Is exporting a good idea?
 |
Dick Larman,
Executive Director |
My first understanding of exporting products came from a fourth-grade field trip to US Plywood in Gold Beach, Oregon. All I knew was that people were building things far away with the finished plywood that was leaving on trucks. My family moved to Alaska for my high school years, where I worked in a variety of seafood canneries. We either canned or froze thousands of tons of salmon, shrimp, three kinds of crab and halibut. These too, were shipped away to parts unknown.
So, while I had a basic understanding that people need to build houses and have a delicious seafood meal, I did not understand that exporting is, by far, the best way to support a local economy. Lots and lots of jobs are related to not just the processing of wood or seafood. There are a host of freight, finance, marketing, accounting, and legal jobs. This is the stuff of a great economy.
Worldwide 95% of business is outside of the United States. That means if we are only selling products domestically, we are not part of 95% of the market. So, to export is to sell more to a broader market and to minimize risk of losing the 5% domestic market. The two big questions companies have about exporting are usually centered on logistics and finance. These two questions, as it turns out are not the key questions to success in export markets. The key questions are about your businesses commitment to export; in-depth experience with the product or service; adequate cash flow; and the capacity and capability to produce for a new market.
The conditions that are not critical for export success may seem strange (and I'll explain). You don't need international expertise; you don't need a foreign language; you don't need to travel. This short list is to make you aware that there is an enormous amount of expertise and help for you if you are committed to exporting.
Part of the reason there is so much of this expertise available to us is that while about 1% of USA companies are actively exporting, more than 4% of Washington companies are involved with export markets. In short, we have a sweet spot for exporting. And, as it turns out, most of our exporting comes from small business. We are all aware of the big export generators, Boeing, Microsoft, Starbucks and the like, but behind them are a host of small businesses exporting a dazzling array of products.
Our partnership with the Small Business Development Centers, the Impact Washington group, and the state Department of Commerce (all have export experts on staff) are all working to bring more education and resources to the local area. Be sure to watch for more notifications of local workshops.
I recently read an article about a house that was built and furnished with all products being made exclusively in the USA. Their point was that it is still possible to do that without too much extra effort, and that we should (and I agree) support our neighbors and their businesses as much as possible in this economy. My point is that I would also like to visit foreign lands and find many products that sport the label "Made in the USA", or better, "Made in Lewis County, Washington".
