Full House at "Business Travel Roundtable"

Posted by Hannah Copenheaver
WTC Intern

Our Business Travel Roundtable was held in the morning of Friday, February 22^nd at the WTC Offices. The discussion was part of our Global Trade Topics Roundtable Series and focused on international business travel experiences. WTC members Kim Willing (HydroWorx) and Adam Say (RoomMates- a division of York Wallcoverings) lead the roundtable, along with Dr. Debra Bell from Wellspan. In fact, it was a full house!

The numerous topics discussed included everything from cultural customs to health issues that are associated with traveling. Great advice was given by all who attended and there were many stories shared. We all learned something new from our colleagues, whether it was how to build friendships or being mindful of verbal differences in legal contracts.

The roundtable also brought up some good travel tips. Everyone had something that they contributed to the discussion and I have listed some of them below.

Before You Go…  

-          Current Travel Warnings. Your first step should be to check the US Department of State’s Current Travel Warnings. If the country you are about to visit is listed, it is recommended you avoid or consider the risk of traveling to that country. A warning is issued when long term, protracted conditions make that country unstable or when an embassy or consulate closed and the government’s ability to assist American citizens is constrained.

-          Remember to check the CDC’s website. The CDC will give you specific medical information for each country in their travel section. Carry those medications on you and take them as directed.

-          Check out the Country Commercial Guides. The US Department of Commerce’s website includes a market research section. There you can find the “Country Commercial Guides”, which include a wealth of information about the country you will be traveling to.

-          Copy your passport and insurance card. Put a copy in your suitcase, purse or wallet, and anything else you’re carrying. Maybe even take a photo and keep it electronically on your phone, tablet, and laptop. This will come in handy if you lose your passport and need to go to the Embassy.

-          Embassy Information. Write down the information for the US Embassy in your country and keep it in a safe place. Make sure you know the phone number and address in case of any emergencies.

-          Brush up on your Travel Knowledge. Check out websites like Frommer’s, Lonely Planet, and Fodor’s.   Amazon also has thousands of books relating to your specific country.

-          Business Etiquette. Kiss Bow or Shake Hands provides a comprehensive resource for global business etiquette. Without understanding international business practices, businesses cannot develop a competitive network of customers or suppliers. It lists phrases that can be used with confidence for greetings and basic interactions when conducting business in over 70 countries. The website delivers vital information in a downloadable form for on-the-go access.

-          Be sensitive to different cultures. Remember that you are visiting their home, so educate yourself on cultural differences before you leave.

Flight…

-          Extra Layovers. For peace of mind, sometimes it is easier just to pay an extra $100 to limit unnecessary, long layovers.

-          Get up and walk every hour, on the hour. Get your blood flowing throughout your whole body by trying some light stretching.

While You Are There…

-          Always be yourself and be humble. Americans can be stereotyped very easily, so always treat others with the respect they deserve. Regardless of language barriers, they do know when you’re talking negatively about them behind their backs.

-          Stress is never good for your body. Even though you are thousands of miles from your home, remember to take care of yourself and your travel worries. If you need to, call or Skype home to tell your loved ones you miss them.

-          Remember to exercise. Bring resistance bands, a jump rope, and other small items with you in your suitcase. You can also utilize your luggage as faux weights. (Check out this Hotel Workout from Men’s Health magazine) If your hotel doesn’t have a gym or pool, go outside and explore everything the city has to offer on foot.  Walking is great if you are restless or need to de-stress.  You also might find something you never would have otherwise!

-          Take time readjusting to time zone differences. It might help to stay awake on the first day you are there and fall asleep at a true bedtime when it becomes dark. If you are jetlagged upon arrival back to the States, take a day or a half day off to recoup. You will be more productive at work once your body is back on track.

Other topics included: Travel visa services like CIBT and Travisa, what to (and what not to) eat, using local transportation, sightseeing, best and worst experiences, safety and security, unexpected illnesses, luggage, currency exchanges, travel insurance, knowing local laws, and emergency signals and fire alarms.

