Charles Shapiro makes his living preaching the gospel of trade.

As head of the State Department’s task force on Western Hemisphere free trade agreements, the Atlanta native for the past year and a half has traveled the country and world singing the praises of open markets.

Speaking to diverse audiences, Mr. Shapiro has found that in many people’s minds, trade means lost jobs and opportunities for Americans, he said to about 140 people at an international trade seminar sponsored by the World Chamber of Commerce. 

That fear won’t leave until macroeconomic benefits are clearly visible to common people, whom he playfully described as “your mother’s next-door neighbor.”

“What people want to know is, ‘Is my life going to be better of because of what’s going on?’” he said. “We need to find a way to talk about trade in a way that people understand, and we need to find a way to make sure that the benefits of trade are enjoyed by all our citizens, not just the top 50 companies in the United States.”

One way to do that is to help more small- and medium-sized companies tap into resources that can help them succeed in global markets, said Rick Martin, international trade consultant at the Small Business Development Center in Gwinnett County.

Small businesses already fuel much of the country’s trade growth.  About 30 percent of trade volume in the U.S. comes from small businesses, he said.

But many of them go about trade without taking advantage of readily available resources that can help steer clear of common international pitfalls, Mr. Martin said.

While global giants like International Business Machines Corp. and Boeing Co. have brand names that provide instant access, smaller companies must work hard to find the right partners.

They should learn about the culture of the country they’re entering, and they shouldn’t try to partner with companies that are much bigger than they are, he said.

“You don’t want to end up with a giant overseas,” he added.

To expand their global reach on a small budget, companies also have to be resourceful. Local trade shows are particularly good for networking, as they allow businesses to make international connections without leaving the state, Mr. Martin said.

He cited as an example the annual poultry show that attracts thousands of visitors to Atlanta.

The federal and state governments also have resources to help companies go abroad.  The U.S. Department of Commerce will help set up appointments and provide connections all over the world.  The State of Georgia has 10 offices abroad that help companies do business in key markets.

Technology has paved the way for small companies to make sales globally in a way that wasn’t possible before the advent of the online era.  With 80 percent of the world’s 1.3 billion Internet users shopping online, companies can’t underestimate the importance of a clean, professional Web site, Mr. Martin said.

“A small business has a lot of tools it can use out there, and it’s just a matter of taking advantage of what’s already there,” he said.

One of Georgia’s biggest assets is its logistics industry, said Robert Morris, director of external affairs for the Georgia Ports Authority.  Mr. Morris gave an update on the operations of Port of Savannah at the World Chamber event.

He said the ports authority has a team devoted to helping small businesses use the port, which he called “an international trade bonanza at your back door.”

“We’ve built a distribution center for small users, so it’s much easier for small users to get into the market than ever before,” he said.

With all these resources, there’s no reason that Georgia shouldn’t become a “free trade mecca,” said State Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock).

Georgia should be inviting businesses from all over the world, selling the state’s strong universities, entrepreneurial climate, quality workforce training programs and low taxes and low cost of living, he said.

Georgia can compete on the global scale, which should eliminate any fear that free trade will hurt the state’s economy, he said.

“If you’re against free trade, what you’re essentially saying is that I can’t compete, I can’t compete with the rest of the world,” Mr. Rogers said.  “That’s a defeatist attitude because if you can’t compete with the rest of the world, eventually you’re going to lose.” 

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