A global expansion hike with the Small Business Administration’s Senior International Trade Specialist, Stephen Sullivan
Today started out like every other day, just looking for a nice place to breathe some fresh air with some good company. As I headed through Maryland I called up my friend Stephen Sullivan for some tips on local hikes. After dropping some not-so-subtle hints, he invited me on a hike for some socially-distanced, mask-wearing quality time at one of his favorite get-aways, Patapsco State Park in Maryland.
Small Business Government Export Services
Now, I couldn’t help myself. After a few short minutes, we started talking shop. With my tripod on my back, it was hard to resist the opportunity to share with you some of the resources his office provides to small businesses across the United States. You see, Stephen Sullivan is a Senior International Trade Specialist at the Small Business Administration’s Office of International Trade.
I know, you didn’t even know they exist. What do they do? They build out services that support small businesses across the country in their global expansion. So this is for all of you!
How do they do this?
They have programs like the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP). This is a grant that is distributed to most of the States in the U.S. per their application for you to use to do things like:
optimize your website for cross-border engagement
run a cross-border digital marketing campaign
update your labeling to meet target market requirements
re-tool your machinery
register your IP
attend a trade show
Each state has different requirements and criteria so check out this page to learn more.
A thoughtful shout-out to USG/SBA and Stephen
Now, before you watch the video, unless you already have, I want to take a moment of pause to recognize that our government is working hard to build tools for recovery. And the resources that exist are often little kept secrets mainly because they aren’t encouraged to spend a lot of tax-payer money on marketing. So it’s up to you to find them.
Stephen Sullivan is one of the most earnest and passionate global enthusiasts I know. He has traveled the world and is constantly looking for opportunities to empower U.S. small businesses to go global. He is yet another hidden gem in the government support eco-system. It’s up to you to take advantage of what his office has to offer.
Stay local, Go Global. This is Vanbassador.
