Choosing the right distribution channels can be difficult for businesses, whether a small-scale custom t-shirt design company or a giant producer of goods. A virtual conversation with Southern Illinois Businesses will offer expert advice on Gaining Sales Channel Partners for Exporting.
The free webinar is part of an ongoing virtual roundtable series hosted by the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) International Trade Center (ITC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the Southwestern Illinois Trade and Investment Council.
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It will be held from 10:30 a.m.-Noon Thursday, April 29 via Zoom. The webinar is free, but registration is required at International-Trade-Center@siue.edu.
“We invite southern Illinois businesses who want to jump-start their export sales,” said ITC at SIUE partner and roundtable moderator Tom Dustman, international sales director of Sunnen Products Company. “Exports are incredibly important to southern Illinois small- to medium-sized businesses, because they expand markets for their goods. One of the most basic functions of diplomacy and foreign policy between governmental and educational institutions is to foster economic trade. Encouraging exports and imports for the benefit of business owners and employees helps individuals and the economy.”
According to Dustman, establishing a sales channel partner for exporting is a pivotal business decision. Who and how businesses choose a partner determines how their products are handled, the speed at which they are delivered, and business growth.
Exporters should consider several key factors when determining a distribution channel, including:
- Does my product have a shelf life?
- How large is the target market for my product?
- How large is the potential distribution company in the foreign country and what is its product mix?
- What is the status of the economy in the target geography? Will it aid our growth strategy?
- What is the cost of a specific channel of distribution?
The roundtable will provide actionable recommendations focused on exporting success. Presenters include Craig Eversmann, president and CEO of MSSC LLC in Collinsville, and Skip Wolford, director-OEM business development at Hangsterfer’s Laboratories, Inc. in New Jersey.
For more information, contact Illinois SBDC ITC at SIUE Director Torres Bowman at sitorre@siue.edu.
The Illinois SBDC International Trade Center at SIUE serves businesses in southern Illinois by providing individualized, no-cost export advising, identification of foreign buyers, agents and/or distributors through trade leads, international market analysis, and more. The ITC is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville as a service to the region’s entrepreneurial and business community.
As a key member of the Illinois SBDC Network, the ITC delivers these important services to its clients while supporting the goals and objectives of both the SIUE School of Business and the University at large.
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