For more information on best practices when traveling, please read Dr. Bell’s “Tips for Business Travel”.

A New Look for the New Year

As we begin the New Year, we have some exciting news to share with you!  We are transitioning to a new look, logo and website for our organization. Along with our new look, we are pleased to also announce outreach office locations in Reading, Harrisburg and Chambersburg.

  

Over the past few months, the World Trade Centers Association has been working diligently with its members to standardize the logos of licensed centers around the globe. Not only will standardized logos ensure trademark protection, but they will help greatly with global branding initiatives for all World Trade Centers.  Being part of the global network of over 330 World Trade Centers provides us with additional resources to better serve you and our members have access to the reciprocal services of other centers.  The World Trade Center designation also showcases our region's significant global engagement.

The World Trade Centers Association rules dictate that all centers be linked to a city, not a region, state, province or country, and the city name is part of the official logo. Although we have been operating as the World Trade Center of Central Pennsylvania for many years, our licensed name is World Trade Center Harrisburg.  Our new logo incorporates our official name as well as the region we serve.  

 

 Offices in Chambersburg - Harrisburg - Reading - York

"Bringing the World to YOU!" Success

Company meetings

Posted by Tina

Our 14th annual "Bringing the World to YOU!"event was held on September 13th and the Holiday Inn in Grantville.  This is the day that we host representatives from Pennsylvania's overseas trade offices and offer regional companies the opportunity to meet one-on-one with the State's trade reps. We look forward to this event each year, even though it involves a lot of pre-event planning and post-event follow up and at times resembles speed-dating, we always enjoy this day!   Pennsylvania's trade reps are a great group of individuals and they are a lot of fun to be around with and wonderful to work with. 


and more company meetings...


Here are this year's event numbers: 

• 96 attendees
• 22 overseas trade representatives
• 43 different companies
• 144 meetings between companies and trade representatives

This year's corporate sponsor was UPS and we thank them for their continued support.  The program was co-hosted by Pennsylvania's Center for Trade Development and additional funding support was provided by the US Small Business Administration.
 


Supriya Kanetkar speaks during lunch


Our luncheon program featured a presentation on "Doing Business in India" and Supriya Kanetkar, Associate Director of the PA Trade Office in India, was our keynote speaker.   In addition to a great luncheon buffet, our program also featured appetizers from the "Passage to India" restaurant.


The event also included a "partner" exhibit and informational booths from our local economic development partners were on display throughout the day.  Participating partners included MANTEC, the US Commercial Service, Kutztown University SBDC, Harrisburg Regional Chamber/CREDC, the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority, and the Harrisburg World Affairs Council.

Yes, You Can Go Global!

Guest Blogger Kevin Smith
Principal, Global Sales Initiatives

 

Every business is focused on growth. This includes top and bottom lines, along with managing many details in between. In that pursuit, one of our daily challenges is finding new sources of revenue, whether it’s selling more of our current product set, developing new products or penetrating additional markets.

When we have multiple markets and customers within our reach, we can make decisions about which opportunities hit our sweet spot and which ones are less attractive, rather than feeling we must take everything that comes along in order to keep our business moving forward. This revenue generates the cash flow we need, and finances the necessary investment in the facilities, equipment and people we need to continue our growth cycle.

In the pursuit of revenue, a big step for small companies is making the decision to sell their products or services in another region of the world. If you have never sold outside the US before, this can be intimidating and you may find yourself asking “Where do I start?” The most effective way to address this challenge is to break it into manageable pieces. For example:

Do Your Homework – Understand why you want to sell overseas, where you should sell and why you think there is a need. This means knowing the market for your product or service. You may decide to immediately invest in costly market research or a market entry program however, to avoid spending a large sum of money prematurely, you can start by using resources that are available at no charge or have a minimal fee, and will allow you to learn about your targeted market and begin developing a plan. This is where resources like the Department of Commerce Export Assistance Centers, Small Business Development Center, World Trade Center and the State of PA Department of Community and Economic Development play an important role. These agencies and organizations have access to market data, experts on export regulations and documentation requirements, and representatives on the ground in many countries, who can help you understand the market and competitive landscape. Check out their websites to learn about what they have and how it can help you.

