[I covered a Brooklyn EXPORT event because my local family members are—surprisingly?!—deep in international business. AND—like them (art jewelers)—New York City 3D-Printing-driven artisans, makers and small businesses are all inherently export-ready. I video’d the event—view it HERE now—to showcase the tools of the (international) trade for all would-be Gotham exporters: including 3DPers.]
[Here's a second way to access the video...]
Four Fed Trade-Related Agencies, One City FTZ Exec & An International Banker Showcase Their Export-Support Tools Of Choice
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York wants you to export more—and more profitably. Yes, that’s YOU, too, Small Biz—so listen up!
Some of Chairman Ben Bernanke’s Band of NY Fed Bankers and Economists apparently importuned the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce into partnering with the local Fed. (That is if “local” could ever really apply to this globally powerful conflation of hyper-strategic bankers in the Financial Capital of the world.)
Partnering on what—you well may ask?!? Well…into co-hosting an export-success breakfast panel entitled “Global Access Forum.” This may have been the ultimate expression of noblesse-oblige wholesale going gritty, Nabes-based retail. Who knew?!
The Fed has two mandates. On one it is over-delivering. On the other, failing miserably. The former directive is controlling inflation. The latter is fostering jobs. Inflation barely has a heartbeat. And, no one cares. But, jobs creation died in 2008. And, everyone is still in mourning. Yet, the Fed acts like an undertaker in an epidemic. Lots of sympathy, but no action for all those dying American Dreams.
The Chamber—Long-Time Home of “Brooklyn Goes Global”—Hosts An Export Forum
The Fed’s attention—I suspect—sufficiently seduced the (incredulous?) Chamber. What local economic development organization wouldn’t be flattered by such attention. So, the Chamber put out the Export-Forum word, put up the banners and put out the Welcome Mat at the Brooklyn Public Library’s mothership “Libs” on Grand Army Plaza on 30 May.
(Carlo Scisurra’s new-model Chamber is nothing if not omni-opportunist in trying every mode of engagement with its present and prospective Brooklyn membership. Hey, BCC’s numbers are way up. Innovation in a formerly sclerotic institution furthers! Flatline is a great baseline to build on: it’s all betterment.)
The Forum audience topped in at 25, half of which were area bankers of the really local variety. From my close-up experience with promoting successful exporting, 25 small-business people—even if half of these were international-business professionals or service providers to export—is not a bad turn-out for international business. No, really…
America’s Reluctant-Exporter Wallflowers Are Pulled Out On The International Dance-Floor…
In past times, it has been just plain hard to get American small businesses involved in exporting. Most U.S. micro-enterprises have been quite happy to work there local, regional or national markets—and successfully so.
Prior to the advent of (1) the PC, (2) the Internet and (3) Social Media, it was always easier, quicker and cheaper to stay “home” in America.
Why? Unified markets in social, legal, financial, linguistic, business models and custom. This last as in the sense of common, mutual and agreed-up ways of transacting with confidence in a commercial relationship.
NOW, however, startups and younger entrepreneurs—especially in Tech-Capital Brooklyn—enjoy the power of those three terrific (and unintentional) tools of international business: Personal Computers, the Web and Social Media. These digital implements deliver commerce-functional capabilities across vastnesses, via worldwide connectivity and through networks of interconnected people—ALL without regard for boundaries of nations, distance or time.
The World Wide Web Has Made International Markets Effectively “Local”
In fact—with the advent of Internet penetration around the globe—many, many small and local U.S. enterprises have gained the capability to engage in exporting. AND—because of the inherent educating empowerment of the World Wide Web—foreign buyers have learned how to work with American exporters. Some of these U.S. suppliers were “shy traders”—almost forced to go global by insistent pressure from foreign would-be customers and clients.
Online international buyers have found American providers when the American providers did NOT necessarily wish to be found—and were subsequently dragooned into exporting.
Even those U.S. businesses that need to ship physical goods now have multiple choices for international deliveries by global carriers who will—conveniently and expeditiously—pick-up at their door. The very-effective logistics systems of these transport channels assure full tracking and tender care to almost any destination in the world.
I’m delighted to see the mostly D2IY (Digital Do It Yourself—another empowering manifestation of the latest in computing, online and networked integration) expansion of American firms and small businesses into international markets.
DUMBO-Based, Ultra-Urban Art Jewelers Eschew San Fran For Shanghai
Why am I paying attention? As an export-focused consultant, columnist and author, I created the long-running Brooklyn Goes Global program and BITEC (Brooklyn Information Technology Export Consortium) for the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. I also served as the President of NEXCO (the National Association of Export Companies) for seven years. AND, now my daughter and son-in-law are very successful jewelry-artist exporters out of Brooklyn!
Now, New York small businesses and startups can make international markets into lucrative new territories for their services and goods—from the very nativity of their enterprises or as they ramp-up or decide to “go global” after years of domestic success. Our new Gotham exporters may get into global markets willy nilly—BUT they should avail themselves of the government and institutional support services that are designed to help them succeed in exporting.
The five export services represented on the panel at 30 May’s “Global Access Forum” have a great deal of real-world and worldwide knowledge, expertise, contacts and export-assistance systems to offer you. So, Gotham Small Biz, grok ‘em, glom ‘em and go global! Hey, even the Fed says so…
C’mon Back!
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