At Export-U, our goal is to deliver free and convenient export training to business professionals and students regardless
of their location, resources, or schedule.

This web site is the product of a collaboration between the US Export Assistance Center in Atlanta, the US Department of Commerce, the  International Trade Center of the University of Georgia SBDC, and several of our partners and allies.  It is currently being developed with support from the U. S. Department of Commerce through its Rural Export Initiative (REI), and with the help of other  sponsors identified throughout the site.

The Challenge: 

We firmly believe that American companies can grow their sales, employment, and profits by developing international business, but they confront many obstacles including:

• Distance: Rural firms and those located far from major cities
  find it especially hard to attend classes which are typically offered
  in urban centers,
• Time: Many business people are just too busy to attend traditional export training classes during normal office hours,
• Speed: Businesses often need quick information on a specific topic – not theoretical export training, and
• Skill: Even companies who seek professional trade counseling may not fully
  benefit from it because they lack a very basic understanding of trade terms and procedures.
   

Why Online Training?

• Outreach: 
  Over 1,000 businesses
  from 49 states
  have attended Export-U  webinars by
  early 2010.  Our online format lets more people in more places take the courses,
• Highly targeted: Each mini-course targets a specific topic, so students can get precisely the information they need,
• Expandable: Over time, and with sponsor support, we can continue to build, update, and improve the site’s content and utility,
• Self-sustaining: Operating costs are minimal, so the site can be maintained with only modest support for expansion and updating, and
• Complements other trade services: Companies new to trade can benefit more from counseling and other trade assistance services if they first attend online training at Export-U.

Our Track Record:

• SBDC International Trade Center (ITC) is a key partner in Atlanta’s US Export Assistance Center, along with the US Department of Commerce, the US Small Business Administration, SCORE, the State of Georgia, and several others.
• Experience: Our team has over 45 years of experience delivering export training to thousands of small businesses,
• National award winner:
  Our ExportGA program was named best export training course in the US by NASBITE, the North American Society for Business and International Trade  Education,
• Expert staff:The staff has decades of diverse
  private sector business experience in international
  marketing, finance, logistics, distribution, and operations.

The Course Material:

• Field tested and refined through almost 30 years of ITC’s continuing education programs,
• Concise: Our on-line mini-courses offer practical “bite sized”  segments on specific topics, and
• Focused: Students can pick those specific topics of interest and access them as needed.
   

Your Input Needed: We want to hear your constructive comments and suggestions, especially for future webinar topics. Feel free to contact us.