GlobalCalifornia.org to help California businesses
GlobalCalifornia.org to help California businesses
SALINAS, CA -- For the first time in California's trade promotion history, four trade promotion and three economic development organizations are collaborating to deliver their services through a single point of access. Area companies -- including agriculture companies -- will access the most comprehensive set of services to assist, guide and help them enter international markets.
The regional collaborative program is titled GlobalCalifornia.org, and it is an easy-to-use online solution and an economic and workforce development program. The project has received government grant funding and is actively functioning, so California companies in Monterey, Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties can now take advantage of the services. From an agriculture standpoint, early trade partners include companies in Brazil and South Africa, and an initiative is underway with South Africa for co-promotions with U.S. businesses, said Sarah Medlicott, a spokesperson with GlobalCalifornia.org.
Start-ups, small and mid-sized businesses will have access to free or low-cost services that include free-of-charge personal assistance from a trade manager, one-on-one counseling, business development and marketing consulting, export and import training, market research, access to GlobalCalifornia's referral network, matchmaking services, trade missions, introduction to potential partners, assistance with legal and customs issues, and connection to the city of San Jose's Foreign Trade Zone.
As an example of how GlobalCalifornia.org can work, trade leads for a produce business in Salinas, CA, could be matched and further qualified from where the lead originated. This effort may involve Foreign Agricultural Service offices.
Tony Livoti, president of Felton, CA-based MBITA, said that MBITA was heavily involved with some small Salinas-area farms from 1995 to 2000 with grant assistance under the Bay Trade program until the money ran out. He said that the ".com" component to GlobalCalifornia should be up and running in a few months. Components of that web site will include the ability to interact through voice-over-Internet protocol and other tools that comprise "clicks and mortar" business.
Companies can register free of charge at www.globalcalifornia.org.
After registering, companies will have the option to contact one of GlobalCalifornia's regional trade managers for immediate free assistance.
Trade managers will assess a company's needs, connect the company with GlobalCalifornia partners and steer the company through the entire trade cycle.
GlobalCalifornia is funded through the chancellor's office of the California Community Colleges, hosted by the Silicon Valley Center for International Trade Development and West Valley College in partnership with the Monterey Bay International Trade Association, San Jose U.S. Export Assistance Center, Monterey Bay U.S. Export Assistance Center, Silicon Valley Small Business Development Center, Central Coast Small Business Development Center and the City of San Jose's Office of Economic Development.
The regional collaborative program is titled GlobalCalifornia.org, and it is an easy-to-use online solution and an economic and workforce development program. The project has received government grant funding and is actively functioning, so California companies in Monterey, Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties can now take advantage of the services. From an agriculture standpoint, early trade partners include companies in Brazil and South Africa, and an initiative is underway with South Africa for co-promotions with U.S. businesses, said Sarah Medlicott, a spokesperson with GlobalCalifornia.org.
Start-ups, small and mid-sized businesses will have access to free or low-cost services that include free-of-charge personal assistance from a trade manager, one-on-one counseling, business development and marketing consulting, export and import training, market research, access to GlobalCalifornia's referral network, matchmaking services, trade missions, introduction to potential partners, assistance with legal and customs issues, and connection to the city of San Jose's Foreign Trade Zone.
As an example of how GlobalCalifornia.org can work, trade leads for a produce business in Salinas, CA, could be matched and further qualified from where the lead originated. This effort may involve Foreign Agricultural Service offices.
Tony Livoti, president of Felton, CA-based MBITA, said that MBITA was heavily involved with some small Salinas-area farms from 1995 to 2000 with grant assistance under the Bay Trade program until the money ran out. He said that the ".com" component to GlobalCalifornia should be up and running in a few months. Components of that web site will include the ability to interact through voice-over-Internet protocol and other tools that comprise "clicks and mortar" business.
Companies can register free of charge at www.globalcalifornia.org.
After registering, companies will have the option to contact one of GlobalCalifornia's regional trade managers for immediate free assistance.
Trade managers will assess a company's needs, connect the company with GlobalCalifornia partners and steer the company through the entire trade cycle.
GlobalCalifornia is funded through the chancellor's office of the California Community Colleges, hosted by the Silicon Valley Center for International Trade Development and West Valley College in partnership with the Monterey Bay International Trade Association, San Jose U.S. Export Assistance Center, Monterey Bay U.S. Export Assistance Center, Silicon Valley Small Business Development Center, Central Coast Small Business Development Center and the City of San Jose's Office of Economic Development.
