Could Trade Save Small Businesses?

UPS has commissioned two surveys to gauge the outlook of its small business customers. The first was in September and October and the second was in December, so UPS is sharing how perspectives have changed since the recession really hit America's collective consciousness.

General optimism has not changed that much since the summer, but the real surprise may be how valued trade is for some small businesses.

• Small-business owners who engaged in international trade were more likely to project optimism. In the first survey, 56 percent of such small-business owners said they expected their company to be in a better economic position in one year, compared with 41 percent of companies that did not trade. In the second survey, 62 percent of small-businesses owners who traded internationally expressed optimism compared to 39 percent of non-traders.
• However, 73 percent of respondents in the survey do not engage in international trade, nor plan to do so. Unfamiliarity with global markets, language barriers and apprehension about preparing customs and other documents were among the main reasons why they aren't trading across borders.