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TRADE BARRIERS. Although this site has a long name, don't let that deter you. 2000 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers at www.ustr.gov/reports/nte/2000/contents.html has capsule reports in PDF format on trade conditions in dozens of countries worldwide. It's mostly concerned with export barriers to U.S. goods, but the information is valuable to anyone interested in foreign trade.

NEIGHBORHOOD WEATHER. This site actually tells you what the weather conditions are going to be in your neighborhood. Talk about micro-forecasting! Digital Cyclone, a Minnesota company, uses computer models and mapping devices to make forecasts in four-mile areas across the continential U.S. After you register with My-Cast (it's free) you just type in your ZIP code and your usual outside activities (gardening, washing your car, playing golf, etc.) and sign up for daily updates, and three-to-five day forecasts. You also can choose multiple locations: home, work, a travel or vacation destination, and more.

E-COMMERCE. there's a great site where you can find the resources you need. Electronic Commerce and the European Union at europa.eu.int/ISPO/ecommerce is a European Union site, but it will help anyone, no matter where they're located, get into the e-commerce game. Here you'll find articles, research, statistics, policy papers, discussion forums, an ask-the-expert feature, funding sources, trade and employment leads, and much more.

BUSINESS.COM. Whether you're researching a country, market, or company, Business.com at www.business.com is a good place to start. This site has so much detail you'll be amazed -- as an example, they have a list of key players in the Condiments, Spreads & Sauces industry. That's right -- if you want to know who's the Big Dog in the salad dressing game, you'll find out here. You can either type in a keyword at the home page, or click through various levels of categories till you find what you're looking for. The information is quite detailed. For example, in the Food & Beverage category you can view editors' picks for research, newsletters available, key players (companies with highest market cap, best stock performance, biggest profit margin, etc), related associations, and so on. The company finder has links to 10,000 US public companies, 15,000 international companies and 45,000 private companies. Information on the page includes stock quote, profile, news, key competitors, and more. My only quibble with Business.com is that the font size is too small, which is hard on my middle-aged eyes.

ASK AN EXPERT . You can find answers on the Web to just about every question you can think of. There are many "Ask an Expert" sites, where you can ask a question and have it answered by e-mail. AskA+ Locator at www.vrd.org/locator/subject.html has a list of them, divided by subjects, so you can find your answers even easier.

WORLD TRAVEL GUIDE. The next time Bizinfo Team plan a vacation it's going to use World Travel Guide at www.worldtravelguide.net/navigate/world.asp. This site has all the information Bizinfo Team'd need to plan a trip. By clicking on the world map you can get a complete travel guide to wherever you want to go, with information about attractions, accommodations, maps, weather, money, passports & visas, duty- free shopping, overviews of major cities, and much more. This site also has detailed guides to world cities, airports, events, skiing, and weather. There are lots of helpful articles and resources for business and vacation travelers.

COUNTRY PROFILES. We looked for a country like that at Barclays Corporate Banking Internet Site at www.corporate.barclays.co.uk/go/home.nsf/lookup/home+page, which has profiles of countries worldwide, but there was no information about pollen counts. However, you'll find lots of other information simply by clicking on "Economic Reports" in the left column. You'll be able to read profiles of dozens of countries showing recent economic trends, top 10 trading partners, short term interest rates, inflation numbers, exchange rates, and lots more

WORLD MEDIA. If I had a product that would make life easier for someone in the beverage processing industry in Australia, I'd want to place an advertisement about it in a magazine called Food Australia. I know about Food Australia because I searched the database at Worldbizmedia.com at www.Worldbizmedia.com. This site has a database of 40,000 international business-to-business publications with editorial profiles, current ad rates, circulation information, and more. You search by industry and country, and when you find a magazine you like, Worldbizmedia.com will send you detailed information about the publication within 24 hours, at no cost or obligation to advertise.

SEARCH FOR SEARCHERS . There are so many search engines on the Web these days that now there's a search engine for finding search engines. FinderSeeker at www.finderseeker.com will help you find the right search engine for your needs. Just select the category and country that you're interested in, and FinderSeeker will give you a list of search engines that fit your needs. Hint: you'll get more results if you don't specify a keyword.

