SmallBusinessNewz

"Going international" has for some reason become nearly synonymous with "going overseas."  America's got neighbors to the south and north, though, and now seems like a particularly good time for U.S.-based businesses to establish relationships with Canadians.

Anyone who's watched "The Red Green Show" should be familiar with jokes about the Canadian dollar.  Everyone else has probably heard a few, as well.  Only the Canadian dollar has more than caught up with the U.S. equivalent - Google's currency converter puts the ratio at 1:0.9996 - so potential customers have a reasonable amount of purchasing power.

Also, even as American consumers are starting to watch their wallets, a MarketingSherpa article points out, "Vacations, electronics, cars and real estate, for example, are hot items for Canadian consumers.  And online sales are rising. . . .  Canada's underserved online advertising, pay-per-click and direct-mail markets offer another compelling reason to market to Canadians.  Underserved means better rates, in most cases."

Be careful about shipping charges if you choose to sell physical products across the border; these can be deal breakers.  Watch out for language barriers and seasonal differences, too.

Otherwise, although no one's promising a cakewalk, Canada may be an easier market to break into than any place in Europe or Asia.