engagement across the community. Today 41% of CEOs see global engagement as crucial to the economy; the goal is to increase that to 67% of CEOs having that perspective.

It’s about overcoming obstacles

NonExporter

Passive Exporter

ActiveExporter

International Company

COGNITIVE PROCESS POLICY

Lack of time and resources Finding a trusted partner Trade agreements

Perception of increase risk Market intelligence Tax laws

Fear of the unknown Handling foreign regulations

Lack of knowledge Protecting IP

TRADE VIABLE COMPANIES

Regulatory bilateralagreements

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ARE YOU READY TO GET GOING? -- THE 80/20 RULEIf you are selling domestically, then you already know and do 80% of what it takes to export. The 20% of new knowledge is only ‘new’ the first time you export; after that, navigating international sales is far easier. The good news is there are many resources available to help.

RESOURCESStart by visiting the M7’s online export roadmap tool at export.yonyx.com (currently under construction) or call Bill Burnett at (414) 287-4118. Otherwise, start with your local Economic Development Office. Additional expertise is available from our partner organizations:

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation provides a wide variety of exporting resources including online tools, trade ventures, market intelligence, and partners with the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership to deliver the nation’s number one ExporTech™ program.

The Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership offers ExporTech™, an export acceleration program that focuses on CEO/top management success factors and aims to provide companies with early export success at a reduced risk through targeted export strategy development and execution.

MMAC’s World Trade Association links companies and individuals with the common interest in expanding their international business and is full of exporters and service providers eager to help companies navigate international sales successfully.

The U.S. Department of Commerce U.S. Export Assistance Center is dedicated to helping SMEs develop international markets through a network of offices domestically and in 82 countries around the world. The expert staff of International Trade Specialists will help you: create a market entry strategy; identify and evaluate potential international partners; navigate the international documentation challenges; and provide you with other export related guidance.

About the Global Cities InitiativeThe Global Cities Initiative is a five-year project that aims to help leaders in U.S. metropolitan areas reorient their economies toward greater engagement in world markets. Launched in Los Angeles in March 2012, the Global Cities Initiative is a five-year project of Brookings and JPMorgan Chase aimed at helping the leaders of metropolitan America strengthen their regional economies by becoming more competitive in the global marketplace.

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StrategiesCatalyze export engagement by small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs)Convincing SME companies to strategically grow exports is a challenge and opportunity. CEOs are most influenced by fellow CEOs. We will recruit CEO “Export Champions,” help them tell their success stories and provide forums for them to motivate other CEOs to make exporting a core business strategy. Elements of this strategy include promoting: • The extraordinary business impacts of exporting • Personalized CEO experiences highlighting business success, and the personal

meaning of global engagement to the CEO and his or her team members• The “how to” guide for initial steps into exporting including the breadth

of resources available

Help companies navigate the exporting processTo help companies overcome the lack of knowledge, the M7 Export Team will serve as a hub that will:• Create a step-by-step guide, starting with an export assessment,

to help companies easily enter and navigate the system • Provide regional facilitation so companies can access the right public

and private services and resources (at right) • Assist WEDC in launching a pilot to help a set of mid- to large-size,

under-exporting, companies access new markets

Use the region’s commercial strengths to expand and intensify export engagement • Work with cluster, trade, economic development and niche industry groups

to catalyze their constituent companies to leverage ExporTech™, technical college export training, the U.S. Export Assistance Center, and the WEDC’s market intelligence services

• Provide facilitation, case management and trade venture support, working in conjunction with commercial support organizations

Create a strong local export culture

• Utilize public relations to promote export success stories and international experiences through media features, events, social media and one-on-one meetings

• Promote educational opportunities, export-focused events, upcoming trade missions, and other related activities, working with partners and stakeholders

• Engage local colleges and universities, cluster and industry organizations, and economic development offices and other organizations to promote international engagement

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MINNEAPOLIS-SAINT PAUL EXPORT TRAINING PROGRAM MENUEXPORT EDUCATION RESOURCES

MENU OF EXPORT SERVICES

STATE

Minnesota Trade Office MTO 651-259-7498 www.exportminnesota.com

Minnesota Department of Agriculture MDA 651-201-6220 www.mda.state.mn.us/international

Center for International Business Education and Research (University of Minnesota)

CIBER 612-626-4423 www.carlsonschool.umn.edu/ciber

Midwest Global Trade Association MGTA 651-290-7482 www.mgta.org

FEDERAL

U.S. Commercial Service Minnesota USCS 612-348-1638 www.export.gov/Minnesota

U.S. Small Business Administration SBA 612-348-1642 www.sba.gov

Export-Import Bank of the United States EXIM 612-348-1213 www.exim.gov

BASICS OF EXPORTING PREPARING AN EXPORT PLAN AND COACHING EXPORT COMPLIANCE AND LOGISTICS

» Export Process: An Introduction to Exporting (MTO)