GOOD VIBES. Bizinfo always like Web sites that are created and maintained by librarians. Librarians are skilled at finding and organizing sources of information, whether in book or electronic form, so you know a librarian's site will be worth visiting. Once such site is Virtual International Business & Economic Sources (VIBES) atlibweb.uncc.edu/ref-bus/vibehome.htm, created by Jeanie M. Welch, a librarian at the University of North Carolina. The information on this site is as unbiased and reliable as you're going to find on the Net. VIBES gives you quality, not quantity. Instead of overwhelming you with thousands of links to Web sites, most of which are useless, outdated, or lacking in content, Jeanie has carefully put together a list of 1,600 links to free international business and economic information on the Internet, much of it from government or academic sources. Click on the Table of Contents and you'll see a subject list that goes from Agricultural & Forest Products to Trade Issues & Statistics. There's also a list of sites devoted to specific regions of the world, and an alphabetical list of sites devoted to countries.

ASIAN LIBRARY . And while we're on the subject of librarians, here's another site that has a librarian's fingerprints on it. Nanyang Technological University's Virtual Library Subject Guides at http://www.ntu.edu.sg/lib/virtual.htm has a treasure trove of information, especially about Asia. Their Singapore and Asia section has tons of resources, and you'll also find lots of good links if you scroll down to their International Resources section.

INTERNATIONAL JOBS. Sometimes I fantasize about chucking my suburban life and moving to Paris, or Rome, or maybe even Hong Kong. It's just a fantasy, but if I ever want to make it a reality the first place I'll visit is GlobalCareerCenter.com at www.globalcareercenter.com. This Web site has postings for jobs all over the world. You can search by country, job category, or keyword, and your search will return a list of jobs that fit your criteria. If you see one you like, you can click on it to get detailed information about the job, along with contact information. This site works for both employers and job seekers. Employers can post their jobs, search for international resumes posted by job seekers, create resume search agents, and track the status of each applicant. The site is free for employers and applicants.

SAMPLE BUSINESS PLANS. You can't go into business these days without first doing a business plan. Investors, bankers - just about everyone who gets involved with your new business is going to want to see the numbers, so you if you're starting a business and you don't have a plan, you'd better visit Sample Business Plans at www.bplans.com. This site has more than five dozen sample plans for all types of businesses (including import- export ones), and you can view them for free. There are also plans for marketing your business, starting a Web-based business, starting a non-profit, and more. And if you have questions about starting a business, there's an Ask the Experts page where you can get them answered.

SALARY EXPERT. Ever come away from a salary negotiation feeling that you settled for less money than you could have gotten? I have, many times. In fact, if I had half the money I negotiated myself out of early in my career, I'd be rich today. I wish I could have used SalaryExpert.com at www.salaryexpert.com back then. This site allows you to search for salary data for hundreds of jobs in the U.S. and internationally. You get a chart with salary information plus cost-of-living data ("buying power") for the region you selected. It's a must-visit site before any salary negotiations.

DICTIONARY OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE TERMS. Every industry has its unique terms, and international trade is no different. Words like "bailment", "mala fides", and "tender" have their own special meanings in the business of trade, and if you want to learn them, go to the Dictionary of International Trade Terms ( http://www.itds.treas.gov/glossaryfrm.html ). This dictionary, part of the International Trade Data System of the U.S. Customs Service, has hundreds of definitions of trade terms, written in layman's language. You'll get an education in international trade just by browsing the entries at this site. You'll also find downloadable harmonized tariff schedules here, as well as dozens of other useful links for trade (under Importing/Exporting Resources).

CHANNELNEWSASIA.COM. If you have business interests in the fast-changing region of Asia, you need to keep up on the latest news. Channelnewsasia.com ( http://www.channelnewsasia.com ) is a site that features Asian news exclusively, and it's a good site to visit on a regular basis. You can click on the headlines at the home page if you see something interesting, or browse the categories (Business, Sports, Technology, Finance, etc.) for more specific stories. There are also special reports, travel tips, weather information, t.v. and radio listings, discussion forums, and more.

THE EUROPEAN BUSINESS DIRECTORY-500,000 companies in 33 countries. EUROPAGES is a business directory listing 500,000 companies selected for their import-export dynamism in all business sectors in over 35 European countries. EUROPAGES is an ideal tool for finding new clients, suppliers and partners: it is a popular reference guide with European purchasing directors. Europages.com , your connection to the business world ! One single ad in EUROPAGES generates an average of 102 business contacts in one year. People like Peter from Denmark say, "EUROPAGES is our best investment for export." Click here to learn about how your company can be featured in EUROPAGES.

