Carla Congiu (Italy, Health and Wellness) and Oscar Torres (Spain/Marketing)

Carla Congiu and Oscar Torres

New Entrepreneur (NE):
Name & surname: Carla Congiu
Country: Italy
Sector of activity: Health and Wellness, apicultural products and services
Name of business: Mel Amarum
What is your business? Production and commercialisation of honey

Host Entrepreneur (HE):
Name & surname: Oscar Torres
Country: Spain
Sector of activity: Marketing
Name of business / website: Orballo / https://orballo.eu/
What is your business? Production, processing and commercialisation of organic products such as spices and tea

Period of Relationship: 25/02/2019 – 23/08/2019
Duration of Relationship: 6 months

How did Carla improve her marketing and sales skills in order to further develop her own business in Italy? 

Having recently opened a business in Italy, Carla felt the need to learn from more experienced entrepreneurs. Her company, Mel Amarum, is dedicated to the production of honey and other bee products, and comes from the renovation of her family business. She had heard about the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme several years ago and, after meeting different people that were taking part in this programme, she decided to apply.

Finally, she found on the platform the Host Entrepreneur Oscar Torres, marketing manager of Orballo. Orballo is an innovative company that produces, processes and commercialises organic products such as spices and tea. Oscar was looking for a New Entrepreneur to exchange knowledge with. He further wanted to increase his network and receive support and suggestions regarding the development of certain areas of the business.

After some initial conversations they decided to cooperate and established the plan for the following months.

The entrepreneurial exchange took place in Pontevedra, in the north west of Spain. At the beginning of the exchange, Carla was introduced to the company: she met the co-workers, visited the fields, learned about the main working process and received direct training on financial management. She also shared information about her company and her future plans. In the following months, Carla and Oscar worked together in a collaborative way in order to develop both companies. The main focus of the cooperation was on marketing. They implemented marketing tasks and developed marketing and commercial strategies in order to reach more customers and increase the visibility of the brand. They also participated in fairs and events. These occasions provided important opportunities for Carla to meet other companies working in her sector. 

The 6 months of entrepreneurial exchange was an enriching experience for both Host and New Entrepreneur.

Carla could develop her skills, especially with regards to marketing and sales, and she got a good overview of the functioning of an agricultural company. She now has the knowledge and skills in order to develop her business in Italy. Carla also improved her knowledge of Spanish, which will be useful for future business opportunities and made several contacts with professionals and businesses from Spain.

For Oscar and Orballo, this was the first time they worked with the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme. They were able to benefit from the contribution of the New Entrepreneur to their daily work, and from an external point of view on their procedures and processes. They now know more about businesses in another country, have new contacts and have implemented new plans and strategies for the growth of their business. The two companies are considering future cooperation.

Concluding Remarks

Carla Congiu (NE): “International experiences open your mind. Working with professionals from different countries can give you the competences and different points of view on how to do business. The Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs has been a priceless learning experience.”

Oscar Torres (HE): “Working with Carla was a very enriching experience. She contributed with her vision and knowledge in all areas, demonstrating technical skills and a great capacity for learning. On the other hand, to know other ways of working and other cultures has broadened the vision of our organization.”