We all know the reasons that US companies should look globally – just 5% of the world’s consumers live in the US and developing markets are growing much faster than the US.

There are also many incentives to export: preferential lending rates, insurance products that make it less risky to sell abroad than at home, grants, tax breaks and free/low cost training programs. So, the question is with why don’t more companies export?

In my experience, there are two main reasons:

• Fear of the unknown. It does take a leap of faith to send products around the world under terms that are very different than in the US. The IBA process addresses that concern by providing the participants with information and best practices. Thousands of companies are making profits by exporting and we show the participants how they change their processes to take advantage of new markets.
• Lack of follow-through. We have all experienced powerful motivational speakers or workshops that provide vital tools for our companies or our personal lives. Yet, three months later, nothing has changed. Real organizational change comes when we execute a long-range plan. While some of us have the internal discipline to make changes, most of us require an external motivating force. That is why our business advisers set goals and push the participants to follow-up on what they learned in the workshops.

We have developed, tested and modified the IBA process to make it the best available for global entrepreneurs.

When I am asked why the IBA is different, I point out the following five reasons.

1. We use industry experts to lead the presentations. They know how and when to use cutting edge tools in e-commerce, logistics, finance and IT systems.
2. We can (and have) worked with product or service companies.
3. We have business advisers who work one-on-one with the participants to incorporate the workshop content into the business plans of the companies.
4. We are not selling any product or service. For example, regarding financing, we do not work exclusively with any investment group. We do maintain contacts with and present companies to a variety of investment networks while at the same time encouraging companies to look at alternatives, like online crowd equity funding options.
5. We work with the companies following the formal training until they reach first export sales.