Staff Writer
The beaches, sun and tropical scenery of Brazil might make for a pristine vacation getaway, but one local organization is offering courses to show area business owners it’s a great place to do business, too.
The Brazil-Jacksonville Alliance of Northeast Florida was established in late 2008 to stimulate commerce between Northeast Florida and Brazil – Florida’s No. 1 trade partner – and officials of the organization are looking to get more businesses involved by offering Brazil-Florida trade training classes Feb. 11 and Feb. 13 at the University of North Florida.
“We want to give business owners the confidence they need to do business in Brazil,” said Joshua Rodriggs, Alliance president.
Awareness of opportunities is an ongoing mission, he said, but the training sessions will help business owners of large and small companies alike come away with a tangible, detailed marketing plan instead of a certificate and a smile that other seminars might offer.
“Brazil is a very bureaucratic country and there can be different interpretations of many laws,” said Rodriggs. “We want to grow that confidence and help businesses take advantage of some of the great opportunities out there.”
Along with Orlando, Jacksonville has an international “Sister Cities” agreement with Curitiba, Brazil, that provides existing relationships for the group, but the goal will be to further strengthen them. The city and surrounding southern region will be one of the focal points in the sessions for business owners, as it is a growing market and should provide ample business opportunities. Officials believe passionate people involved in the process combined with the group’s vision will help “make things happen.”
“And it is happening,” added Rodriggs.
While the Alliance is offering the courses, the training is funded through a Workforce Florida grant that will allow the group to offer cost-offsetting scholarships to the first 100 business people trained through the program, which will focus just on Brazil. Marketing plans will be reviewed by Rodriggs, who’s had 25 years of experience with the country, and other officials with his company, Strategic Overseas Solutions for Business (SOS 4 Biz).
“We want people walking away with something they can use and something we know will be effective,” said Rodriggs.
Extended networking opportunities are also built into the program, which Rodriggs believes helps build solid relationships to generate business.
The networking aspect is one of the reasons one local business owner decided to sign up for the program, even though she has some experience with the country.
“I really want to understand a lot of the different mechanics involved in business between Florida and Brazil,” said Cathi Former, vice president of Florida Bank, and owner of Brazil-based C and P Empreendimentos Imobiliarious LTDA, an oceanfront real estate company. “Networking opportunities like this are better than any program you can take online and offer a lot of different perspectives and provide potential partnerships.”
In addition to the courses, business owners will be able to see the country for themselves if they choose to attend next month’s Brazil-Florida Strategic Networking and Familiarization Mission. The eight-day trip, geared toward everything from manufacturers and logistics companies to health and medical service and more, will provide attendees a chance to get a firsthand look at the country and opportunities including a glimpse at the International Innovative Cities Conference March 10 in Curitiba.
“We’re excited about the trip and showing all of the possibilities,” said Rodriggs.
Both Rodriggs and Alliance officials are encouraging business owners looking to expand their business in the global market to look into the program and Alliance.
“The region is growing and Florida, especially Jacksonville, will benefit,” said Rodriggs. “The opportunities are there and we want to help educate business owners on them.”
For more information on the Brazil-Jacksonville Alliance of Northeast Florida, including the upcoming trade programs at UNF, go to www.braziljacksonville.com.
356-2466