For women small business owners worried about the inevitable ups and downs of the business cycle, here's a tip: There are great markets for U.S. products overseas.

The vast majority of U.S. exporters are small or medium-sized businesses. Exporting makes good business sense for these companies-having customers around the world can insulate against market turbulence and seasonal fluctuation. These advantages often translate to higher rates of growth, increased profitability, and overall healthier businesses.

But, how can small businesses without an unlimited marketing budget make a big splash in international markets? Trade missions can help, says Maria Cino, assistant secretary and director general of the U.S. Commercial Service, a U.S. Commerce Department agency.

The agency Cino leads organizes a number of high-impact trade missions. In fact, this February, she led a delegation of women-owned businesses to Africa on a trade mission that stopped in South Africa and Botswana. This summer, Cino will lead another women's trade mission to Italy and Spain, with a stop at the Global Summit of Women 2002 in Barcelona.

"I'm a real believer in the power of trade missions to open new markets for American companies," Cino says.

Cino's focus on businesswomen isn't surprising, given her agency's mission of helping U.S. small businesses export.

"Small- and medium-sized firms are the backbone of America's economy," Cino says. "Our goal is to help these businesses tap their full export potential."

Women-owned businesses are an important subset of U.S. small- and medium-sized companies, and there's certainly no disputing the impact that women have on the U.S. economy.

According to the Small Business Administration, from 1987 to 1997, the number of women-owned businesses increased 89 percent to an estimated 8.5 million.

As of 1999, women-owned firms accounted for 38 percent of all firms in the United States. Women-owned businesses generated $3.1 trillion in revenue, an increase of 209 percent between 1987 and 1997, after adjustment for inflation.

Women-owned businesses currently provide jobs for 26 percent of the workforce. Worldwide, women-owned firms comprise between one-quarter and one-third of the business population.

You Don't Have to Go It Alone
Cino says U.S. businesswomen who want to go global should take advantage of her agency's worldwide network of trade experts. The U.S. Commercial Service has 151 international offices and 107 Export Assistance Centers across the United States.

If you're a businesswoman who's interested in exporting, a good first step is to call your local U.S. Export Assistance Center for an analysis of export opportunities. During this assessment phase, a trade specialist will work with you to develop a plan for reaching your company's exporting goals. Cino says that trade specialists have access to a vast amount of market research; if more is needed to answer highly specific questions about markets and products, they can request customized research from one of their 1,800 colleagues in more than 85 countries round the world.

"No matter what stage of export readiness your company is in, our network of trade specialists can provide the export assistance you need," she explains. "Our services will help you choose the best market for your company, design a strategy to help you get your businesses there, and protect your interests once you've started doing business globally."

Here, There and Everywhere
How do trade missions fit into the picture? For starters, Cino says, missions offer many advantages.

"Trade missions can be a very cost-effective way of developing business in new markets," she notes.

Businesswomen traveling with a trade mission are introduced to carefully screened and qualified prospective buyers and partners in the markets they've targeted. The foreign companies that are "matched" with trade mission participants already have been evaluated by the Commercial Services local trade experts on factors such as reputation in the market and financial health, which gives a head start to negotiations.

According to Cino, this familiarity with the market and its key players combined with the third party reputation and cachet of the U.S. government, provides a major competitive advantage to U.S. companies.

"Buyers in other countries are excited by U.S. products," Cino says. "Assuming we can compete on price, companies traveling with trade missions can get publicity, market exposure, and qualified contacts in one trip."

Does all this mean that every businessowner should sign up for the next trade mission she hears about?

Cino and veteran trade mission organizers say no. Developing international sales should fit into a firm's long-term strategic plan. A trade mission is a means to an end. Putting your company on the world map takes time, patience and hard work.

A Guide to Trade Missions
Especially for smaller companies or businesses that are new to exporting, trade missions are a great way to gain international presence without spending a fortune on marketing. But, they're not a magic bullet.

Let's be honest. Trade missions aren't cheap. With price tags starting at around $2,500, plus travel costs, you'll want to get your money's worth.

