Sustainable businesses want to increase exports over the next three years

São Paulo-Brazil sustainable business plan to raise the participation of exports in their revenues over the next three years and betting in the United States (us) to help boost sales.
The clothing brand Flavia spider and the hospital curtains BR Goods Industry, for example, met with u.s. and other foreign buyers last week, in the second round of the Brazilian Sustainable Business Solutions (BBS), promoted by the Agency Brazilian export and investment promotion (Apex-Brazil), in the city of São Paulo.
In the evaluation of companies, besides the USA demand for sustainable products and solutions, the size of consumer market allows you to gain scale.
The founding partner of BR Goods Beatrice Cricci note that foreign sales represent 5% of the annual turnover of the company today, with markets consolidated in Argentina, Uruguay and Panama. "However, we want to get to 30% in the next two or three years," says Beatriz, commenting that during the BBS found potential buyers in Nigeria and in the United States, but haven't closed any deals.
"Despite my main competitors are in the United States, my product has the same quality as theirs, but with a lower price," reports.
BR Goods, founded in 2001, has already reached 10% of your production have focused on the external market, having exported to Uae, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Portugal, Venezuela and USA. But now, the company plans to grow from a strategic planning. "In the old days, exports were very sporadic," says Beatriz.
She punctuates this more structured vision arose out of your participation in a project of Apex, in partnership with Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV), called ICV Global-innovation and sustainability in Global Value Chains. This initiative supports the small and medium-sized enterprises in Brazil, with a focus on sustainability, can position itself in the international market.
Sustainable fashion
Flávia spider, stylist who signs a clothing brand with your name, also attended Apex design and FGV. She, that started its operations in 2009 selling more to other countries than for Brazil, has, today, less than 5% of your annual sales back to the external market. As the brand began to grow very fast, she preferred to stop international operations to restructure internal processes.
However, the order of Flavia spider is expand the participation of export in turnover to 20% over the next three years. She points out that the brand prepared to meet with potential buyers from the USA in the business round.
The designer identified on this market demand for sustainable clothing. As the focus of the brand is the natural dye from plants and national craft techniques, that value the biodiversity and the workmanship, Flávia evaluates that might be a good time to enter the United States.
"In Europe, there's a lot of concern with sustainability, but local consumption is less. In the U.S., we have a good chance to grow up, because the market is huge, "says Flavia, who already has outlets in Germany and Switzerland are consolidated. She adds that the goal is not to grow fast.
"It's not interesting to us doing a big sale, but, Yes, small exports that generate a more consistent relationship with the client, resulting in future purchases," reports. "This more strategic thinking and long-term acquired along the Apex project", concludes the stylist.
Beatrice, BR Goods, details that sustainability is in the whole structure of the company. She works, for example, with economic bulbs and transparent tile to take advantage of sunlight; maximum re-use of inputs to produce waste, and has developed hospital curtains that require less water in sanitation, than the others that are on the market.
Adriana Rodrigues, Coordinator of competitiveness of Apex, analyzes the export of products and sustainable solutions is expanding. Europe is the most mature market in this direction, but there is potential for growth for Brazil in China, Israel, Latvia, South Africa, Nigeria, Mexico, Peru, Colombia.
Although it is not a rule, Adriana says many sustainable business in Brazil are born global. "There is a national factory which produces biodegradable packaging from manioc starch, product with high demand in Germany, but that, in Brazil, is expensive to produce."