WORLD TRADE CENTER SATELLITE OFFICE EXPANDS HORIZONS

Buz Sutherland director of the Small Business Development Center at Southeast Missouri State University said that they became a satellite office of the World Trade Center in early February.

You discover there is a demand on the international market for the product you have been selling in Southeast Missouri.

But how do you make the connection with someone who doesn't even speak your language? Would you be wiser marketing your product in France or Japan?

Another consideration is that you will be communicating with a company not bound by U.S. business law. What would you do if a buyer didn't make good on his promise? Perhaps venturing into foreign territory isn't as easy as you thought.

It can become much simpler if you pay a visit to the World Trade Center's satellite office at 222 N. Pacific.

The World Trade Center in St. Louis and its satellite office at the small business development center at Southeast Missouri State University can make the difference between a blind risk and an educated decision.

Buz Sutherland, who directs the Small Business Development Center and World Trade satellite office, said he can save a business owner considerable time and money because his services are available free.

"If you would try to get this information and counseling outside of the World Trade Center it would cost thousands of dollars," Sutherland said. "It's not only free here, but we can show you how, for a modest price, you can subscribe to the national trade data bank."

The satellite office is the fifth to be affiliated with the World Trade Center of St. Louis. The others are in Springfield, St. Peters, Jefferson County and downtown St. Louis.

The affiliation links the satellite office in Cape Girardeau to 150 World Trade Center data bases covering 50,000 sources of information by way of computer terminal, modem and telephone, Sutherland said.

Stacy Wipfler, an international trade specialist who works at the World Trade Center in St. Louis, comes to Cape Girardeau twice a month to offer her expertise at the satellite office.

"What I find fascinating is that there are a lot of people who already understand that they have a product that can be sold on the international market, but they don't know which country would be best to deal with," Wipfler said.

"My job is to show how and why France would be a better move than Peru."

The World Trade Center of St. Louis is 2 1/2 years old and is one of more than 290 centers in more than 81 countries, each advancing the concept of promoting and helping to establish international trade.

Among the services available in St. Louis' World Trade Center are :

-- International business counseling and education and training programs.

-- Trade information and research services in the international trade library. Legal counseling through member firms.

-- Translation services through member firms. Assistance with export pricing.

-- Reciprocal access to World Trade Centers around the globe.

-- Conference rooms and exhibit facilities. Temporary office space and clerical support. Mailbox services. Video conference facilities.

The World Trade Center satellite office in Cape Girardeau was born Feb. 3. "We haven't been in existence that long, but we've already generated a lot of interest from area businesses," Sutherland said.

"Not only can we steer you in the right direction, we can help you evaluate the export potential of your business and offer ideas and tips that would give you the best chance of success."

World Trade Centers around the globe are linked even further by Network, an electronic communications system. It is the heart of the World Trade Center's communications and operations.

Through Network, World Trade Centers and their members can send and receive messages.

One of Network's main attributes is a bulletin board system where companies can post or review international trade leads under headings, such as "offers to buy," "offers to sell" and "other opportunities."

These leads have an estimated worldwide readership of 3.5 million people.

The World Trade satellite office, is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Wipfler will be at the satellite office June 21 and 22.

"There are still some things that we need to get in our satellite office to facilitate international trade, but I think we've made some progress in just a few months," Sutherland said.