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Ready, AIM, Export!! VEDP Takes AIM at Virginia's "Opportunity" Regions with New Export Assistance Program The VEDP International Trade Division begins service to a new group of Virginia companies with an innovative international sales development program, Accessing International Markets, known as the AIM Program. AIM will assist companies from Virginia's "Opportunity" Regions that are ready to actively pursue sales in a target market overseas. Turn your international leads into sales! The Accessing International Markets (AIM) Program presents a new and innovative opportunity for Virginia companies to successfully enter into the global marketplace. The purpose of AIM is to position new-to-export companies, or companies entering a new market, to confidently face the challenges of international sales and realize the benefits of exporting. Opportunities to expand sales of existing products & services to new customers beyond the U.S. domestic market results in added jobs and greater revenue. Funding for this new international sales program was granted to the VEDP International Trade Division through Governor Warner's "Virginia Works" Initiative. The program will be introduced to companies in Virginia's Opportunities Regions this fall. These regions have generally experienced fewer of the positive implications of the increasingly global business environment. AIM program was developed to help reverse this trend. The AIM Program will prepare qualified companies to successfully sell their products and services in international markets. It will require companies to focus on achievable goals, organize their efforts, and apply available resources to address the international sales process. Based on a competitive application process, 20 companies will be accepted into the one-year AIM Program each year beginning in early 2006. The VEDP will begin introducing the AIM program to appropriate candidate companies in November 2005. Aim participants will work closely with the AIM Program Manager to map out the appropriate steps to access their chosen target market. This structured planning process will offer each AIM participant a defined menu of international trade services from which to choose. The AIM Program Manager will provide guidance throughout this process and will organize and coordinate the sequence of services to be used by the company. Each AIM participant will be required to visit the target market of their choice during their time in the program. Participants may meet this requirement through VEDP trade missions, VEDP overseas office visits or structured visits on their own. AIM Participants will benefit from three valuable resources: 1) AIM Capital Resources Participants will receive $5,000 dollars to fund their export efforts while in the program. Funds are available to participants in two ways: Refunds of up to $4,000 for qualifying export expenses incurred A $1,000 credit for VEDP program fees (trade missions, etc) 2) AIM Team Resources Participants have a dedicated AIM Team to assist them with their market access plans. Benefits include: Direct access to AIM Team and Program Resources via AIM Hotline and AIM Web-portal A Market Access Plan (MAP) that incorporates the steps of exporting Direction from the AIM Team in developing a unique MAP for the target market of their choice. Each MAP will include pro-bono counseling and research provided by the AIM Team including services such as: market assessment and overview, competitor/distributor analysis, key trade shows and contacts, shipping regulations and documentation, and global finance options. 3) AIM Partner Resources Participants will also receive pro-bono services from AIM's Services Menu, comprised of professional export services provided by private sector AIM Program partners. The AIM Services Menu will include: export documentation and shipping check list, a compliance review, translation or interpretation, evaluation of the visibility of the company's website on major search engines, assessment of the legal requirements for sales in the target market, etc. Companies within Virginia's "Opportunity" Regions meeting the minimum qualification criteria of 2 years in business, 10 employees, and annual revenues of at least $1 million are encouraged to apply for the AIM program. Companies should be targeting a single market, and will have received at least five international inquiries within the last year or have prior export experience. Companies will work with their local VEDP Trade Manager to verify market potential prior to application and each AIM participant will be expected to visit the target market of their choice during their time in the program. "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." Lao- Tzu, Ancient Chinese Philosopher Qualified, interested companies may learn more about the program by contacting their local VEDP Trade Manager or the AIM Program Manager, Elizabeth Morgan, EMorgan@YesVirginia.org for more information. For more information on international sales programs and services, please visit our website at: www.ExportVirginia.org.