Small business awareness of the international market [abstract]

Abstract

Small business development plays an important role in the United State's economy through discovering new ideas, introducing new innovations, creating new jobs and increasing government revenue. Exporting can be a valuable strategy for any manufacturing company to increase sales, gain economies of scale, penetrate new markets, discover new ideas, to level out cyclical demand cycles, or to counter foreign competition entering the U.S. Previous exporting researchers have focused their attention on firms' capabilities, size, export planning, export knowledge, and proactive and reactive strategies. This research focuses on the export behavior of small businesses in the state of Missouri. There are research and planning stages in the small business export development process, which must be met before making the final decision to become an exporter or to refrain from exporting. Economic development officials who wish to promote exporting by small businesses need to better understand these research and planning stages and the types and resources of information being sought by the small business at each stage. My research examines stages in the export development process and those stages that lead to export readiness in Missouri small business manufacturers.

Small business development plays an important role in the United State's economy through discovering new ideas, introducing new innovations, creating new jobs and increasing government revenue. Exporting can be a valuable strategy for any manufacturing company to increase sales, gain economies of scale, penetrate new markets, discover new ideas, to level out cyclical demand cycles, or to counter foreign competition entering the U.S. Previous exporting researchers have focused their attention on firms' capabilities, size, export planning, export knowledge, and proactive and reactive strategies. This research focuses on the export behavior of small businesses in the state of Missouri. There are research and planning stages in the small business export development process, which must be met before making the final decision to become an exporter or to refrain from exporting. Economic development officials who wish to promote exporting by small businesses need to better understand these research and planning stages and the types and resources of information being sought by the small business at each stage. My research examines stages in the export development process and those stages that lead to export readiness in Missouri small business manufacturers.