The State International Development Organizations, Inc. (SIDO) is the premiere U.S. organization dedicated to supporting state international trade agencies, whose mission statement states “SIDO provides state trade promotion professionals with a forum for collaboration and sharing best practices as well as advocates for states’ international trade development issues so that U.S. companies remain globally competitive”.
SIDO recognized IBT Online with the “Champion of Trade” Award for its successful Online Global program, working directly with small to medium-sized exporters, helping them grow their sales, brands and businesses globally. The award was presented to John Worthington, IBT Online CEO, by Manny Mencia, SIDO President, (Manny is also SVP International Trade and Development at Enterprise Florida, the public-private partnership between Florida’s business and government leaders and is the principal economic development organization for Florida) at the annual SIDO Best Practices and Training Forum in Williamsburg, Virginia.
SIDO is a non-profit, non-partisan organization, affiliated with The Council of State Governments (CSG), and is comprised of international economic development practitioners and professionals from state and related organizations across the country. SIDO is the only national organization focused exclusively on state international trade development. SIDO helps state international trade agencies better serve American exporters by sharing innovative ideas and resources, developing the skills of state trade professionals, advocating the interests of states in trade promotion, and facilitating multi-state collaboration. State international trade agencies are widely recognized as leaders in innovative, performance-based trade development assistance and export promotion. SIDO has six Guiding Principles
1) Exporting increases the competitiveness of existing industries, increases companies’ profits, and increases employees’ wages. Through exporting, good companies become better companies.
2) States generally collaborate on trade promotion programs and increased collaboration benefits the trade promotion profession.
3) A strong trade economy benefits national security.
4) Exporters generally seek assistance first at the local level so states are in an ideal position to assist their local exporters.
5) State trade promotion programs are ideally situated to identify gaps between services offered by the federal government and those needed within their state and develop solutions to fill these gaps.
6) There are many U.S. companies with the ability to export but do not export due to lack of time, talent, or money. Federal or state agencies alone cannot service the needs of all potential U.S. exporters. Therefore, greater state-federal collaboration is essential to assure that that trade assistance is client-focused and client-driven, with less bureaucracy and without duplication of efforts.
If you want to know more about SIDO and the great work they do, please check out: www.sidoamerica.org/about-us
IBT Online, (that is International Business and Technology Online) provides website localization and international online marketing services to help companies grow their sales, brands and businesses online globally. The 21st Century digital disruption has transformed exporting and international business and since 2002, IBT Online has worked with companies to establish and manage their global online presence through website localization and international online marketing. IBT Online is “client-focused and client-driven” as we support the SIDO Guiding Principles, and work to better serve American exporters by sharing innovative “online” ideas and resources. From strategic planning, through content localization, design customization and technical implementation of localized websites, to country specific search engine optimization and social media marketing, the Online Global services are tailored support the international business strategy of companies as they export and expand globally.
If you want to know more about IBT Online, our SIDO "Champion of Trade" Award winning Online Global program and how we can help you grow your sales, brands and businesses international, please contact us at: www.ibt.onl/contact
