Providing the "Missing Link"
When it comes to getting qualified information and support for the global trade challenges that domestic and foreign businesses face when conducting business in the State of California, who are you going to contact? Foreign buyers and investors want to do business in California, yet, if one tried to conduct online market research or get on-the-ground support to facilitate global trade transactions or investment opportunities they wouldn’t know where to start.

California has a very sophisticated and complicated network of public and private sector trade promotion service providers located throughout the State that support California business in bilateral trade and investment transactions.  This network could better serve California’s business community if they presented themselves to the global marketplace in a more collective and collaborative manner. 

To address this problem, a partnership was created between the Monterey Bay International Trade Association (MBITA) and the San Fernando Valley International Trade Association (VITA) to create a web portal that brings together all of the public and private sector trade promotion service providers in California under one roof so domestic and foreign companies can easily obtain the qualified information and the on-the-ground support needed for success.

How GlobalCalifornia.Com Works

GlobalCalifornia.Com will employ ‘click & chat’ service where online content will be supported by on-the-ground trade promotion and investment service providers employing ‘chat’ and VOIP technology. For example, let’s say a foreign company wishing to import product from California is seeking some specific information and an introduction to a California legal firm that specializes in a specific industry sector and can provide the foreign company the support they require for a successful transaction.

The foreign company would go to GlobalCalifornia.com and click on the ‘legal’ tower and then identify the firm(s) they would like to have an introduction. They would then click on the ‘trade manager’ icon and through ‘chat’ or VOIP request an introduction to this particular law firm.

The GlobalCalifornia.com trade manager would then identify the region in California where this legal firm is located and then pass on the lead to one of 28 full time public or private sector trade promotion service organizations located throughout the State. These organizations are primed to respond to such requests. This whole process could take place in ‘real-time’ during normal business hours or offline based on time differences.

The foreign company now has identified and qualified the kind of legal support they potentially need, plus, they have an on-the-ground trade promotion service center in California supporting their efforts for an introduction and further support for a successful transaction. This is ‘click & chat’.

Reference Video: http://www.mbita.org/globalcaliforniavideo.php.