Putting a local product on a global sales platform can seem like an impossible task.

The University of Houston-Victoria Small Business Development Center will make that task easier when it hosts a “Global Exporting Essentials” workshop from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 12 at the UHV SBDC, 3402 N. Ben Wilson St. The workshop is free, and participants do not have to be SBDC clients.

The two workshop presenters are versed in international trade and have helped Texas small businesses expand their presence around the globe.

Berenice Carmona Photo provided courtesy of Gogo Photography

Presenter Berenice Carmona is a senior international business consultant at the International Trade Center based at University of Texas-San Antonio. The bilingual, bicultural Carmona has worked and lived in the U.S. and Mexico.

“This workshop will benefit those individuals and business owners interested in getting started in global trade,” Carmona said. “It will cover the mechanics of selling products globally, from how to develop an export strategy, to product classification methods.”

Daniel Rodriguez, who also will speak at the workshop, is the director of the San Antonio office of the U.S. Commercial Service, the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. The U.S. Commercialization Service is located across the U.S. and in the nation’s embassies and consulates in nearly 80 countries.

“Whether you are a U.S. company looking to make your first export sale or expand to additional markets, or if you are an international company looking to purchase products and services from the U.S. or find additional U.S. suppliers, we offer the expertise you need to connect with lucrative opportunities,” Rodriguez said.

Topics to be covered include:

Joe Humphreys

• Reasons for going global
• The role of small businesses in trade
• Developing an export
• International risks
• Common mistakes
• Classification method
• Complying with U.S. export regulations
• Export resources

“This will be a good primer for entrepreneurs wishing to look beyond the region, state or even nation for their product boundaries,” said Joe Humphreys, UHV SBDC interim director.

For more information about the workshop, email sbdc@uhv.edu or call 361-485-4485.

The event is a partnership between the UHV SBDC, UHV School of Business Administration, Victoria Chamber of Commerce and the Institute for Economic Development International Trade Center.