Invest in Portugal

Exporting can be an excellent option to expand and internationalize your business. It can be an exciting and very rewarding investment, but it can also be financially risky.

Start by researching as much as possible to plan this process well. Ideally, you have a good grasp of the market and know which marketing strategies work best for your business. The company must have a solid financial base to support until the internationalization project becomes profitable.

Expanding the business can be costly in terms of time, money and resources. It may require regular visits to the new market to develop relationships and commitment to deliver your products and services at an internationally competitive price. So make a plan that helps you identify where your business is, what you want to achieve, and how to get there.

Based on your knowledge of your activity, you probably already know what your target market may be. But remember to know the general trends of the international market and try to be receptive to any opportunities that may even have greater potential for your business.

It can also be useful to consult:

• AICEP's website where you can find regulatory information, market information and business opportunities for Portuguese companies;
• Câmara de Comércio (Chamber of Commerce) which, among others, has a vast network of contacts with the Chambers of Commerce all over the world;
• The single points of contact of the Member States of the European Union;
• Institutional sites in other countries.
• Portugal Global Magazine (monthly) and Portugalnews (daily), online publications with free subscription, where you can find general information on markets, sectors and testimonies of companies with experience in internationalisation processes.

Research the competitors in the new market. Visit the websites of foreign competitors and try to understand how they sell the products or services, what are the prices offered and if you need to make adjustments. Knowing the local culture and customs can make all the difference.

In order to support the internationalisation process, companies have at their disposal, among others, the iAPEX, a tool designed to provide personalised information on the export markets and world exports.

This information includes:

• The identification of international markets with the greatest potential for each sector/product;
• The evaluation of the adequacy of the markets to the characteristics of each sector and company;
• Information on risks, obstacles and costs existing when accessing each market.

iAPEX aims to promote the increase of exports by supporting companies in their choice of external markets. Its use is simple, requiring only a few data on the business activity carried out that allow the provision of information appropriate to the reality of each company. The identification of the company using iAPEX is not mandatory, but only optional.

After you check all pros and cons and want to internationalize your brand, product or services, please be aware that you can register your company for free at Buy From Portugal - Portuguese Supplier Catalog. This catalog is consulted by importers from all over the world, who thus know Portuguese products and services and contact companies directly.

If you want a direct contact in the country you want to export to, see the External Network Map. Information and contact details for logistics operators exporting from Portugal to the destination country are also available.

Technical support to exporting or potential exporting companies

Visit the Lojas da Exportação (Export Shops) in Portugal, which are part of Rede de Agências do IAPMEI (IAPMEI Agency Network), with commercial technicians of aicep Portugal Global. In this space of interaction with the business world, companies can find information and technical clarifications on products and services that support the strategy of approaching international markets.

External promotion

Attend the external promotion events of Portugal's image (e.g. business missions and international fairs and exhibitions) where the national offer of products and services in foreign markets stands out.

Other supports

Programa INOV Contacto (INOV Contact Programme) - International Internships for Young Professionals - A project that aims to support the training of young people with higher qualifications in an international context, as well as to enable the transmission of information among the participants in the Programme, through an informal network of knowledge and a growing network of international contacts: the networkcontacto.

Training

Invest in the training of your human resources and know the best practices in approaching foreign markets in order to prepare your company for internationalisation.

• Training Events
• Internationalize Academy
• Seminars on markets