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ITC / SW IL Trade & Investment Council - Export Needs Assessment

Trade and Investment Mission Survey

The Southwestern Illinois Trade and Investment Council represents a joint initiative between the counties of St. Clair, Madison and Monroe in Southwestern Illinois and the International Trade Center at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to promote and increase trade and investment activity in the region. The Council’s purpose is to raise awareness of global exporting and foreign direct investment as an opportunity for economic stability and growth in Southwestern Illinois. Identifying and forming strategies to address barriers that discourage or limit exports from the region and/or foreign direct investment are additional objectives of the council, as is encouraging existing and potential global exporting support regionally.

We are conducting this annual survey to identify the needs of businesses in southern Illinois seeking expansion into foreign markets and to measure their interest in participating in our 2021/22 Southern Illinois Trade Missions. Missions are about opening doors for local entrepreneurs and developing long-term trade and investment opportunities in foreign markets. They build prestige and credibility for entrepreneurs and help exporters to position themselves in foreign markets.

We would like your input regarding target countries/regions and specific services that would benefit you the most. As always, all responses collected will be strictly confidential. 
We appreciate you taking time to complete this survey. Thank you!
1.Your Name:
2.Company Name / Illinois Location (city, county):
3.E-mail Address (it will NOT be shared with others):
4.Please describe the primary industry of your company
5.How many employees does your company have?
6.What are your approximate annual revenues?
7.Are you currently exporting?

8.If yes, please indicate the destinations to which you export:
9.What is the approximate percentage of sales due to exporting?
10.Please list your top three export markets by dollar value
11.Does your company have current or future plans to expand to other countries?
12.If yes, which countries offer the best expansion opportunities for your company in the future?
13.What are the most critical issues facing your export strategy today? (choose your top 3 issues)
14.What resources would you need to pursue a growth strategy? (check all that apply)
15.Have you or your company ever visited another country to assess trade and/or investment opportunities?
16.Have you or your company ever visited another country on an organized trade mission?
17.If interested in participating in a trade/investment mission, please list the types of contacts that you would like to meet:
18.During a trade mission, please list various (business) locations that should be visited to benefit your expanding business (e.g. ports, banks, manufacturers, etc.):
19.During a trade mission, please indicate the type of information you would like to receive from all trade mission organizers:
20.If you do participate in a trade mission, how would you prefer to manage your own travel arrangements?
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neither Disagree Nor Agree
Agree
Strongly Agree
I would prefer to book my own airline ticket to and from a trade mission
I would prefer the trade mission organizers to book my airline ticket during a trade mission
I would prefer to book my own hotel accommodation during a trade mission
I would prefer the trade mission organizers to arrange my hotel accommodation during a trade mission
21.Briefly describe any other expectations you would have on a potential trade and investment mission below:
22.If the SW IL Trade & Investment Council and the ITC at SIUE were to participate at a pavilion at any of the following 2020 shows sponsored by the State of Illinois, which ones would you be interested? (Select all that apply)

Note: These shows as well as any other international trade exhibitions of your choosing might qualify for the Illinois State Trade Export Promotion (ISTEP) financial and technical funding offered to small and medium-sized exporters of Illinois. For complete details, you can visit our site: http://www.siue.edu/business/itc/istep.shtml
23.Generally, which months of the year are the most convenient for company employees to travel abroad for one week? (select all that apply)
24.What services would aid you in expanding/starting your export business? Check all that apply.
25.What export related seminar topics would be useful for your business? Check all that apply.
26.Any other issues / areas of concern that have not been covered in this survey?
27.Would you be interested in participate in a follow-up meeting in February to voice your opinion and help us select target countries and/or industry shows for our 2020 Southern Illinois Trade Mission?
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