DELAWARE — Five Delaware minority and/or veteran-owned small businesses completed Export Delaware’s new signature training program, “Selling to the World.” Export Delaware partnered with the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia to develop this groundbreaking initiative. Participants learned how to develop an export strategy, find qualified buyers, navigate logistics and shipping, learn about export finance, international patents, and trademarks, and more.
Selling to the World was designed to provide export education, training, and mentorship from experts in the fields of exporting and global supplier diversity. The program helps participating minority- and women-owned businesses (MWBEs) compete in the global marketplace by teaching them how to leverage their diverse certification to access global supply chains of the multinationals.
“When minority-owned businesses are empowered to expand their sales internationally through exports, they become more competitive and resilient,” said Beth Pomper, Director of International Business, Export Delaware. “These businesses will access growth opportunities that are unavailable domestically, providing them with another opportunity to diversify their customer base and increase their sales.
The curriculum was designed by the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia (WTCGP) in partnership with Export Delaware. The program provides one-on-one mentorship from Fortune 500 Global Supplier Diversity Directors and all classes included presentations by experts in the field.
As a result of this new Global Supplier Diversity Initiative, minority- and women-owned businesses in Delaware and the Greater Philadelphia region will be equipped to grow and flourish in the coming decades.
“These classes have been extremely informative and very helpful. Sometimes you just don’t know what you don’t know,” said Eric O’Connor, Vice President of Sales, O’Connor Belting/Derco USA (Newark, Delaware).
The program was funded by a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, a cooperative agreement with the Small Business Administration (SBA) via the State Trade Export Program (STEP) Grant, and private sector partners.
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