“If you really know how to experience Brazil, you have seen beauty enough for half your life.”
Stefan Zweig (1881 – 1942), Austrian novelist
The world has quite dramatically changed since February 2022. Russia has isolated itself, China is vehemently defending its political system, and India is not taking a clear position. So what remains of the so-called BRIC countries?
The B for Brazil!
I have closed ties with Brazil, as I lived and worked over there for ten years. I founded two companies and helped German companies enter the Brazilian market. I would be lying if I said that these ten years have always been easy. But I learned to love this country and the local culture.
Brazil is a country with enormous potential. Rich in raw materials and agricultural products, a huge domestic market and a very well-educated young generation, especially in the metropolitan areas. Brazil is a typical Latin American country with Latin American culture. But I can say from my own experience that this culture is so much closer to us Europeans than for example the Asian cultures. Moreover, Europe, European companies and European products have always enjoyed an excellent reputation in Brazil.
I am sure that Brazil will move into the spotlight for foreign investment again in the coming years. As with every market entry, also in Brazil it is very important to find professional, reliable and trustworthy partners right from the start.
If you want to expand to Brazil, I build the bridge and provide the support to enter this market.
From July to December 2006, I renovated a small hotel, in Brazil called “Pousada”, and founded the company Pousada Jardim das Flores Ltda. In January 2007, I opened the Pousada Jardim das Flores in Ponta Negra, a city district on the beach in the south of Natal, and managed it until July 2014. Here I was suddenly confronted with the challenges of a completely different industry, which are often very underestimated. A very seasonal business, extremely dependent on external conditions like the weather, very price-driven and with a a lot of competition.
In March 2013, I founded the consulting company JHT Consultoria e Representações Ltda. with the aim of supporting German companies entering the Brazilian market and representing them locally. An interesting and formative experience as a mediator between two countries and cultures that, at first glance, are often difficult to match, especially in business terms. To be successful in Brazil as a German, you sometimes have to throw a few principles overboard, invest a bit of patience and especially maintain personal business relationships.
During my time in Brazil, I could gather a lot of personal experiences from this fascinating, but also difficult country. I have summarized these in my book Jenseits von Samba und Karneval (paperback and eBook), which I published in November 2019. It is my personal view of Brazil, shaped by my experiences of ten years living and working over there. The book is largely a critical look at the large South American state and its society. In particular, I try to outline the economic, political and social challenges of Brazil that I was confronted with on a daily basis. But hopefully the book can also convey the fascination of this country and its people.