Small Utah businesses are exporting into large overseas markets

Somewhere across the globe, a competitive archer is aiming a bow and arrow manufactured in Salt Lake City, a heart patient is receiving a stent made in South Jordan, and a genealogist is combing through historical records on a Provo-based website. 

In our ever-flattening world, Utah companies are realizing vast opportunities by exporting their products and services overseas. That's not surprising considering roughly 75 percent of the world's purchasing power and 95 percent of its population are outside the United States, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

But what was almost unthinkable 10 years ago — a small business exporting to a market like China, for example — is now possible thanks to technological advances such as the rise of e-commerce sites, among other factors.

In fact, most of the nearly 2,900 Utah companies that export are small and medium-sized businesses. By selling their goods abroad — to top Utah export destinations like the United Kingdom, China, Canada and India — these companies are able to diversify their portfolios, weather changes in the domestic economy, and maximize their growth potential.  KSL