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One obstacle Oklahoma firms with little experience of exporting may run into is the challenge of knowing just where to begin. While U.S. and Oklahoma-state agencies are there to help, another tactic may be to use a tool available at the click of a mouse.

Google’s Global Market Finder tool is free and simple to use. It provides an easy step for those Oklahoma manufacturers interested in learning about what niches and markets lie outside the U.S.

According to Google, the global market finder has access to more than 1.9 billion customers around the globe, including connecting to what geographic locations where their products are in demand, estimating costs and providing translations for non-English speaking partners.

For those interested in learning more about export opportunities, real, live trade professionals are also available to help at the local level. Those interested in speaking with Oklahoma-based trade professionals should contact Jennifer Springer at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce or Marcus Verner at the U.S. Department of Trade.

(Top photo: The Oklahoma Department of Commerce – by Bo Apitz).

 

The Oklahoma Department of Commerce announces the Oklahoma STEP Forward Enhancement Fund, part of the State Trade Expansion Program, an export promotion initiative that makes matching-fund grants for states to assist small businesses. This grant is funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

“The intent of this program is to increase the number of small businesses that are exporting, and to increase the value of exports for those small businesses that are currently exporting,” said Jennifer Springer, Director of Global Recruitment and Trade Services, at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.

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Download the STEP Fund Flyer here.

Funding for this year will help eligible companies to offset the cost to participate at designated international trade shows and allow them to promote their Oklahoma-made products on a global scale.  In addition, other services such as website translations and marketing design; compliance testing; and shipping of sample products into international markets can be used toward the grant as well.

“The STEP grant, in partnership between the U.S. and Oklahoma Department of Commerce, is an incredible opportunity for Oklahoma exporters to receive marketing assistance to promote their products or services worldwide,” said Chuck Mills, President of Mills Machine and previous STEP grant recipient. “The program enabled us to translate our website into another language which made it easier for our customers to understand our product line!”

To be considered for the Oklahoma STEP Fund, all applicants are required to submit an application and supporting documentation. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce will begin taking applications from Oklahoma small businesses starting November 1, 2016.

A full application, guidelines and requirements can be found online at www.okcommerce.gov/stepfund. For more information, contact the Global Recruitment and Trade Division at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce at (800) 879-6552, or 405-815-5136 or Jesse.Garcia@okcommerce.gov.

There is an excellent opportunity for Oklahoma businesses to send a delegate to the 10th Global Project Plaza in Seoul, South Korea on May 24-26, which includes a free round trip flight and three night stay at the InterContinental Seoul COEX.

Global Project Plaza is the principal global platform for industry/resource cooperation. Held every year since 2008, the event is designed to develop a more concrete business relationship and explore potential contract opportunities between guests from overseas and Korean contractors. GPP is designed to nurture stronger relations with reputable Korean companies in the construction, energy, plant, engineering (EPC) and finance industries.

The deadline to apply closes Friday, April 15, so don’t hesitate to throw your hat in the ring for this exciting opportunity shared with us from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.

For more information or if interested in attending, please contact Benjamin Brand from the KOTRA North America HQ office in New York City at 212-826-0900 ext. 225 or by email benbrand.kotra@gmail.com. Deadline for applicants is April 15th.

Download the brochure at http://tinyurl.com/jzvmvoc.

Dr. Jim Collard, John Curzon, Jennifer Springer and Ray Brown, Pipeline Equipment, Inc.

Dr. Jim Collard, John Curzon, Jennifer Springer and Ray Brown, Pipeline Equipment, Inc.

Among the estimated 94,000 attendees to this year’s Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas were several representatives from the Lone Star State’s northern neighbor, including members of the Oklahoma Governor’s International Team.

Dr. Jim Collard of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Economic Development Department, John Curzon of CCK Strategies and Jennifer Springer of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce were on hand as group representatives for an evening reception co-sponsored by the ODOC and OKGIT.

“Simply put, it was a great opportunity to showcase Oklahoma for companies from across the country and across the world,” said CPN’s Dr. Collard.

The annual offshore technology conference is an international affair with energy professionals from across the globe converging on Houston to meet and showcase new technologies, practices and ideas. While the conference is focused on energy industry issues, the diversity of industries represented by the 94,000 attendees offers opporunities to discuss issues as wide ranging as international trade, technological updates and financing for future projects.

If you’d like to learn more about the 2015 Offshore Technology Conference or future events like it, visit their website here. If you’d like to learn more about the Oklahoma Governor’s International Team’s participation in the 2015 event, please contact Dr. Jim Collard, John Curzon or Jennifer Springer for more information.