Take The Leads?

So where should a small company turn?

Saale advises entrepreneurs to hire a consultant. Teske, meanwhile, says small companies should consider buying ads in relevant trade publications such as Commercial News USA and consulting with legitimate government-run trade authorities. He notes, however, that the best use of government leads may be in developing contacts for future efforts, as trade leads are often outdated by the time they appear in government listings.

Graham points out that valuable Internet sources do exist. He recommends Trade Compass (http://www.tradecompass.com) and Venture-Web (http://www.venture-web.or.jp) as helpful sites. As a general rule, though, he encourages global entrepreneurs to find leads the old-fashioned way: "The best leads are referrals, tips given to you by a third party who knows your company."

This article was originally published in the January 2000 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Take The Leads?.