“There is no money in Portugal so we have to go where there is: new markets,” states Filomena Ramilo, one of the speakers at a seminar on business internationalisation held last week in Loulé.
Entitled “Roadmap for Internationalization”, the seminar took place on November 27 in the NERA Business Centre in Loulé. It was organised in a joint collaboration between Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the International Confederation of Portuguese Entrepreneurs (CIEP) and Montepio bank group.
According to CIEP’s CEO Pedro Magalhães, the event was designed to promote the work of the chamber in the internationalisation context as well as inform the audience about the support it can provide to companies. “We are a generalist, multi-sector organisation, therefore we offer support to all companies, small and large, in their mission to reach out to other markets,” he said.
A number of Algarve businesses attended the seminar and heard the advice of chamber and bank representatives, as well as investment and tax consultant Filomena Ramilo.
Subjects covered included the importance of small and medium enterprises in the national context, challenges and risks of internationalisation, the do’s and don’ts during the internationalisation process, and what kind of public and private support is available to companies. This includes assistance from embassies, consulates, consultancy firms and bilateral associations.
For instance, CIEP’s Pedro Magalhães explained that the chamber offers support in exportation and importation deals, organises a number of annual seminars on potential new markets and provides training and networking opportunities to its associates.
CIEP also announced its programme of activities for 2015, which includes participation in some of most important trade shows in countries such as India, Nigeria, Australia, Timor, Mozambique, United Arab Emirates, Austria, Poland, Angola, New York and Brazil.
Filomena Ramilo has been assisting businesses with her expertise in consultancy for over 30 years. “We can only get money where there is money, and that is not in Portugal! So we must look for new markets and reach out to those with money to benefit our type of business,” she said, reiterating that companies should establish links with chambers of commerce in order to promote themselves through new vehicles.
“Some Portuguese companies still lack this type of vision, to connect with organisations such as chambers of commerce whose associates include banks and consultants. And that is a mistake! They have not yet realised that chambers are a link between Portugal and other markets, offering the assistance companies need all in one place.”
By Sara Alves
Internationalisation seminar: go where the money is
