Do-It-Yourself International Market Research
12/28/2009
by Joe Robinson | Format for Print

Editor's Note: Periodically throughout the year we will be republishing some of the best IBT articles of the past nine years.

Are you looking for new markets, new customers and new opportunities to expand your overseas business? Would you like to find a one-stop spot that will provide information that is relevant and current to your business needs? Would you like to do your own “data mining” using a friendly method? Would you like to save your company thousand of dollars in professional research service fees?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, then STAT-USA is your answer. STAT-USA is home of the National Trade Data Bank (NTDB), one of the best sources of data to find new business opportunities.

What Is The National Trade Data Bank?

“The National Trade Data Bank organizes a wealth of information from across the federal government in one easy-to-use location,” says Shannon Smythe of the U. S. Department of Commerce. “It is an affordable, useful and indispensable tool for everyone from the novice researching potential international markets to the seasoned professional tracking market trends and making international contacts.”

The NTDB gathers the most up-to-date and best international and economic data from 20 federal agencies, private and academic institutions and presents it in a handy format. The minimal subscription fee for the service is a small price to pay for the value and benefit of the data you receive.

What Is Contained In The NTDB?

Some of the most important features of the NTDB that I frequently use are:

Daily Leads from both private tenders and official Government sources that allow users to identify new markets and potential partners.

Historical Trade Leads to track market trends over a period of time.

Country and Market Research reports ranging from specific profiles of foreign market conditions (International Marketing Insight Reports) and in-depth analysis of industry subsections (Industry Sector Analysis Reports) to detailed market overviews for doing business in more than 120 countries (Country Commercial Guides).

The Global Trade Directory enables users to register their company online, search for international partners and even research competition.

How Do Exporters Use the NTDB?

An international marketing manager of a very successful Virginia manufacturer that exports to more than 80 countries advises that he always prints out a copy of the Country Commercial Guide whenever he travels to a new market. “The NTDB is, for me, the easiest and fastest way to obtain the practical information I need to arrive at my destination well prepared to do my business,” he says.

Whenever I take a trade mission abroad, I prepare a three-ring briefing book for each of my participants using data obtained from the NTDB. I customize the notebooks by printing out the Country Commercial Guides and also the relevant Industry Sector Analysis and other similar reports.

Where Do I Go For More Information?

You may call the Customer Service Center at 1-800-STAT-USA or e-mail stat@usa.doc.gov. You can sign up for the free mailing list whether or not you are a subscriber.

To sign up for the STAT-USA Newsletter via mail or e-mail, go to http://www.stat-usa.gov/newsletter.

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