Here's the secret about trade missions: The companies that get the most out of them are the companies that put the most into them. That means that the actual mission is only a small portion of the time investment. Preparations start early-well before the plane leaves the ground.

Before the Mission: First, make sure a mission is right for you. If your company hasn't exported before, you should carefully consider which markets are best for your firm's products and services. Cino suggests getting expert help from her agency's trade specialists.

"Since the key aspects of any export sale are identifying a market and a buyer, this is the general focus of much of what we do," she explains.

First-time exporters will find that trade missions are an opportunity to be walked through the logistics of international trade.

But, established exporters can profit from trade missions, as well. Cino says missions can be particularly helpful to smaller companies that can't easily establish an international presence on their own or that are looking for overseas distributors, partners and licensees.

Before you head off on a mission, make sure you can handle the new business your trip may generate. Can you increase production if necessary? Are you familiar with shipping processes and export regulations?

Make sure your Web site is up-to-date and user-friendly. Many free or low-cost export seminars sponsored by U.S. Commercial Service and other federal agencies like the Export-Import Bank are available to help you familiarize yourself with exporting.

Once you've decided on a mission, Cino advises setting clear goals. Do you want to find a distributor? Do you want to identify a joint venture partner? Or are you just looking for contacts in a new market?

Once you've identified your objectives, don't keep them to yourself. Share them with the mission organizer, and even more importantly, with the specialists in the country you'll be visiting. If there are specific companies you'd like to meet with, let them know. They will set up your schedule, and the more closely you work with them, the more pleased you'll be with the prospects they arrange for you to meet.

Mission organizers will brief you on the logistics, but you should know the travel basics.

If you don't have a passport, apply for one as early as possible-several months ahead of time is ideal. It is possible to get a passport in a hurry, but it will cost more. If you already have one, make sure it's current and valid for at least six months after completion of the mission. (More information about passports, as well as other travel information, can be found at http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html.)

Next, "familiarize yourself with the business culture of the markets you'll be visiting," Cino advises.

Take advantage of pre-mission briefings on local culture and business practices. Know the "do"s and "don't"s of each country-for example, business card etiquette. In some countries, cards should only be presented with both hands, with the writing facing the recipient.

Cino also suggests working with your local U.S. Export Assistance Center before your mission. The staff there can assist you with follow up, as well.

Your most important tool on a trade mission?

"Business cards are key. Bring more than you think you'll need," Cino says.

Some businesswomen bring samples of their product. Samples often can be brought into a country duty-free if participants agree not to sell them and to bring them home after the mission.

During the Mission: Now is your chance to practice all that business protocol you found in your pre-mission reading. Business customs vary greatly between countries, of course, but common courtesy will play well anywhere. Stand up when you greet someone, engage in small talk, and don't be in an obvious hurry to get down to business.

Most trade missions, including all U.S. Commercial Service missions, will provide you with an interpreter. Take full advantage of this. Especially with highly technical products or companies, you may need to ask for repetition. Make sure you understand everything that is said, and don't be hesitant to ask people to repeat themselves.

Most experts advise a "cooling-off period" before you make a deal. Wait until you get home to make a decision. Even if you're wowed by someone you meet, don't rush into anything. Even if you're anxious to make a deal before you return home, don't sign with a company on your first meeting. Meet with all prospects first and then decide.

Many missions include at least one reception or dinner, often at an ambassador's home. Cino says these are more than just a chance to unwind and sample local delicacies. She advises mission participants to use them as networking opportunities. Have plenty of business cards and brochures, and meet as many people as you can.

"Lots of sales are initiated over hors de oeuvres," she notes.

After the Mission: After you get home, it's time to follow up. Send thank-you notes to the companies with which you've met-even if you've already decided not to sign with them.

You never know with whom you'll be doing business in the future, and these new contacts can be great assets. If you've decided to sign a partner or distributor, contact your Export Assistance Center for help closing the deal.

Cino says the time is right for women entrepreneurs to take their businesses global.

"We should know; we've been helping them get there for more than 20 years," she says.