Selling products outside the U.S. may seem daunting, but it’s often easier – and more profitable – than small business owners think.

Joe Humphreys

The University of Houston-Victoria Small Business Development Center will present an international trade workshop on July 27 to show why small businesses should consider expanding beyond their domestic markets.

The Case for Exporting will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the SBDC’s new location on the fourth floor of Victoria Tower, 1908 N. Laurent St. The workshop is free and open to the public.

“Exporting opens up new markets and presents new possibilities,” UHV SBDC Director Joe Humphreys said. “This presentation will lay out a strong case for selling products outside the country and explain what resources are available to assist.”

Jorge Sanchez Jr.

Jorge Sanchez Jr., an international business advisor for the International Trade Center at the University of Texas at San Antonio, will present the workshop. The center is a trade assistance organization that helps companies grow their business through trade consulting, market research and training programs.

Sanchez said some small businesses he’s worked with didn’t originally realize the potential of exporting.

“They were so focused on the domestic market, they hadn’t given any thought to whether the product could be useful outside the country,” Sanchez said. “We’ve had cases where business owners were reluctant to enter the international market because of the perceived regulations, foreign languages and different business cultures and customs.”

Sanchez will share client success stories and demonstrate how the International Trade Center can assist small business exporters.

“Exporting can help offset risk and fluctuations from the local economy,” Sanchez said. “It allows business owners to gain a market awareness about what’s going on in the world. We also have noticed that small business exporters tend to have faster growth and higher profits. International customers typically request larger shipments because of longer distances.”

To register for the workshop, contact the UHV SBDC at 361-485-4485, 877-895-7232 or sbdc@uhv.edu. Participants also can sign up through the SBDC website at www.uhvsbdc.com.

The UHV SBDC is part of a nationwide small business assistance program that serves the small business community in partnership with federal, state and local governments. The center offers business advising, training and technical assistance to existing and start-up businesses in an 11-county area.