Some International Aspects of Small Business

Abstract

The article discusses some international aspects of small business in the U.S. It is quite obvious that all small businesses do not lend themselves to international marketing because of such things as raw material availability, transportation costs, and such problems as specialization of labor, lack of experience and limited production capacity. At the same time, it is quite obvious that there are thousands of small and medium-sized firms that should expand into the foreign markets. One study estimated that seven out of ten businesses in international trade are small. There are many success stories of small firms that have entered international markets. For example, Belshaw Brothers Inc. of Seattle, Washington, is making donuts popular in far off places such as India, Iran, Thailand, Africa, and Japan. This company sells 25 percent of its donut-making equipment overseas. The company, which began in 1923, has sold over 100,000 donut cutting heads, has 100 employees and has operated a modest export program since 1956.