Getting to Global and the Forum for International Trade Training (FITT) partner to empower businesses to export with confidence through exclusive online training offerings from the acclaimed FITTskills program and CITP®|FIBP® certified industry experts.

Ottawa, ON –October 2, 2019 – Getting to Global, an initiative that connects exporters to global business resources, and FITT, the standards, certification and training body for international trade practitioners, have partnered to bring the acclaimed FITTskills training to the newly launched Export Connect platform. The new space will not only be a catalyst for entrepreneur access to global resources, but also to valuable tools, expert advice, and new business opportunities needed to expand overseas.

Patrick L. Perreault, Co-Founder of Getting to Global, said, “Export Connect is the variable that was missing from the equation. We went from being an educational platform on global strategy to a real toolbox for SMEs to connect them to the experts and resources they need to go global. “Export Connect is literally connecting the dots between government resources, service providers, industry experts and SMEs to facilitate their expansion into new global markets. We’re excited to count FITT as a partner as they bring world-class training content to Export Connect and give exporters access to their network of certified international trade professionals.”

“If businesses don’t have the know-how to go global, they’ll give their profits to someone else, ”

says Caroline Tompkins, President and CEO of FITT. “Regardless of how good the product is, without export capable people, success will be harder, riskier and more expensive than it needs to be. We’re excited to be expanding our support of entrepreneurs alongside key players within Export Connect.”

Getting to Global brings together industry experts, business leaders, and government officials to help your company go global for faster growth. Export Connect is the latest addition to Getting to Global’s set of tools, a game changer for small and medium enterprises, trade and investment promotion organizations, and trade experts alike. And with FITT as a partner, SMEs will have direct access to the most important network of certified international trade professionals.

About FITT
The Forum for International Trade Training (FITT) is the standards, certification and training body dedicated to providing international business training, resources and professional certification to individuals and businesses. Created by business for business, FITT’s international business training solutions are the standard of excellence for global trade professionals around the world.

About Getting to Global
Getting to Global brings together industry experts, business leaders, and government officials to help small and medium enterprises go global for faster growth. We rely on a strong network of partners to aggregate the resources and data SMEs need to enter the global online arena in an unprecedented and simplified way. And we are more than just a website. In addition to creating a profile on Export Connect, entrepreneurs and business owners of all kinds use our Duties and Taxes Calculator to avoid bad surprises when shipping internationally. Or they find our Market Accelerator and discover what markets await them to expand and start growing.

If you have any questions, please contact us at afleury@perimetre.co.

The post Getting to Global and FITT announce partnership to add online international business training and expertise to export-connect.org appeared first on Trade Ready.

If you’re a small business aiming to grow, you may be wondering about the best way to approach it. You probably already know that scaling up your business to go global presents unique challenges for smaller businesses.

Entering global markets is a significant undertaking, and like any undertaking, it requires know-how, and developing or securing that know-how will require an investment of time and money.

So, in practical terms, what’s the value to small business of investing in trade know-how?

Who better to ask than our own Certified International Trade Professionals (CITPs) who run their own global businesses?

We wanted to learn more about their own journeys to global trade, so we asked our CITPs how global trade training and the CITP designation helps them to grow their own small businesses.

The Pacific Trade Show – Carolina Vasquez, CITP

Carolina Vasquez is a CITP with over two decades of experience in the industry.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Trade through her university studies in Chile, and completed her FITTskills education as part of a post-graduate program in International Business Management at Mohawk College.

In 2011, Carolina attained her Certified International Trade Professional designation, the CITP|FIBP, a strategic move that would serve her in many ways in her career.

Carolina adds that “the program is so comprehensive, and courses like Feasibility of International Trade and Global Value Chain have been key tools in my career for a better understanding in all aspects of international trade. What I have learned has also been a decisive factor for effectively managing cultural differences and language barriers… it has been a complimentary tool to continue my professional development.”

As a CITP with so much international experience, we wanted to know more about Carolina’s newest business venture, The Pacific Trade Show.

What problem does your business solve, and how?

After several years of working on events in Toronto, promoting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from the Pacific Region, we decided to create a new platform and an international program to connect Canadian companies, organizations and SMEs looking for international business opportunities.

The Pacific Trade Show brings together a new platform for participants to connect through experience sharing and networking, learn from a wide range of speakers, and discover new market trends in products and/or services.

How is your business involved in global trade?

It offers a platform for commercial integration, developing common objectives and sharing best practices in several areas, such as education, training, and international trade facilitation and promotion.

