Without question, international trade is an important facet of American small business.  According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, “[s]mall businesses which export grow faster, add jobs faster, and pay higher wages . . .” (Source: https://ustr.gov/issue-areas/small-business).

Would you like to learn more about the opportunities for U.S. minority- or women-owned businesses in export markets?  Then please plan to attend an afternoon event on Thursday, October 28, from 1:45 pm to 4:30 pm at the Boone County office of the University of Illinois Extension, at 205 Cadillac Court, Unit 3, in Belvidere, IL.  This event is a collaboration between the U.S. Commercial Service, the Rockford Region Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Illinois Extension.

• The event will begin with a viewing session of a U.S. Commercial Service webinar, part of the Commercial Service’s Global Diversity Export Initiative, covering “services and tools provided by the U.S. Commercial Service, SBA and EXIM Bank to help minority- and women-owned businesses become successful exporters.”
• This will be followed by a Question and Answer session with Adam Shanks, the Director of the U.S. Commercial Service’s Rockford office.

Advance registration is required, and seating is limited, so please register early via Illinois Extension’s website (https://go.illinois.edu/Oct28ExportTradeEvent). Attendance at the event is free of charge.

For more information on the program or if you need special accommodations in order to participate, please contact Mike Delany at mdelany2@illinois.edu. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet access needs.

Pursuant to University of Illinois policy, all attendees will be required to wear masks and maintain social distancing.