Tim and Thom DeWitt know a thing or two about international business.
So when the owners of OBOX Solutions, a Dallas-based staffing company, received a call from the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce® (NGLCC) inviting them to join NGLCC co-founders Justin Nelson and Chance Mitchell in attending President Obama's progress report on his National Export Initiative at the White House, Tim and Thom jumped at the opportunity.
Having supplied staffing solutions to clients in the United States, Europe and South America, Tim and Thom have a firm understanding of how small businesses can compete on an international scale, and the benefits such trade can bring to small businesses and the global economy.
"You have to understand the culture and what the climate is," Tim said. "Many companies have an international presence, so you really have to network. You have to work with your local companies and affiliates to find those international connections."
The size of the business, they agreed, has little to do with building your business internationally. The key is taking advantage of those networking opportunities that can turn a brief meeting into a lasting partnership.
"A business relationship can start small, and then it can build into a large international relationship," Thom said.
Tim and Thom, along with other LGBT business owners and professionals, will have an opportunity to begin building those international relationships during the NGLCC's first ever South American Business and Cultural Exchange to be held July 20-27 in Argentina.
During the exchange, LGBT business owners and professionals will participate in high-level meetings with decision makers with an eye on exporting goods and services to South America.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for LGBT business owners and professionals to build and expand their global network," said Nelson, president of the NGLCC. "We are honored to partner with our friends in Argentina to make the Exchange a reality and a meaningful experience for all involved."
"The president has committed to doubling U.S. exports by 2015, and LGBT businesses can play a major role in reaching that goal and creating the jobs that will come with it," said Mitchell, CEO at the NGLCC.
During the White House briefing with business leaders, the president said his administration is strengthening business assistance centers across the country and in U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. The objective is to help businesses gain a footing in the international marketplace, "especially small businesses that might not know how to sell their products abroad."
The president noted that the administration is increasing access to export financing for small and medium-sized businesses looking to export their goods and services but don't currently have the means to do so. Read more of the President's remarks here.