Our team of professionals has the ability to connect with other organizations, companies and professionals in international trade, facilitating business-to-business exchanges through trade promotion events and inbound/outbound missions to/from Canada and other countries of the Pacific Region.

We also offer our services to women-led companies looking for internationalization opportunities. The purpose is to help increase women’s access to economic opportunities and resources to empower their businesses, and their communities.

How has FITT training/ know-how contributed to the success of your business?

It gave me the know-how to understand and put in practice many aspects of global trade and successfully guide SMEs businesses through their international business experience in Canada.

Why was getting the CITP certification an important decision for you/your business?

I have been involved in international trade for over 20 years, and getting the CITP designation gave me recognition of my competency, knowledge and expertise in international trade in Canada.

What is one of your secrets of success?

Take the time to connect with people. By reaching out and engaging with others you can find people willing to share their time, talent and expertise to help others make their business succeed.

What advice would you share with other entrepreneurs as they begin their journey?

Always be open to new opportunities. Take a chance and don’t get  discouraged, because as the saying goes, ‘when one door closes, another door opens’ – there might be others open to listening to your ideas. Be ready to overcome challenges and never give up.

Carolina and her team are already excited for The Pacific Trade Show 2019 on October 31 (learn more about and register for this exciting event here), and the platform to connect is ready. The invitation is open to everyone to join this exciting international business event.

The post CITP Small Business Spotlight – The Pacific Trade Show appeared first on Trade Ready.

Fifteen years ago, almost to the day of writing this, I was at a FITTskills graduation ceremony listening to Fred Kruberg, who was Chair of the British Columbia Institute for Studies in International Trade (BCISIT) at the time.

Fred was not the keynote speaker, but he is the only speaker I remember from that day.

I remember him so clearly because before introducing the FITTskills graduates we were honouring that morning, he spoke passionately about their role in developing international trade as a profession.

As President of FITT, this of course resonated with me.

Even today, when speaking about the profession of international trade, I often think of Fred’s presentation and wonder:

Just how long will it take for international trade to be seen by business as not only an activity of exchanging products and services across borders, but a true occupation and profession that takes a specialized set of knowledge, skills and abilities to perform?

International trade is a profession

As an example of how professions develop over time, Fred introduced me to the evolution from the medicine man to the highly specialized doctors we have today.

Despite being one of the oldest professions in the world, international trade just doesn’t have the same level of visibility or recognition as other vocations.

Ask a CEO who has an export growth strategy in place “What do you do?”, and they will answer to their sector: “I am in: agriculture, aviation, mining, fish, French fries, breakfast cereals…”

Ask their employees what they do, and they will answer to their job title: “I am a: business development manager; account manager; accountant; supply chain specialist; logistics specialist; compliance officer…”

Generally speaking, neither the CEO nor the employee will readily define themselves as being involved in international trade, so it is no surprise that even today people will question whether international trade is an activity – or a profession.

We at FITT consider it to be both.

What defines a profession?

As Fred noted, a profession normally evolves over time. The medical profession began with an all-around medicine man who looked after all the illnesses and broken bones in his community.

Today, along with general practitioners, we have a regulated system of highly specialized doctors – feet, ear, heart specialists, and so on.

In its evolution, each profession begins by providing a service needed by society; and, initially, these services would be provided by self-taught practitioners.

Over time, common practices, or “norms”, within the field are introduced, then transferred to new entrants into the field as needed, usually on a one-to-one basis.

As the knowledge increases in a specialized area, teaching vehicles begin to be established and bodies of knowledge are developed.

Today, there are the standard characteristics that are commonly associated with a profession. These include:

• Having in place competency or occupational standards;
• Formal education and training programs;
• A governance structure;
• A code of ethics;
• A recognition program;
• An ability to accredit other training programs as meeting the standards of the profession;
• A credential renewal process including ongoing professional requirements.

International trade: A profession going global

Trade happens between people. In practice, it is one individual working with another individual in a different country, that ends in a sales transaction.

Like Fred Kruberg, I believe that today’s international trade professionals are what the medicine man was to the medical profession a few hundred years ago.

For all countries that rely on international trade to support economic growth, finding ways to enhance the professionalism of these practitioners is in everyone’s best interest.

When a company is seeking someone to balance their books, they go to an accountant; when they are developing a business contract, they go to a lawyer; and, when they are seeking to establish an HR division, they hire an HR professional.

Companies that rely on international business as a growth strategy are well-served, knowing that their employees making trade happen are professionals. And they have the credentials to prove it.

Learn more: Download the full whitepaper “Is International Trade an Activity or a Profession?”

The post Is international trade an activity or a profession? appeared first on Trade Ready.