Develop A Plan - No plan is perfect and all plans will change as you grow. But in order to be successful, you must have one! As you do your homework and identify your network of resources, also begin to visualize and document your specific objectives, financial goals, budget, customer value proposition, potential barriers to entry and a Sales and Marketing strategy. If you need help getting started, the Small Business Administration (www.SBA.gov) provides a basic plan outline on their website. Remember to also use your network to find a mentor and ask for help at various stages of your planning process. The resources mentioned above can identify companies who have successfully navigated international markets. This will provide you with a valuable sounding board as they can explain the keys to their success and the mistakes they made along the way.

Align Your Resources - An important part of your planning process is understanding the resources you need to launch your global initiative successfully. This includes finding a lawyer to help with domestic and foreign laws, export regulations and contract reviews, securing the financing needed for your global transactions, working with a logistics company that can handle customs documentation and find the most favorable freight terms for you, identifying channel partners, defining your insurance needs, documentation translation requirements and many more. There are many resources required and many excellent service providers in the Harrisburg area who are happy to help, so ask for recommendations and work with them to develop a budget and timeline you can live with.

Commit - Once you have completed the homework, planning and resource activities, and you still believe establishing a global footprint is the right move for you, MAKE THE COMMITMENT! Position the capitol and resources to put your plan into action. This may include signing an agreement with a sales representative or channel partner who knows the local market and will sell your products, traveling to your targeted country or region to attend trade shows, translation of web pages, product brochures and business cards to the local language, or setting up an in country stocking location. Also keep in mind that new exporters may apply for a Market Access Grant sponsored by the Office of International Business Development within the PA Department of Community and Economic Development. MAG’s can provide you with up to $5,000 in matching dollars to help you fund these export activities.

Remember, there will be unexpected events that may require you to modify your plan, so analyze the situation, make the adjustment and keep moving forward with conviction.

Show Up  - Once you commit to penetrating a foreign market, it’s critical that you establish a visible presence in the targeted country or region. By now you have identified a channel partner who knows the local market to sell your products, but it’s also important to spend time on the ground there. Several reasons for this: 1) You will have a better understanding of the local market and customer requirements 2) Your partners and customers will need training as they begin to embrace your products 3) Communication is a key to your global success. Much of this will be done via email and phone, but you also need to see firsthand what is happening, provide clarification and direction, and avoid misunderstandings from language barriers. 4) Relationships are critical, and when you show up, your partners and customers know you are committed and will help you understand their culture, traditions and work environment which allows you to learn how to effectively conduct business with them. And when you share a meal, you will know more about each other personally and begin establishing the element of trust you need with your business partners. They are proud of their country, eager to make a good impression, and help your experience be a positive one. Plus, there is so much incredible food you can share!

Be Focused and Patient – We all demand results. After all, that’s why we are in business and how we measure ourselves. We are also impatient, and a key to our success is that we continually strive to achieve better results, faster. You should maintain that focus when doing business overseas, but you must also realize that you are now dealing with new people, rules, customs and expectations. Jump into your global initiative with enthusiasm and as you execute your plan and identify the opportunities and gaps, make sure you are patient and receptive to fresh ideas and approaches. There is a world of them out there.

Kevin Smith is a global Sales, Marketing and Business Development executive with over 20 years of leadership success at corporations such as Tyco Electronics, AMP Inc., and Philips, which includes senior management assignments based in Asia and Europe. As the Founder and Principal of Global Sales Initiatives LLC, he now focuses in two areas: 1) Working with small to mid-size US companies who want to accelerate top line growth by developing and executing a plan that identifies and penetrates new markets and customers, both foreign and domestic. 2) Partnering with foreign companies to develop a penetration plan and establish a presence for their products or services in the US.  Kevin received his degree in Business Administration from the Whittemore School of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire and lives in Harrisburg with his wife.