Going global: local resources help businesses take the plunge overseas.

• Author: Kinder, Peri
• Position: International Business

Looking to sell drapes in Japan or chocolate chip cookies in Finland? Hoping to import gears for engines or lemongrass for your restaurant? Where do you start at going global? Luckily, many enterprising business owners in Utah have experienced the growing pains incurred with global trade and are willing to share their knowledge.

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Dave Martin, owner and one of the original founders of Martin Doors, traveled to Taiwan hoping to find a reliable manufacturer for sectional garage door components. He walked into an office and in faltering Chinese asked if anyone spoke English. That was more than 20 years ago and marked the start of an international relationship that has grown to include 87 countries.

"First you do some importing and learn from importing," suggests Keith Martin, Martin Doors director of international sales. "You'll learn how to clear customs, how to import. We knew nothing about international trade. We definitely learned the hard way."

International trade in Utah is big business. Merchandise exports from Utah topped more than $10 billion in 2008 and should exceed that number in 2009. With Internet sales, more Utah companies have the opportunity to send products to other countries than ever before. But navigating complicated tax laws, import rules and customs documents can be daunting.

More than 2,200 Utah companies export internationally, primarily dealing with metals such as copper and gold. But during 2008, local high-tech companies doubled their export value from $1 billion to $2 billion. Transportation equipment along with mining equipment made up another 13 percent of the state's export numbers.

The First Step

So do you think your business is ready to take a global leap? There are many resources available to help you find out.

The World Trade Center Utah (WTCU) is a support organization created to assist business leaders as they enter the worldwide market. WTCU conducts assessments to help companies determine their level of readiness to be internationally competitive.

The center also assists Utah companies in developing profitable international market relationships. Since 2006, more than 1,000 Utah companies have utilized WTCU whether by attending seminars, keeping up-to-date on international business developments or taking part in a variety of networking opportunities.

Elizabeth Goryunova, executive vice president and COO of WTCU, says the assessment process at WTCU helps weed out companies who might not be completely ready for the transition but also helps them find ways to get ready for future endeavors.

"The first sign a company is ready to trade globally is they have a strategy put together and resources...