Day Three
Left at 8 a.m. for a meeting at a truck repair plant. "We
discussed exporting several different types of products," says
Karen, "and left with an opportunity to bid on
merchandise."
Then came a last-minute meeting to discuss the couple's
water purification system. "We met with the father-and-son
owners of a 125-employee company," Karen notes. "We
didn't have samples, but we did have literature."
Then the Hamiltons attended a reception at the home of the U.S.
ambassador to the Netherlands.
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Day Four (side
trip)
The group took the train to Paris, while the Hamiltons flew to
Frankfurt, Germany, for meetings with customers, buyers and finance
officers.
Day Five
Up at 4 a.m. for Karen's flight to Paris and Gary's trip to
another location in Germany to sign a new business contract. While
in Paris, Karen met with U.S. officials and several potential
customers. Plus, the editor of Femme d'Entreprise
magazine interviewed Karen for an article on the group.
Day Six
Karen and the other woman entrepreneurs had lunch at the home of
the U.S. ambassador to France. Then back to the hotel for a coveted
rest.
Day Seven
Up at 6 a.m. and to the consulate for truck- and auto-parts sales
meetings, from which the Hamiltons obtained another bidding
opportunity. A private lunch at the U.S. Embassy followed, and this
event ended the business portion of the mission.
Worth The Cost?
"We'll garner about $100,000 in business from the mission
this year and about $1.5 million within the next 18 months,"
Karen guesses. "This isn't an easy way to make money, but
if you're professional in business, it's another way to
find customers."
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