The use of international direct marketing by small businesses in Canada, Mexico, and the United States

With the advent of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), small businesses in Canada, Mexico, and the United States are in a position to increase their export activities within the emerging North American trading bloc. While it is generally agreed upon that direct marketing makes good sense for small businesses interested in exporting, there remains a paucity of studies addressing this important topic. This article explores and compares the use of international direct marketing by small businesses located in three regions of the NAFTA countries. Our results confirm that small business exporters in all three countries are using international direct marketing, although there are significant differences in the level of their expertise.