The Colombian SMEs, like those of Latin America, confront a series of barriers for the export associated to the deficiency of resources and organizational and directive capacities, which cause that their permanence in the international markets is questionable. When not overcoming such barriers and showing a competitive position these Hill not be able to penetrate and to survive in the international markets, taking great opportunities that the world-wide market offers. Especially, those that arise as a result of the agreements of integration and the subscribed and granted systems of preference to Colombia. This article describe the organizational, directive, strategic, and transactional characteristics of 63 Colombian SMEs and their perception of the environmental factors throughout their internationalization process. The results reveal that these SMEs are in the initial stage of their internationalization process, because they show little experience and resources in their international activities. Nevertheless, the experience, knowledge and abilities of their managers allow supposing that the analyzed SMEs have the potential to increase their penetration in foreign markets, making possible to them to attending the potential demand and avoiding to adopt a marginal conduct or an abstinence towards the exports, as indicate the authors.
