São Paulo – Starting on October 23, small companies interested in learning how to export may participate in on-line courses offered for free by the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae).
There are nine courses in general export themes and four courses turned to specific sectors, like furniture, garments, flowers and ornamental plants, as well as software and Information Technology Services (IT). Each group should include 200 students and enrolment is open up to August 2010.
The courses were created to supply the demand of over 9,800 companies enrolled at the Sebrae and that plan to export their produce.
According to Louise Machado, the coordinator of the National Sebrae Internationalisation Program, the agency also plans to establish courses turned to exports by other sectors, like services, handicraft, gems and jewels, leather and shoes and also oil and gas.
"We have been working much on the oil and gas chain, a sector that has been presenting many opportunities in the Arab countries," said Machado.
She said that small companies are starting to learn more about the Arab market, but many still consider it a distant market. "Small businessmen are starting to discover the Arab market, like those in Africa and the Emirates, mainly in the area of oil, gas and information technology.
The on-site Sebrae courses are turned to companies with an intermediate level of internationalisation of their products. These courses are offered throughout Brazil and may be taught in classrooms or at the interested company itself. The courses should be taught in 16 hours and, to enrol, businessmen may seek any of the more than 800 Sebrae points of service throughout the country. The cost varies from 30 Brazilian reals (US$ 17.60) and 120 reals (US$ 70) per hour.
The Sebrae internationalisation process for micro and small companies was launched in October 2008, with the objective of increasing the number of exporter companies, as well as the volume of their exports and also helping integrate and consolidate these companies in the global market and prepare them to deal with a global domestic market.
*Translated by Mark Ament
