Development Opportunities

Major Sectors can be located on the right hand menu and includes both industry and service sectors.

Overseas Contacts

Here is a list of Resources to help find Overseas Contacts:

International Partner Search

The International Partner Search is a part of the U.S. Commercial Service. Working with over 80 countries, they work to find you the most suitable strategic partners. If you provide them with marketing material and a company profile they use it with their strong network of international contacts to interview potential partners and provide a list of up to five pre-approved partners.

International Buyer Program

The International Buyer Program recruits more than 125,000 qualified foreign buyers, sales representatives, and business partners to U.S. trade shows each year, giving your exhibitors excellent opportunities to expand business globally.

Gold Key Matching Service

Through the Gold Key Service, the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service provides U.S. firms with pre-qualified and prescreened appointments with potential overseas agents, distributors, sales representatives and strategic business partners. Additional services such as transportation, translation, and others are available for an additional fee.

ESDC/ EMAS

Empire State Development Corporation/ Export Marketing Assistance Service (EMAS)

The Empire State Development Corporation is a public authority of the state of New York that has both financed and operated several ambitious stat projects by issuing tax exempt bonds.

Under the umbrella of the Empire State Development Corporation is the Export Marketing Assistance Service which aims to help New York companies find sales representation abroad. Today, hundreds of New York State manufacturers now sell their products globally because of their participation in the Empire State Development Export Marketing Assistance Program. The EMAS provides you with a personalized, customized search conducted by the professional trade staff of New York State’s foreign-based offices for the markets you select. ESD Trade Specialist staff familiarizes themselves with your company’s product line, trade experience and any other factors relevant to identifying the best possible parties to represent your company’s sales interests abroad.

EMAS represents an important tool for New York State manufacturers of all sizes that aim to enter or expand their sales in foreign markets. By participating in EMAS, Empire State Development will find the appropriate importers/distributors and sales agents to best represent your business internationally.

Developing an International Marketing/Export Plan

Once you have developed a marketing strategy for your products, the next step is to create an export plan. The purpose of the Export Business Plan is to prepare your business to enter the international marketplace. The worksheet provided online serves as a step-by-step guide to lead you through the process of exporting your product to an international market. The worksheet is divided into sections. Each section must be completed before you start the next section. After you have completed the entire worksheet, you will be ready to develop an international business plan to export your product. Once the business plan is completed, an in-depth analysis of your readiness to export can be completed.

As you can imagine, many foreign markets differ greatly from the United States. Some differences include climatic and environmental factors, social and cultural factors, local availability of raw materials or product alternatives, lower wage costs, varying amounts of purchasing power, the availability of foreign exchange, and government import controls. In order to analyze your readiness to export, market research must be conducted. Work to screen your potential markets, assess targeted markets and draw conclusions.

U.S. Export Assistance Centers of New York City

U.S. Export Assistance centers are located throughout New York and the entire Untied Stated. They are essentially one-stop shops ready to provide your small- or medium-sized business with local export assistance. As a business owner you can receive personalized assistance by professionals of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Export-Import Bank and other public and private organizations.