On July 21, 2016, the Department of Commerce, eBay, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), and the Global Innovation Forum joined forces to host a forum for startups and small businesses that addressed the opportunities and challenges to going global, such as the availability of key federal and local government resources and how to protect their intellectual property overseas.

Startup, corporate, and government leaders convened in New York to have interactive discussions on issues facing many digital services businesses in the global marketplace. Julia Neznanova, director of Friends of eBay, spoke about small companies’ abilities to go global without even realizing it: “Borders are collapsing but in a good way. It’s not a decision about whether to go global or not go global from Day 1. It’s about not being afraid to let the product go global even before you’re ready to do so.”

Technology-enabled businesses lack awareness of the federal and private resources available to U.S.-based exporters. Executive Director of the Global Innovation Forum Jake Colvin points to U.S. embassies and consulates around the world as an example: “There are State Department diplomats but also Foreign Commercial Service officers who are on the ground [overseas] and whose mission it is to help Americans trying to understand the local market.”

In addition to understanding local markets, intellectual property landscapes and business practices specific to different countries are crucial for startups to successfully enter new markets. The participants at the forum also discussed the importance of the strategic identification of partners and their services in order to expedite the global expansion of a small business.

The U.S. Government resources for startups looking to go global are open to everyone. To learn more about exporting goods and services to consumers outside the U.S., please visit the following resources:

• The International Trade Administration, with more than 100 offices across the country in U.S. Export Assistance Centers and Commercial Service Officers in more than 75 markets, is a key source of business counseling, market research, business matchmaking, trade events, and knowledge regarding implications of foreign regulations.
• The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has critical information for businesses on protecting their intellectual property and regional offices in Dallas, Denver, San Jose and Detroit.
• The Small Business Administration has key trade business planning and financing resources for eligible companies.

If you are interested in hosting a Startup Global event in your city, please contact Pat Kirwan ([email protected]) from the Department of Commerce or Jake Colvin from the Global Innovation Forum ([email protected]).