Doing business via fax: facsimile services that let you trade information.

Today's successful enterprise is global. This holds true even for small business. But the thought of taking one's products to an international market can be overwhelming and intimidating without proper guidance.

Well, there's new service in town for business owners looking to expand outside of the United States but who don't know where to look. The Export Hotline (800-USA-XPORT) is a free information fax service.

The 24-hour hotline is designed to handle a broad range of questions, from the basics of exporting to the best country to market your product to. The service allows you to access 4,200 reports on 78 countries, from Nigeria to Japan, and 50 industries, including pharmaceutical, food processing and high-tech.

You can even get sample export/ import documents, information on available government programs and key contacts. The data, which are updated monthly, also include industry statistics and other valuable research data you should have before taking the global plunge.

Here's essentially how it works: After registering by phone, you are mailed a six-digit code, a Boston fax number and a 24-page user's manual, which lists information codes. It usually takes two business days to process the information. The service will ask for your company's sales revenues, but a reply isn't mandatory.

To use the service, you simply dial the fax number and select from a menu of options. The information will be faxed to you almost immediately. Also available is a sort of electronic yellow pages listing profiles of companies - potential buyers of your product. To be listed in the directory, an annual charge of $50. But access to it is free for Export Hotline users.

Similarly, the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of International Trade Administration (202-482-2867) offers a free fax retrieval service for global business seekers, FlashFacts. This 24-hour, automated service covers four regions: Mexico (202-482-4464), Africa/Near and East Asia/South Asia (202-482-1064) and the Pacific Basin (202-482-3875).

Again, you respond to a menu of options to find out about exporting opportunities in a given country. You can expect a fairly speedy response time, ranging anywhere from five to 30 minutes.

For those looking to do business stateside, particularly in Chi-Town, the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau (312-567-8528) offers a 24-hour "Faxback." There's no charge except for the initial phone call. The bureau will fax information, including a list of city resources, services bulletins and trade fair information.