How to begin?

Evaluate your company’s export potential.

• Complete this short questionnaire to help assess your company’s export readiness and identify the areas your business needs to strengthen:  http://hq-intranet04.ita.doc.gov/bid/export_questionnaire.asp 
• Find information on “Export Basics,” understand what you need to consider before pursuing an international sales strategy: http://www.export.gov/static/doc_exp_001602.asp.
• Export-ready companies can access export information, relevant forms, market research libraries, and a potential partner search for : http://www.exportassistance.com/.

Who will help?

There are various local resources available to help your company get ready to export. 

• SCORE - Counselors to America’s Small Business – Offers free assistance from successful, retired executives that will help you develop a business plan http://www.score.org/index.html.  Contact your local Chicago office at (312) 353-7724.
• SBA - Small Business Administration – Offers aid and protection to help your business start, grow, and succeed http://www.sba.gov/.  Discover how to manage your business, expand your business with programs and services, increase your knowledge and productivity, and support your business with a team of experts.  Contact your local Chicago office; John Nevell (312) 353-8065.
• WBDC - Women's Business Development Center in Chicago, IL - A nationally and internationally recognized not-for-profit organization established in 1986 to work with women to launch new businesses and strengthen existing businesses in the Chicago area. WBDC services are available in Spanish and English, and include business assessments, loan packaging, public and private sector procurement assistance, classes/workshops, and individualized counseling on all aspects of business development, management, and strategy. In addition, the WBDC offers a nationally recognized certification for Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) and is active in advocacy issues related to women-owned businesses on the local, state, and federal levels.  www.wbdc.org 
• Illinois SBDC International Trade Centers - Small Business Development Center ITC trade specialists can:  Assess export readiness and foreign market potential for new-to-export firms; Conduct one-on-one counseling and educational seminars on international trade and NAFTA issues; Evaluate key overseas opportunities and identify buyers, agents and distributors; Supply potential exporters with trade reference material; Locate financial assistance for export ventures; Serve as local liaison to the ITO and other government export resources.  Illinois ITC locations International Trade Center (128KB).
• TIC - Trade Information Center in Washington D.C. Call to reach a trade specialists at, 1-800-USA-TRADE.  Get help with foreign tariff and fee information, schedule B numbers, etc. http://www.export.gov/exportbasics/ticredirect.asp  

Where to export?

• Find National and State import/export statistics for your product or service at http://tse.export.gov/. 

• You will need a number to classify your product.  The Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) assigns a number to each product that is traded internatinonally.  The United States does this with its Scheduled B System.  Learn more about the system and find out your product’s number http://www.export.gov/logistics/exp_logistics_schedule_b.asp.

• Identify potential key foreign markets for your products.  Discover the best prospects for success in our Market Research Report Library. Do your homework; plan your market entry the right way.  Reports written by US Dept of Commerce Commercial Specialists all over the world.  Learn your product’s potential in a given market: http://www.export.gov/static/doc_exp_mr_getting_started.asp.

• Export Yellow Pages  Finding new buyers, sellers and suppliers for your company's products, services, and materials has never been easier. The Export Yellow Pages, which contains comprehensive U.S. business product and supplier information, is designed to promote and connect small and medium-sized companies, solve language barriers, improve market visibility, simplify sales sourcing, and provide you with the very best of global trade resources in a single location http://www.exportyellowpages.com/.

What License?

A relatively small percentage of total U.S. exports and reexports require a special export license from BIS. License requirements are dependent upon an item's technical characteristics, the destination, the end-user, and the end-use. You, as the exporter, must determine whether your export requires a license.  For more information please visit, https://www.bis.doc.gov/licensing/exportingbasics.htm.