Resources that can help you get started with exporting are as close at hand as Facebook and Twitter: Export Now uses the reach of social media to spread lessons and insights that help American companies expand their businesses abroad. Stay current with the global conversation by returning often to our feeds on these platforms. Contribute your own comments and links to articles you are reading. We are proud of the community that we serve and we find that the exchange of information helps all of us. This week, for example, the Export Now page on Facebook provides information on how international corporations like Starbucks are adjusting to Chinese expectations in order to increase sales. Aware of cultural and social differences, Starbucks refrained from pushing take-out orders that are so successful in America and instead focused in China on a dine-in experience. In addition to providing examples of how business giants are handling international markets, Export Now’s Facebook page also has a recent post that describes consumer demographics in China and other growing e-commerce markets. With a watchful eye on both the international and domestic economy, Export Now illuminates the intricacies of product distribution, marketing and sales in a foreign market for small, medium and big businesses alike. The accessibility of this information, managed by Export Now experts in e-commerce and international economics, can help any executive understand how to expand a customer base in a new market. An estimate of American economic performance last year, released Jan. 27, noted that foreign consumers spent over $2 trillion on American goods and services. The decline of the dollar as well as the initiative of American businesses have both contributed to this upswing in exports. Exports now amount for about 14% of total GDP, making exports a larger part of the American economy than they have been for almost 80 years. President Obama has made it a goal to increase exports so that they will amount to over $3 trillion by 2015. Export Now’s Twitter feed dispenses helpful information businesses need to join this growing movement. In addition to news items and analysis from Export Now experts, the Twitter feed incorporates helpful tweets from other authorities on the international economy, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and 30 other local chambers and trade groups. Export Now’s social media feeds are a source of helpful information and advice for any business. Companies that want to expand into foreign markets will find that Export Now is capable of doing much more than simply keeping them informed. Export Now helps companies build sales one export at time. American companies need only contact Export Now to find an export adviser who will show how our simple cross-border e-commerce solution can lead to new customers and more sales. Export Now’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/exportnow Export Now’s Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/#!/Export_Now Further Reading: The Quiet Driver of Economic Growth: Exports London department stores become the ‘Great Mall of China’ Rein: Why Starbucks Succeeds in China