7. Investigating the Export Behavior of Family SMEs from Chile

The objective of this study is to identify the factors that affect export activities of family small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in an emerging market and to identify the differences between exporters and non-exporters. Based on data collected from Chilean family SMEs, the findings of this study suggest that the major constraints for family business SMEs are problems in selecting a reliable distributor, lack of financial resources, lack of government support, and management’s lack of international knowledge and experience. Significant differences were found in these factors between exporters and non-exporters. In addition, the main international markets for Chilean firms were not necessarily psychically close.