1 Start now. No one launches a business with the intention of shutting it down in five years. Yet 50% of small businesses do exactly that. Don’t risk becoming a statistic. Instead, dream big and be ready to take advantage of market opportunities that become available as your business takes off.

2 Revisit your business plan. Look carefully at the business plan you opened with. What do you know now you didn’t know then? What new goals/plans come to mind as a result? Which supporting documents need to be updated?

3 Fine tune your operations. Is your business operating at peak efficiency? Do you have the necessary tools/space to meet current and future needs? What else do you need and how will you pay for it?

4 Rate your team. Have you prepared written job descriptions for all positions? Do you have the right people in place? What types of training programs are you able to provide? Do you have a plan for attracting/hiring new personnel?

5 Enlarge your market. Are you reaching all possible markets for your product or service? Is your marketing budget adequate and are your promotional strategies working? If you answered no, what adjustments will you make?

6 Assess your financial fitness. Have you reached your break-even point? What’s your cash flow situation? Can you afford to expand now? If not, what measures will you take to make a future expansion financially possible?

Government Contracting
Every level of government must buy goods and services, and Florida currently ranks seventh among all U.S. states for procurement of government contracts.

The market is there and it’s lucrative. Could this be your time to pursue government contracting?

Selling to Florida

One avenue to expansion is as close as your computer. MyFloridaMarketPlace, a division of the Florida Department of Management Services, has nearly 15,000 registered buyers who issue, on average, 5,000 purchase orders each month at three levels:

Determine which level best matches your business abilities, then register online as a vendor.

For details, visit www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/state_purchasing/.

Selling to the U.S.

EVALUATE Understand what, when and how much government agencies buy. Is your product/service in demand?

PLAN Target government agencies and prime contractors that buy what you offer; develop a plan to reach them.

REGISTER Complete the required/mandatory government database registrations including: System for Award Management (SAM) and Dynamic Small Business Search.

PREPARE Develop a corporate capability statement; create government-focused collateral and e-marketing resources; secure preferred small business certifications such as: 8(a), Woman-Owned Small Business, HUBZone, Veteran-Owned and applicable state and local certifications.

PURSUE Be aggressive. Monitor computerized bid matching services (daily searches and email alerts). Identify opportunities through government bid boards, posting databases and networking. Obtain a GSA Schedule contract, if applicable.

ACHIEVE Develop a government-accepted accounting system and be ready to handle possible contract audits, reports and modifications.

ASK FOR HELP Procurement specialists at the Florida SBDC Network can help small businesses pursue government contracting opportunities at all levels.

Exporting
Florida is home to nearly 60,000 exporters — second highest number in the U.S. — and nearly all of them are small- and medium-sized businesses with fewer than 500 employees. Exporters here enjoy a multimodal system that ensures seamless movement of people and products between any two points on the planet as well as ready access to the nation’s second largest Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) network.

Have you considered pursuing international markets as a growth strategy, but hesitated because you’re not quite sure where to start? If so, the time has come for you to explore the wealth of exporting programs and resources — even one-on-one counseling — available from the following:

Enterprise Florida

Seeking to enter the international marketplace? Consider these programs/services offered by Enterprise Florida:

EXPORT COUNSELING Free evaluation of a company’s market readiness plus suggested target markets and introductions to EFI’s international offices.

OVERSEAS TRADE MISSIONS AND TRADE SHOWS Opportunities to showcase your products and services and meet one-on-one with potential customers worldwide.

TRADE SHOW GRANTS Reimbursable grants of up to $6,000 to cover 50% of exhibition space and basic booth decoration for eligible companies in one of EFI’s target sectors to participate in a qualified trade show or exhibition anywhere in the world.

GOLD KEY/MATCHMAKER GRANTS Available to eligible small- and medium-sized companies for the purpose of generating/increasing export sales overseas by providing infrequent exporters with opportunities to meet with pre-screened, interested buyers, agents, importers and representatives.

EDUCATIONAL EVENTS Workshops, seminars and conferences on export fundamentals throughout the state on topics such as researching markets, developing an export strategy and logistics.

Florida SBDC Network

In partnership with Enterprise Florida and the U.S. Commercial Service, Florida SBDC International Trade Specialists prepare Export Marketing Plans for qualifying Florida-based manufacturers and service providers. Approximately 100 hours is spent preparing each customized plan, which includes target market recommendations, overseas trade opportunities and an action plan for market entry. Each Export Marketing Plan costs $4,000 to prepare. However, qualifying companies are eligible for a $3,500 scholarship, bringing your company’s cost to $500.

U.S. Commercial Service

The U.S. Commercial Service has trade professionals in six Florida offices to help companies get started in exporting or increase sales to new global markets by identifying and evaluating international partners, creating market entry strategies and navigating documentation challenges. For general information on regulations, licensing, free trade agreements and other topics related to exporting, visit www.export.gov.

Should I Go Global?

Questions to ask before taking the import/export plunge: