The Erasmus Entrepreneurship Awards 2012 Category 2 (C2): Most Successful Post Relationship Cooperation

Transcription

1 The Erasmus Entrepreneurship Awards 2012 Category 2 (C2): Most Successful Post Relationship Cooperation VSI T. Consulting (SPAIN) & Ms. Brigita Jurisic (PORTUGAL)

2 VSI Consulting & Ms. Brigita Jurisic VSI Consulting is an international business consulting company located in Barcelona (Spain) and founded in 2006 It provides trade missions, market reports, fairs, search of distributors, joint ventures, legal and financial advise, and other services to Spanish institutions and private companies Has an International network of delegates in more than 40 countries Turnover of Euros per year Only worked with Spanish clients/institutions until this programme WHY EYE? TO FIND A PARTNER TO ESTABLISH AN OFFICE OF VSI CONSULTING IN PORTUGAL E.Y.E. Young Slovene entrepreneur with Masters degree in Marketing and Strategic Management living in Portugal In 2009 creates Bridge Partner in order to link two markets she knows and provide agency and consulting services to Slovene and Portuguese companies Works as an agent of 1 Portuguese and 5 Slovene companies Only worked with Portuguese and Slovene clients until this programme WHY EYE? -TO LEARN ABOUT SPANISH MARKET AND OTHER FOREIGN MARKETS -TO EXPAND THE BUSINESS ACTIVITY -TO GAIN MANAGEMENT SKILLS

3 Cooperation timeline March 2010: Ms. Brigita Jurisic (New Entrepreneur) applies for EYE programme. Sergio Moraleda from VSI Consulting was suggested has Host Entrepreneur by Spin Park, the intermediary organization of NE. November 2010: NE prepares and sets the marketing plan to promote the new VSI Consulting office in Portugal. The selection of potential clients is made and it s set an agenda to approach the market. First proposals to Portuguese entities are sent. April 2010: A Skype meeting betweenne andhe was a start of what already at the first contact showed to be a highly potential long term relationship, since VSI Consulting pretended to open a subsidiary in Portugal and NE was searching for new business development. October 2010: Mr Sergio Moraleda (HE) and Mrs Brigita Jurisic (NE) travelled to Portugal and spend one week meeting potential clients. From here on, the follow up is done from NE s firm a VSI Consulting office in Portugal. September 2010: Arrival of NE to the location of HE and beginning of the learning programme. Settlement of the contractual relationship and future cooperation from October 2010 on.

4 SWOT analysis of the partnership STRENGHTS Iberian presence of VSI Consulting Expansion of VSI network to 6 new countries Physical proximity to clients Face-to-face approach and closer negotiation Simple and direct internal structure Competitive prices Low fix costs WEAKNESSES Inexistency of VSI Consulting awareness in the new countries New area of business for Ms. Brigita Jurisic Low financial capacity of investment Adaptation to new ways of working Inexistence of a strong network that could provide access to gain new clients faster OPPORTUNITIES Boost of Portuguese companies with export strategies for the future European and state programs to promote exportations Lower internal demand search for external solutions Portuguese financial crisis lead to the reorganization of companies and strategies THREATS Portuguese and Spanish financial crisis are affecting public entities problems with service payments Concurrence of marketing agencies and other consulting companies that start to offer consulting for internationalization services Increased cost of living/establishment of companies

5 Factual outcome - highlights 1,5 years of mutual collaboration Turnover increased by XXX EUROS New markets opened for VSI Consulting Portugal, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina New clients AEP, CEFAMOL, JordãoCooling Systems, GOAP, Gonzaga, Equin, Nerion networks, Kern Liebers Representation in Portugal of two Spanish public institutions -Aragón Exterior and Cámara de Navarra More than 30 projects done together in 2011 and 2012 One new employee in VSI Consulting office, to attend the new demand Preparation to open an office in Slovenia that will have 1 employee and cover the Ex-Yugoslavian countries

6 Common plans for the future Develop new markets together Expand VSI Consulting network Increase the presence of VSI Consulting in the Balkan s area by opening an office in Slovenia Share knowledge and best practices between different offices and delegates Increase turnover and number of clients Develop new ways of partnership Increase the number of Spanish public institutions officially represented in Portugal by VSI Consulting Promote official representation of Portuguese institutions in Spain by VSI Consulting Apply this model of cooperation to another markets Employ one new element in VSI Consulting Portugal by the end of 2012

7 Suggestions for E.Y.E. programme Improve promotion of the programme Develop a data base of best practices to advise young entrepreneurs (ex.: how to save by using new technologies and internet potential for long distant interaction) Promote the networking between all the HE and NE from all countries through annual meetings in Brussels Create a database of Host Entrepreneurs (similar to the one that exists for EVS European Voluntary Service) where is described (together with other data) the purpose of cooperation, objectives to enhance competitive advantage of both parties, target New Entrepreneurs, etc. Support the lift of or follow up of the partnerships established by creating mechanisms/protocols to help reducing the new costs (discounts for travelling, language courses, etc.)

8 THANK YOU VERY MUCH Sergio Moraleda and Brigita Jurisic