Export Readiness Program (HiSTEP-ERP)

The Export Readiness Program (HiSTEP-ERP) is a training and advising program to prepare Hawaii companies to begin or expand their export market development. The program includes one-on-one export business advising and export training seminars. HiSTEP-ERP is open to all types of businesses considering exporting. At the conclusion of the program, companies will have a go-to-market strategy and export plan.

The following is the current list of seminars scheduled for the 2022 HiSTEP Program:

2022 HiSTEP Kick-off Seminars

Hawaiʻi Island: Monday, November 1, 2021, 10:00 AM
Registration: Zoom #1, Hawaiʻi Island
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gNllD8WNTsWyXrPNlfyylg

Kauaʻi: Monday, November 1, 2021, 2:00 PM
Registration: Zoom #2, Kauai
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aiuymGbsTBeag6WxYRuVFg

Oʻahu: Tuesday, November 2, 2021, 10:00 AM
Registration: Zoom #3, Oahu
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4i8EXYbrRKyWaH29PerMEQ

Maui: Tuesday, November 2, 2021, 2:00 PM
Registration: Zoom #4, Maui
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_AbDXjMu7QoK3QQtOWDFr0w

The HiSTEP program has three key components that you will learn about in the seminar:

Export Readiness Program – training and consulting to help you begin or expand your export market development plans;
Hawai‘i Pavilions – support at major trade shows such as the Tokyo International Gift Show; and
Company Assistance – awards of up to $5,000 for new-to- export companies and up to $15,000 for market expansion companies.

This year four HiSTEP 2022 kick-off sessions will be held, each with a different island/county emphasis.

Exporting Agricultural Products from Hawaiʻi
Thursday, November 18, 2021, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IuAFCbeWS4i9lnI-qjZT-g

Agricultural products–including beverages and processed foods–are a growing export of the Hawaii economy. This webinar will introduce you to several federal, state, and county resources that are available to agricultural exporters, as well discuss international trade shows where Hawaii will have a strong presence in 2022.

Export University 101
Thursday, December 9, 2021, 9:00 AM – 12:00 NOON
Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_HAwtWoZnRPSx9SSpULGLrg

Learn from experts the fundamentals of core export courses, including finance, marketing, legal, information technology, logistics, and cultural issues. This course is designed to provide broad, high level insights to these topics and give the exporter or potential exporter ideas to contemplate and issues to prepare for when sending products and services overseas.

E-Commerce for Hawaiʻi Exporters to Japan
Thursday, January 6, 2022, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM HST / Friday, January 7, 2022, 10:00-11:00AM JST
Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_x_VeLQQ_RD-r_u11qiw85w

Due to lingering travel quarantines and fewer visitors to the islands from Japan, E-Commerce is more important than ever for Hawaii’s exporters. The focus of this webinar will be online shopping in Japan and how to pre-position products in the market for sales and rapid order fulfillment on Amazon Japan, Rakuten, or via your own website.

Exporting to Australia & New Zealand
Session postponed – new date TBD
Registration: link coming soon.

Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) are potentially interesting markets for Hawaii exporters as both countries have: direct flights to the islands, strong beach and surf cultures, and a growing appetite for natural and organic products. This webinar will feature US commercial service officers and businesspeople joining us from ANZ to discuss market trends and provide insights as to how to market your products to those markets.

Exporting of Services from Hawaiʻi
Thursday, March 10, 2022, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM HST
Registration: link coming soon.

The service sector is an important part of the Hawaii economy and exporting of services can be a significant driver of growth in areas such as architecture, engineering, technology, business planning, hospitality, training, and education. This seminar will bring together local experts who have been successful at exporting their services and government officials who assist service-oriented companies with their export goals.

Logistics for Hawaiʻi Exporters
Thursday, April 7, 2022, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM HST
Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__9NvikdMSs-GHbDoKemx6Q

Shipping products to customers in foreign markets is perhaps the most complicated and expensive part of exporting from Hawaii. Many of our local companies do not consider this extremely important step before they start selling in a foreign market, and hard earned profits can be easily erased by mistakes in logistics. This webinar will introduce you to key suppliers of logistics solutions who can help you with your packaging, consolidation, shipment, customs duties, and warehousing.

Export Financing for Hawaiʻi Companies
Thursday, May 12, 2022, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM HST
Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_a6Uj3pLvTb6OSNOnK1meeA

Financing the export of orders received from overseas customers can sometimes seem like a daunting task, however there is support available to Hawaii exporters. This seminar will provide details about financial language and terms used in international business that are different than local or domestic US sales. Also, information about resources such as Export-Import (EXIM) Bank credit financing, SBA export financing, and other options available in Hawaii, and introductions to the people who can assist you.

Exporting to Japan for Hawaiʻi Companies
Thursday June 9, 2022, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM HST
Registration: link coming soon.

Japan is the top market for Hawaii exporters, due to longstanding cultural ties and our geographic location. Its sophisticated consumers with considerable purchasing power seek high-quality, trend setting, innovative products and services from Hawaii. This seminar will provide insights to doing business in Japan, as well as introduce attendees to key people and organizations that are excellent resources for Hawaii companies interested in exporting products and services to Japan.

Exporting from Hawaiʻi Island
Thursday, July 7, 2022, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM HST
Registration: link coming soon.

This webinar will introduce Hawaii Island exporters to key people at the federal, state, and county level who are ready to assist with exporting needs. Likewise, we will discuss products and services that are specific to the Big Island which have a high likelihood of success in overseas markets.

Export Plan Writing Workshop – Session 1 of 2
Thursday, August 11, 2022, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM HST
Registration: link coming soon.

This two-part workshop will help companies develop an Export Plan specific to their business. The first workshop will review in detail a professional Export Plan template, after which the companies will have a month to do research and begin to fill out the template. The second workshop will review key concepts of the Export Plan, discuss progress the companies have made on their plans, and answer any questions via a roundtable discussion. At the end of the process, the companies should have an understanding of their ability to export, areas they need to improve upon, target market(s) to address, next steps to accomplish, and key contacts to meet in order to start moving the new Export Plan forward.

Export Plan Writing Workshop – Session 2 of 2
Thursday, September 8, 2022, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM HST
Registration: link coming soon.

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