Debunking the five myths of global expansion: it can be daunting for a small business to consider opening up markets overseas. But with the growth of the internet, almost anyone can be an international company.

• Author: Tobin, Michael
• Position: Global business

A local store that sells and trades baseball cards creates a website that accepts and fulfills orders online from customers. Instantly, it's a global business.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

If only global expansion were truly so easy. Certainly, this example is technically "global," but not in the sense most business people would use it, where suppliers and commercial buyers are involved. Indeed, many small businesses are virtually paralyzed by the thought of going global. Some believe it's too risky or complicated because of different languages, cultures and business practices.

Yet those barriers are dissolving with every passing year. As Thomas L. Friedman, the columnist for The New York Times, notes in his book, The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, the economic playing field around the world is being leveled, making the world flat.

Friedman examines the changes brought on by improvements in communication and technology and how those changes are opening up the world of commerce to players of all sizes. In the book, he lists 10 "flatteners" that are enabling companies worldwide--regardless of size or location--to compete anywhere. One of his "flatteners" is the rise of the Internet.

Practically speaking, expansion doesn't mean a company has to build a plant in another country or open a store in a foreign city. Expansion merely means companies need to do business with customers in new locations, and the rise of technology helps make this possible.

Nevertheless, expansion can be daunting, especially for those who believe any of the following five myths about going global:

MYTH 1: "I Don't Have the Money to Fund the Expansion." Many small businesses believe they can't go global because they don't have access to the necessary funds and resources. It's true that most small businesses must look around for support, but if a small business has the capital to support its domestic business, it likely has the means--or access to the means--to go international.

Moreover, "going global" doesn't mean doing it alone. There are a number of financing options available, including the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank), U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Business & Industry loan program.

Organizations like the SBA offer export information and development assistance to help U.S.-based small businesses take advantage of export markets, including trade counseling...