Have you thought about exporting your products or services, but you're not sure where to start? Don't panic … you don't have to go through the process alone. There are dozens of resources and leading experts in the field who will guide you in the right direction.

1. Here's who you need to connect with to customize your global market business plan:

One exporting specialist worth connecting with is Zach Person. Zach is the program manager for the Illinois SBDC International Trade Center, located at the Center for Entrepreneurship at the College of DuPage. With over a decade of international business experience, Zach helps small to midsize businesses successfully launch into the global market, every day.

"Businesses come to me with problems all the time, and I love it because I enjoy solving them," says Zach. "When it comes to finding new customers globally, most businesses don't know the process. Oftentimes, a company in a different country comes to a U.S.-based business looking to buy their service or product, and they think, 'Okay … how do I do this and where do I start?'"

Zach collaborates with these types of businesses to come up with a proper action plan. Every company has personal resources they can leverage, so he starts by taking a strategic look into the tools they already have, then designs a custom plan to attract the right global customers.

"It's fun because they come to me with a problem, and at first it seems really challenging. But after coming up with a plan together, business owners walk out more motivated to get it done," states Zach.

2. Get your questions answered through a program series driven by and for U.S. companies who export:

Speaking of getting it done, Zach is the primary driver of developing exporting and global market educational programs, sponsored by both the International Trade Association of Greater Chicago and the Illinois SBDC International Trade Center. He's about to launch a unique and invaluable peer-to-peer meeting series titled, "Exporting: Get. It. Done."

On September 30, the first event in its series will discuss cross-border eCommerce and how to grow your international online sales, with special guest Rob Wray, CEO of mp3Car.com and Whitebox.co. Wray will share his experience on leveraging an online marketplace to find and win new customers.

Alongside interactive programs, the Illinois SBDC International Trade Center also offers a wide range of tools and services for local businesses interested in expanding into a global market. Resources include but are not limited to: Global Market Partnership/Distributor Discovery and Vetting, Competitor Analysis, Go-To-Market Strategies, Cross Border eCommerce Strategy, Lead Generation, Trade Show Discovery, and much more.

about the series and for details on the first event, which will take place on September 30 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

If you're interested in attending any of these SBDC ITC programs moderated by Zach Person, you can email Zach at personz@cod.edu. Please include further information about your business.