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What fun and interesting job does Liz have? She is the Director of Trade, Commerce and International Affairs for King County (largest county in Washington State and 12th largest in the US). She was appointed to the position 11 months ago and, in that short time, has successfully laid the groundwork for small and mid-sized businesses in the Pacific Northwest to become more involved in international trade. Liz reports to the King County Executive, Ron Sims. Why is trade important to a local government? Liz states that one third of the U.S. economy is based on trade. Washington is the most trade dependent state. It is predicted that by the year 2005, one out of three jobs will be related to trade. Looking at this prediction, King County sees an opportunity, as the local government, to play a key role in the facilitation of trade. Its goal is to increase economic growth and jobs through global two-way trade. It would like to help open doors in international trade for small to mid-sized businesses. As is the case with many large cities in the United States, Seattle’s local corporate giants are very experienced with trade. However, small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), the backbone of the region’s economy, lag behind. SMBs often require special assistance to help them through a myriad of rules, regulations and financial considerations associated with trading globally. In what ways can a local government assist small and mid-sized businesses in international trade? "We’d like to get SMBs to think about trade as a possibility," said Liz. "We hope to encourage them by providing tools for them to take the first steps. We can let them know what services and programs are available to help them. We want to downsize the fear of trade and ultimately want them to say, 'Wow, I can do this!' "Trade is a business of people. It’s all about cultivating relationships. We can help SMBs make contacts that they ordinarily wouldn’t be able to make. One way we make these connections is through trade missions." In October, Liz and other representatives from King County spent time in South America on a trade mission. During the mission, they laid the groundwork for export and import opportunities in Brazil, Chile and Argentina by meeting with many people there wanting to trade with the Pacific Northwest. "The people- to- people part of trade is the key part," said Liz. "You want to do business with people you know and trust. You want to have the confidence that when you engage in a business transaction it will be an honest one." Trade efforts are very labor intensive, which many small businesses cannot afford. Local government can help open the doors for SMBs by working with the local governments of other countries. In all other countries, government involvement in trade is expected and highly valued. Businesses use government officials as key connectors to the rest of the world. Do you have any advice for school children around the world? (Actually, I think this advice applies to all people!) "Sky’s the limit, maintain a positive attitude, remember that anything is possible. Your approach to the world should be to be open to change and flexible. "Multi-culturalism is a gift, and it’s imperative to be comfortable with other cultures and other people different from you. Learn one or two languages other than English, even if it’s not required in high school or college. Learn how to write well and be able to express your opinions verbally. Good writing skills are invaluable in the workplace. If you can write well, you can even do math more easily. Good speaking skills are also important, as difficult as they may be for us. "Maintaining eye contact is important. Know how to greet and relate to people. It’s important to be confident enough to be able to meet people. Networking is a big part of being in this world and maximizing opportunities. Develop a 'sense of appreciation of yourself.' Recognize and use your talents. Computer skills are essential, but should not replace the wonder of reading. Nothing beats reading the Sunday paper, even though you can get it on the Internet! Computers can't replace the joy and necessity of reading. The two are beneficial, and complement each other. You have time to do both." I think we, in Seattle, are very lucky to have such a capable person working to increase international trade for our region. What sort of trade program does your local government have in place? |
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