» International Market Research (MTO)

» International Trade Resources (MTO)

» Export by Design (comprehensive plan development with coaching by MTO)

» Export Plan “Light” (condensed plan development – MTO)

» An Export Transaction: From the Order to Out the Door (MTO & MGTA)

» Export Management System (MTO & MGTA)

» NAFTA: Completing the Certificate of Origin (MTO)

» CE Marking (MTO)

» Incoterms (MGTA)

INTERNATIONAL FINANCE AND PAYMENT LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

» Export Finance and Methods of Payment (SBA, EXIM Bank)

» STEP Grant (MTO) – Export assistance/grants for eligible SME’s

» Consulting by the Export Legal Assistance Network (ELAN) for New to Export Companies www.exportlegal.org

» Food Export Advisor Program (MDA and Food Export-Midwest)

» Exporting 101 for Food/Ag Companies (MDA)

INTERNATIONAL SALES AND MARKETING STATE TRADE EXPORT PROMOTION INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CULTURE AND ETIQUETTE COUNTRY MARKET AND SECTOR EVENTS (MTO)

» Finding and Motivating the Right Foreign Business Partner (MTO)

» International Market Research (MTO)

» Global Road Warrior (access through MTO) www.globalroadwarrior.com

» Executive Planet www.executiveplanet.com

» Culture Grams (access via public library system) www.culturegrams.com

» Geert-Hofstede www.geert-hofstede.com

» China Practicum

» India Practicum

» Latin America Breakfast Series

» Middle East/Africa Roundtables

» Water Roundtable

» Environment Roundtable

This Menu identifies core export training programs and is not a comprehensive list of events. Please visit the MTO Calendar of Events for more information: www.exportminnesota.com

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MINNESOTA EXPORT RESOURCESGETTING STARTED (COMPANIES NEW TO EXPORTING)Minnesota SCORE» Free One-on-One business planning assistance from volunteer experts.

Minneapolis: Tel: (952) 938-4570-www.minneapolis.score.org/ St. Paul: Tel: (651) 632-8937 -www.stpaul.score.org/ South Metro: Tel: (952) 890-7020 - www.southmetro.score.org/

Small Business Development Center (St. Thomas –Twin Cities)» The Small Business Development Center matches small businesses currently in operation with experienced consultants

who provide these services: business planning, market research, financial planning and analysis, debt and equity financing, new product development, and other aspects of business development. No charges to the client. Tel: (651) 962-4500 -www.stthomas.edu/sbdc

EXPORT EDUCATIONMetro calendar of export events www.exportminnesota.com

EXPORT QUESTIONS AND INFORMATION Minnesota Trade Office » This office offers companies the information, skills, resources, and contacts they need to successfully export

goods and services worldwide. The STEP program provides financial and technical assistance to qualifying Minnesota small businesses interested in exporting products or services to foreign markets. Tel: (651) 259-7498 -www.exportminnesota.com

U.S. Commercial Service Minnesota » The U.S. Commercial Service is the local federal government office with a global network that provides customized

solutions that enable Minnesota companies to sell U.S. made products and services internationally. The U.S. Commercial Service provides trade counseling, market intelligence, business matchmaking and commercial diplomacy by leveraging our global network and proven trade expertise to meet companies’ exporting needs. Tel: (612) 348-1638 -www.export.gov/Minnesota

Minnesota Department of Agriculture » The Minnesota Department of Agriculture works to discover and develop potential markets for Minnesota’s farmers and

agribusinesses. We provide assistance to individuals and businesses in evaluating foreign market entry methods, understanding and obtaining regulatory requirements, finding qualified buyers, understanding logistics, and locating financing options and market promotion funds. Christina Connelly Tel: (651)201-6220 -www.mda.state.mn.us

EXPORT FINANCING Export-Import Bank of the United States » The Export-Import Bank is an excellent resource for small businesses interested in entering foreign markets.

The Export-Import Bank provides small businesses with export credit insurance, working capital loan guarantees, and foreign buyer financing. Denis Griffin Tel: (612) 348-1213 -www.exim.gov

Small Business Administration Office of International Trade: Minnesota District » The SBA offers Trade Finance Programs that assist small exporters in obtaining: loans to finance general export expenses,

lines of credit to finance the cost of filling foreign purchase orders, lines of credit to finance export accounts receivable and export inventory, term loans to purchase equipment and land (in the U.S.) to support export sales. Carlos Sosa Tel: (612) 348-1642 -www.sba.gov 15

Greater Philadelphia Metro Export Plan SME Capacity and...

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