The size of the US market is therefore a tempting prospect for many firms. After all they speak the same language as us and use one currency right across 300 million people. So businesses, like pop bands, set out full of optimism to crack the US market. Indeed the US is the largest single destination for exports from the South East, with £5.8bn of exports in 2005 compared with £3.6bn to Germany or £2.4bn to France.

But is it as simple as exporting to a European neighbour?

UK firms often fail to appreciate the sheer size of the US economy. But to put it into perspective the economy of just one US state is often larger than many countries. For example, California is comparable in size to the UK or China; Texas is similar to Canada or Spain; Florida is equal to Australia.

For this reason, the US is not always recommended for UK firms new to exporting, or at least it’s not for the fainthearted. Tackling such a large market can require more resources than a small firm can muster, so in some cases it may be best to start with markets in individual states or even parts of a state. In this way the efforts of your sales staff, technical support, executive time and so on, will be targeted in a particular area. Once that base is established, you can roll out your proposition into other geographical areas.

By way of example, for consumer goods the best target population concentration is in the corridor between Boston and Washington DC in the North Eastern states. This is the area that received the first European immigrants and continues to be a good market for products from the ‘old world’.

If you are looking to export industrial goods, remember that the manufacturing heartland of the US and Canada is the Mid West states of Illinois, where Chicago also acts as major transport hub, Michigan (chiefly Detroit), Ohio and Indiana.

Researching the market beforehand is clearly essential, but how can a UK firm start this process? There is no magic formula for success, but here are some ideas to get you started:

Develop a profile of your target customer and identify which of the many US trade associations they are likely to belong to. These are frequently an excellent source of industry information and practice. The website of the US Small Business Association is a good place to begin: www.sba.gov

Investigate the geographical concentration of members of the trade association to see if the industry is clustered around particular areas.

Find out about exhibitions and other events that the trade association sponsors. These can be well worth attending. But remember, to get good value they are hard work and you need to do your homework in advance.

Be aware that in many industry clusters in the US, entrepreneurship thrives through  lively networks of businesses, professional advisers, finance providers, innovation centres and universities who co-operate together to make a ‘virtuous circle’ of economic development. This particularly applies to the technology-based sector. So include these wider organisations in your research, as they may have useful industry knowledge and contacts.

If you have UK customers with US connections, ask them about their North American operations and contacts.

You can obtain advice and assistance following many of the ideas above from UK Trade & Investment (UKTI). UKTI are the government organisation that exists to help businesses achieve the full potential benefits of international opportunities through trade, joint ventures and other forms of investment.

Within the South East, the UKTI team can assist you in a variety of ways through its network of 36 highly experienced International Trade Advisers. The Advisers can offer a broad range of services to help you reach the US market, including advice on local business conditions, market research and tailored information specific to your needs. In addition, UKTI South East run a number of guided market visits including some to the US, which enable you to meet potential business contacts and explore the market first-hand.

UKTI also has a specialist North America Market Unit who can put you in touch with one of their Export Promoters who are seconded from the private sector because of their knowledge and experience of the North American market, and can advise UK firms on all aspects of exporting to the US. By using UKTI, companies can also tap into the network of British Trade Offices throughout the US.

It is important to remember that change in US government or other regulatory requirements can be the driver behind a sudden need for a particular product. If that product, or the technology behind it, is more developed in the UK then the opportunity for sales to the US can multiply quickly. For example, since September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks, Homeland Security has become one of the fastest growing sectors in the US and consequently there are many opportunities for UK firms to supply security technologies.

John Gordon, International Trade Adviser Security for UK Trade & Investment states:"The US has a growing need for commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions. Varying opportunities exist in the US; in banking and homeland security, new legislation is fuelling growth. British providers of innovative solutions are rising to this challenge in increasing numbers with the support of UK Trade & Investment."