In today’s global economy, selling goods around the world can bring large rewards. It makes good business sense to expand your prospective customer base to the more than 95 percent of the world’s population living outside of our country. Demand for American goods is growing every day.

Small businesses constitute 34 percent of total export dollars and comprise about 97.8 percent of all exporters.

The U.S. Small Business Administration provides counseling, training and financing to ensure that small businesses have the tools they need to tap into the global market — and we’re seeing results.

Since fiscal year 2009, SBA has guaranteed 6,400 loans to small-business exporters for more than $3.3 billion and supported more than $6.3 billion in exports.

The SBA and other federal partners are all working to double our exports by 2014. To help reach that goal, President Obama recently signed trade agreements with Colombia, South Korea and Panama to expand export markets.

This National Export Initiative is a win-win, because access to more markets means more customers, more sales of U.S. goods and more jobs here at home.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, export-supported jobs linked to manufacturing are about 8.6 percent of Washington’s total private-sector jobs, and 40.2 percent of manufacturing workers in Washington depend on exports for their jobs.

If you own a small business and you’re looking to export, U.S. Export Assistance Centers are a great resource.

The mission of the Export Assistance Centers, which are staffed by professionals from SBA, Department of Commerce, the U.S. Export-Import Bank and other public and private organizations, is to provide the help that small businesses need to compete in today’s global marketplace. Visit their office at 2001 6th Ave., Suite 2610, in Seattle, or www.buyusa.gov/seattle.

If you already export your goods or services around the world and have used a federal government program or assistance to get there, the SBA also has something for you.

SBA and Visa have launched the “2013 Export Video Contest” that will offer current small-business exporters the opportunity to educate other small businesses about the benefits of exporting and the government programs that can help. Winners can receive up to $10,000 in prize money from Visa. We’re accepting entries through April 5. Visit challenge.gov for more information on eligibility and contest rules.

If you’re ready to explore the possibilities and challenges of exporting, SBA and the federal government’s trade promotion and export finance agencies are ready to help U.S. businesses meet the challenge. Whether your firm is new to exporting or in need of a refresher on the latest ideas and techniques, www.export.gov provides need-to-know information for small businesses on how to meet the challenges of the world economy.

Calvin W. Goings is a regional administrator for the SBA. For more information, call the Seattle district office at 206-553-7310.