Monday, June 25, 2001 Issue 10   VOLUME 1 ISSUE 10   WELCOME http://fita.org Here's your latest issue of Really Useful Sites for the International Trade Professional. This free bi-weekly newsletter reviews useful Web sites from the Web Resources database at FITA's International Trade/ Import-Export Portal at http://fita.org, an excellent source for trade leads, news, events, and a link library of 7,000+ sites related to international trade. Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to others. My name is John McDonnell, and for years I wrote a weekly e- newsletter that profiled business-oriented Web sites. Now I'm using my Web research skills to find sites that are useful for international trade, as well as some fun sites that you'll enjoy visiting. SAMPLE BUSINESS PLANS http://www.bplans.com 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 http://www.salaryexpert.com 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. Are your prospects part of the international trade community? If so, here's an opportunity to showcase your service or product to 50,000 subscribers of Really Useful Sites for the International Trade Professional. FITA now offers limited sponsorship opportunities to selected organizations. For information, please contact Barney Lehrer, Director of eCommerce Development at webmaster@fita.org or 1-800-969-FITA extension 4. QUICK GUIDE TO LETTERS OF CREDIT http://www.mantissa.co.uk/Top2_1.htm Letters of credit are an essential tool for international trade. You can find a good overview of them at Quick Guide to Letters of Credit at www.mantissa.co.uk/Top2_1.htm. This easy- to-read site will give you some basic information and tips on how to use letters of credit. There's a CD-Rom for sale with more information, but there's no obligation to buy it. Published by Federation of International Trade Associations Copyright © 2001 The Federation of International Trade Associations. All rights reserved. ================================================================= Are there topics you'd like to see covered in FITA'S Really Useful Sites? Send suggestions, ideas, or comments to editor John McDonnell at jaymack@fita.org. ================================================================= This newsletter is distributed by the Federation of International Trade Associations (FITA) for the benefit of the worldwide international trade community. If you have a question regarding this service, please contact FITA by email at newsletter@fita.org.