Help available for business exporting

MOSES LAKE - Two international trade specialists from the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) shared details about their free, public services available to businesses wanting to export.

The specialists, Katerina Korish and Vern Jenkins, spoke during a luncheon Thursday to business leaders at Big Bend Community College's ATEC Center in Moses Lake.

Korish and Jenkins are based out of the SBDC's Spokane Export Center and currently serve 70 exporting companies in Eastern Washington, Jenkins said.

They provide services for small to medium-sized businesses learning how to export or improve their markets, Jenkins explained.

They used Thursday's luncheon as a way to meet future clients. Jenkins said they plan to return to the area and hold training exporting programs.

Korish discussed the importance of exporting in a down economy.

When times are good, profits are sufficient with the domestic economy.

But it is "so important to diversify" when the "economy goes south," she said.

Businesses are worried about exporting for a variety of reasons, including concerns about exporting being too much for their capacity and doubts they can compete with people working for much lower wages in foreign countries.

She said they are happy they can be a bridge to a "scary place."

"It's why we feel it's such an exciting opportunity," she said.

Washington state ranks fourth in the country in terms of exporting.

The state's top export markets in 2010 were: China $10.3 billion, Canada $6.9 billion, Japan $6.2 billion, Republic of Korea $2.7 billion, and Indonesia $2 billion.

"Our role is to really work with companies and get them prepared," Korish commented.

Other ways she and Jenkins help businesses include: one-on-one free export advising, research assistance, export training, introducing exporters to federal, state and professional resources, seminars and a mentoring program.

The top U.S. service industry exports are in: tourism, transportation, financial services, education, telecommunications, entertainment, information and health care, Jenkins said.

In China, people there want to implement health care benefits for the elderly, he commented.

He spoke of a small Spokane company offering services related to geocaching. The company was successful and is now exporting to Canada, Germany and other countries as part of its $100,000 operation.

For more information, contact Jenkins at vern.jenkins@wsbdc.org and Korish at k.korish@wsbdc.org. They can be reached at the Spokane Export Center at 509-358-7596.