Kane County businesses will have a rare opportunity next week to get a free introduction to exporting and new technologies.

Kane County will be hosting the Illinois International Trade Center from the College of DuPage as it presents a 90-minute program designed to help businesses experience the benefits of exporting. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 11, at the Kane County Government Center, 719 Batavia Ave., Geneva.

• Click here to sign up for the event.

“Do you want to experience the benefits of exporting your products or services but aren’t sure where to begin?” organizers said in a news release. “This one-and-a-half-hour program will help you get started.”

From 2005 to 2009, U.S. small and midsized manufacturers that exported grew by 37 percent — while non-exporting companies saw a 7 percent decrease in growth.

That’s a big difference, obviously, that underlines the advantages of exporting, and expanding into foreign markets has only gotten easier in recent years. If you sell on eBay, you can also export via eBay. For the first time, small size can be synonymous with global scale.

Participants will learn how to use the newest tools and technology to find and test international markets before market entry. You’ll also get a chance to determine your company’s readiness to take advantage of new export markets, discover how to overcome barriers and risks, and much more.

While the event is free, seating is limited, so be sure to sign up online as soon as possible.

For more information, contact Jean Lin at 630-942-3041.

SOURCE: Illinois SBDC/ITC/PTAC