Through a College of Charleston initiative called the Global Trade HelpDesk, a group of twenty School of Business Students was able to help several Charleston-based businesses deciding whether or not to enter the Middle Eastern market.
The Global Trade HelpDesk aims to develop opportunities for South Carolina-based companies that are interested in doing business overseas. The project, supported by the Global Business Resource Center at the College’s School of Business, requires students to conduct research to produce firm economic opportunity assessments for the companies, including regulatory issues, social and cultural considerations, logistics, and strategic positioning for the global market in question.
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Students present findings to local businesses and discuss opportunities in the greater Middle East Region.
To prepare for the April 2015 presentation, students detailed the risks, logistics and potential opportunities of entering the Middle Eastern market, and provided each of the companies with a 40 to 55-page export-action plan and assessment. The findings were so helpful that some of the local businesses involved expressed interest in continued meetings with the students.
“Our client was very impressed with our findings and is ready take a closer look at our analysis with us,” Krystyna Rastorguieva, a senior international business major, said. “We’re planning another meeting with them to speak in depth about next steps for entering the Middle Eastern market.”
David Desplaces, associate professor of management and entrepreneurship and leader of the Global Trade HelpDesk initiative, said, “This project allows students to apply what they learn in the classroom about global commerce. We also support local companies that are interested in international trade, and create new partnerships with businesses all over the world. It’s truly a win-win-win.”
