Finding international customers

The U.S. Commercial Service (CS), a division of the Commerce Department, has a mandate to help U.S. small businesses sell their goods and services worldwide. The CS has offices throughout the U.S. and in most business centers throughout the world.

The CS website, www.export.gov (see Jim's Picks), contains tutorials on the basics of exporting, market research, sales leads, lists of events where you can find buyers, contact information for local offices, and much more.

You can also call 1-800-USA-TRADE and get advice from international trade specialists who are employees of the Commercial Service.