Rural America’s Intelligence Service for Exporters is sponsoring an online event that seeks to supply small American entrepreneurs aspiring to take their products overseas with the critical knowledge they need to do business in a whole new marketplace. The webinar, titled “International Market Intelligence for Rural Exporters,” is scheduled for May 20, according to an announcement on Eventbrite.
RAISE, an office under the U.S. Commercial Sevice, said that insufficient market research can result in poor decisions on market selection, pricing strategies as well as partner selection and vetting, among other possible stumbling blocks that could befall would-be exporters.
RAISE said that the webinar seeks to address rural exporters’ lack of market information by offering customized country and industry-specific research. High on its list of objectives is helping entrepreneurs identify and prioritize top markets for their products.
The virtual event’s organizer also seeks to help potential exporters identify the top trade shows and conferences to promote their products. Attendees can also expect to learn more about the competitive environment within the foreign markets they seek to penetrate.
The webinar will also introduce fledgling exporters to the various government assistance and funding programs that can help their rural businesses succeed in the highly-competitive international markets, RAISE said. Funding support is seen to be particularly helpful amid mounting competition from other countries targeting a larger stake in the world’s export market.
RAISE said it was established specifically to assist companies located in areas with a population of fewer than 150,000 residents or 60 miles outside of a metropolitan area. It aims to provide rural companies in America with one-on-one market intelligence as well as impart customized industry-specific insights and contacts.