ORLANDO, Fla. So, you want to branch out, attract international groups to your coach company, but arent sure where to begin.

Getting started can be as easy as typing in a domain name. There are a number of websites and agencies that can help guide your company through your decision.

One, www.export.gov, is maintained by the United States and Foreign Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce; the site will hook you up with businesses, give you marketing data, and more.

"Our group got tired of fighting over the same piece of pie, so we looked at how to make the pie bigger," Steve Klika told United Motorcoach Association members at a Motorcoach Expo seminar here. Klika is president of International Motor Coach Group Inc.

The session in which he participated focused on how to latch onto international travelers and foreign dollars.

Klika said his group found a strong advocate in the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service. With offices in many embassies and 105 field offices in the U.S., you can locate its offices at www.export.gov.

Within two months of contacting the Commercial Service, Klikas group found six reputable companies in Mexico.

Some of the export.gov website information costs, but some is free. You have to register for specific industry information and trade leads.

Another site to look at is http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/.

Its maintained by the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, another U.S. Department of Commerce agency. The site tells how international visitation is doing, both in dollar volume and percentage changes; allows users to view the memorandum of understanding in leisure travel between the U.S. and China; offers market profiles of specific countries, and has other features.

Kenneth Mouradian from Commercial Services Orlando office told attendees that when a company provides services in the U.S. for a company outside of the U.S. like tours that qualifies as an export. Thats an important notion when negotiating through the Commercial Service website and in developing your marketing strategy.

If you have access to capital, commitment and something you have the right to sell: "If youve got those, your export is ready," Mouradian told conference attendees.

Another great resource, he said, is www.tia.org, operated by the U.S. Travel Association.

The association organizes shows, called "International Pow Wows," that can bring home valuable leads. Non-members can attend but the costs are considerably higher, says Valerie Hutchinson of the association. The next Pow Wow is in May in Miami. Information is available on the TIA website.

Mouradian recommended the Pow Wows for serious exporters. "Thats what makes their shows successful. They want you to be serious," Mouradian said later.

Other resources for getting international leads include convention and visitors bureaus and state tourism agencies, says Mouradian.

So, youve found leads, how do you know if those companies are legitimate?

Potential foreign business partners can be investigated by professionals in U.S. embassies on behalf of U.S. companies, and that information is disseminated through Mouradians agency. His agency offers a "Gold Key Service" that will give you four to six solid interviews with companies from a specific region.

If you have 500 or fewer employees, its $700 for four to six interviews in one day and for one market. If you have 500 or fewer employees, are new to exporting and have never used the service before, the charge drops to $350.

But the bottom line about hooking up with companies, advises Mouradian, is: "Trust your instincts. If it doesnt sound right, theres probably a reason for that."