Bob Mucci and Cecilia Rivas Schurmann can now officially call themselves Certified Global Business Professionals.
What does that mean for Cochise County small business owners? Two of just three people in Arizona with this level of international trade knowledge are located at the Cochise College Small Business Development Center, a free resource for local businesses seeking counseling, planning and start-up assistance, and a wealth of other services.
Bob Mucci
“It provides both of us with more credibility when we’re dealing with our clients and people in the import/export field,” said Mucci, Business Analyst at the SBDC. “It’s just a good certification and qualification to have as part of our personal resume, and for the college to have two people on staff who have a very high level of certification.”
The SBDC, based at the Sierra Vista Campus, expanded its office in the spring by hiring Schurmann to work part-time as the International Trade Specialist at the Douglas Campus. The Cochise SBDC is hoping its first-ever branch will help small business owners in the county jump on the idea of expanding their market.
Cecilia Rivas Schurmann
And just because southeast Arizona businesses are near the border, that doesn’t mean the sole exporting focus lies narrowly on Mexico, especially in the age of the Internet.
“Arizona has a very extensive border with Mexico, so there are trade opportunities both ways,” Mucci said. “But more important than that, our focus isn’t just opening up trade opportunities with Mexico. It’s opening them up widely internationally and being perceptive about products and services that can be offered by businesses on an international basis.”
In late spring, Mucci and Schurmann had the distinction of being the first two people within the Arizona Small Business Development Center network to achieve Intermediate Level Certification in trade knowledge from the Small Business Administration, which meets requirements outlined in the Jobs Act. Business counselors were encouraged, however, to go even further and take the advanced level certification test.
After extensive studying, Mucci and Schurmann passed the CGBP test through the National Association of Small Business International Educators, commonly referred to as NASBITE.
“Exporting has the potential to increase jobs,” Schurmann said. “This all boils down to economic development. While studying for my (CGBP certification) test, I learned that people are willing to pay more for a product made in the U.S. There’s a strong brand image, and their stuff sells.”
Mucci said there are still many untapped markets in international trade, and there’s no better time to start seeking those opportunities.
“Part of this is the push of the present (presidential) administration to increase trade and exporting of U.S. products overseas,” Mucci said. “A lot of small businesses don’t have the perception that they can export their products and services, but if you, as a business owner, have a website, the world is your market.”
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