TRADESTATS EXPRESS. The U.S. government has dozens of Web sites with useful information for international trade, and now there's a new one that has trade statistics presented in colorful, easy-to- understand tables and charts. TradeStats Express ( http://tse.export.gov ) has information about U.S. imports and exports that you can slice and dice in many combinations. The search parameters include: imports or exports; the U.S. as a whole or individual states; geographic regions, countries, or trading associations (e.g.., NAFTA); and products (cereals, coffee, dairy products, etc.). The data shown is from 1997- 2002, so you can get a feel for trends in the various categories.

OUR FEATURED COUNTRY SITE -- INDONESIA. Indonesia is a study in contrasts. Although it's a country, it's actually a group of islands -- 17,000 altogether. And although 95 percent of the islands are not permanently inhabited, one of the islands, Java, is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, with more than 107 million people living in an area the size of New York State. Like all island countries, Indonesia depends heavily on trade -- in 2001 it imported US $31 billion -- so this could be fertile ground for those who are interested in new markets. If you want to learn more about opportunities in Indonesia, go to Business-in-Indonesia.net ( http://www.business-in-indonesia.net/indonesia.html ). This site has links to statistics, economic and political profiles, market reports, news, key words to help you communicate, an international trade glossary, travel tips, weather forecasts, government contacts, a list of important holidays, and much more. The American Indonesian Chamber of Commerce is a FITA member association. They also have an excellent Web site (http://www.aiccusa.org) with extensive information about doing business in Indonesia.

OUR FEATURED COUNTRY SITE -- AUSTRIA. Based on recent news coverage, you'd think the most notable thing about Austria was that it produced a bodybuilder-turned-movie star who just got elected governor of California. Austria has more to offer the world than Arnold Schwarzenegger, however. This historic country at the crossroads of Central Europe exported US $70 billion in 2001, while it imported US $ 74 billion (in contrast, California exported $92 billion to the world in 2002 and imported much more!). As a member of the European Union, it's a country with many opportunities for trade. If you'd like to investigate them, here's a great place to start: the Austria Press & Information Service ( http://www.austria.org/business.htm ) has a site packed full of information that's helpful to businesspeople. There are links to news sources, travel tips, trade leads, economic statistics, history, political background, cultural information, and lots more. For specific trade information, point your mouse at "Austria in the U.S." at the top right of the page, then click on "Trade Commissions". This will lead you to the Austrian Trade Commission ( http://www.austriantradeus.org/ ) site, which has tons of useful information that will help you establish trade ties with Austria.

BIDLINE. The U.S. government is the largest purchaser of goods and services in the world. It is a $235 billion marketplace, buying everything from food and clothing, construction and IT services to airplanes and space shuttles. Other governments may not be at that spending level, but they are no slouches when it comes to buying goods and services. That's why smart businesspeople the world over look to governments as a market for what they have to sell. You can find out what governments are looking for by visiting Bidline ( http://www.bidline.com/ ). This site has a searchable database of bid notices from governments all over the world. For a fee of $19.95 a month, you can search by industrial category (research & development, education & training, modification of equipment, etc.) and type of government (federal, state, local, or international). Your search results have all the information you need, from phone numbers and e-mail addresses, to a summary of the job, to original government text about the job. It's a great way to get in the door of the government market.

WORLDWIDE MARKET INTELLIGENCE ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE. If you want to succeed in your business, you have to stay ahead in today's global business environment while on the move - quite literally. Today's executive spends a lot of time travelling, valuable time that would it be better spent keeping abreast of business developments. Time for instance, to digest the latest intelligence on the particular market that concerns you and your business. To give you this specific information in a convenient, handy format, tdctrade.com created a new Mobile Edition http://fita.m.xtenit.com/ct.jsp?uz601824Biz184086. While you still get the invaluable information of tdctrade.com, you can get a personalized selection by picking and choosing only the content you require and downloading it to your PDA. Or you can use a wireless connection for real-time access to the site. Either way will give you expert global market intelligence at hand - always. Sign up for tdctrade.com Mobile Edition http://fita.m.xtenit.com/ct.jsp?uz601824Biz184086 before November 14, 2003 and you can win a Mobile phone Travel Charger, just the thing for the today's globe trotting executive. Or you may even win the lucky draw Grand Prize of a round-trip Air Ticket to Hong Kong.

TYZO. Whether you're planning a vacation or a business trip, you can save money by visiting Tyzo.com ( http://www.tyzo.com ). This site has lots of tips and ideas for getting the best deals on airfare, hotels, car rentals, and other facets of your trip. You'll also find useful information about currency conversion, international dialing codes, electricity requirements, holidays around the world, and similar travel issues. Tyzo has over 6,000 pages of information to help you research and plan your trip down to the smallest detail.