Background information of NE
Name & surname: Emanuela Errica
Country: Italy
Sector: Health and wellness
Have you already started your business? No
What is your future business? A small veterinary clinic
Background information of HE
Name & surname: Jose Vicente Gonzalez Fernandez
Country: Spain
Sector of activity: Health and wellness
Experience in running a business (in years): >15
Name of business/website: www.clinicaexoticos.com
What is your business? Veterinary Clinic
Period of Relationship: 04/09/2019 – 03/03/2020
Duration of Relationship: 6 months
What did Emanuela, an Italian veterinarian, learn from her EYE experience?
The new entrepreneur is Emanuela, she lives in Sardinia (Italy), and is a veterinarian. Her project is to open a small veterinary clinic in her country. The host entrepreneur is also a veterinarian, his name is Vicente and he already has a clinic started in 2002 in Spain (Madrid), where he lives.
Emanuela’s goal is to start her clinic in Italy, while Vicente’s is to expand his business, building a new clinic, larger and with more services.
The new entrepreneur faced a new adventure outside her comfort zone to discover new realities and exchange her knowledge with that of the host entrepreneur, to carry out her project. She discovered adaptation strategies to a foreign country, to new habits and rules, but among all the difficulties, she appreciated how nice it was to make new friends and discover new countries and ways of living.
The new entrepreneur discovered the program via social media and the web, and informed the host entrepreneur, who did not yet know it.
The new entrepreneur had already had some life experiences in Spain, due to a master’s degree in exotic animal medicine, so she did an online search and found the host entrepreneur, who had a clinic with the requirements she wanted. The new entrepreneur hoped to meet a good friendly host entrepreneur, who would put her on par with his professionalism. And so it was. The experience was a mutual exchange of one’s professional skills.
Before the exchange began, there was a little bureaucracy, which however was resolved without much difficulty.
The host entrepreneur runs his business by actively taking part in the diagnostic and therapeutic activities, as well as in the management of the commercial aspects of the sale of drugs and other pet products. The new entrepreneur has contributed to the development of his business, promoting his network of contacts with other European companies, developing social media and studying new sales strategies and customer relations.
The most memorable things have been having new relationships both from a professional and human point of view. Having exchanged our knowledge and created new contact networks at European level.
In truth the NE was a little worried, that cultural differences could be an obstacle, instead the people she met inside the clinic were very open to foreigners, curious to know new points of view and have always put her on the same their professional and human plan. The host entrepreneur was already planning to open a larger clinic, and during this time he started his project.
The new entrepreneur found roughly the same characteristics in the customer of animal’s owner: from those willing to do anything suggested by the professional, to those who instead refused treatment or forced to compromise.
Living in another country on the one hand has not been easy. Get used to new rhythms, ways of thinking and doing, and even food! However, Spain is a very friendly country, and the new entrepreneur has not had major adaptation difficulties.
The new entrepreneur had some difficulties in finding a comfortable accommodation close to the clinic, sometimes cohabitation was not easy, but in the end with a little organization and tolerance she managed to overcome these obstacles. Just openness and the spirit of adaptation have allowed her to make new friends, both inside and outside the workplace. The new entrepreneur has achieved her goal to learn about new marketing strategies related to veterinary medicine. She has known new diagnostic and therapeutic techniques and products, promoting a greater customer choice. She understood that being a veterinarian, in addition to the human and medical aspect, also includes the economic one, realizing the importance of knowing how to manage a clinic also from a financial point of view, like any other entrepreneurial activity. The host entrepreneur, with the help of the new entrepreneur, has expanded his knowledge on social media, which have favored the expansion of his customers, and his network of professional contacts abroad, especially in Italy. In this way, both the new entrepreneur and the host entrepreneur will have the opportunity to establish commercial and working relationsips with companies at European level, in particular by creating an Italy-Spain bridge inherent in the veterinary market.
Concluding Remarks
The NE has learned to define appropriate marketing strategies for her new business, expanding the network of contacts between professionals and companies in European veterinary sector.
She strongly encourages other young entrepreneurs to participate in the program, because it allows to grow both professionally and humanely.
For her, the feeling about the programme, is very positive, an opportunity to exchange experiences about your business and get to know new realities.
Vicente (HE): “For us it has been a very enriching experience, since it has allowed us a cultural exchange with Emanuela that has opened a window to Sardinia and all of Italy without leaving our job in Spain. During her stay here we have been able to learn language skills, customs and even Italian gastronomy and in the labor aspect the knowledge of Emanuela has given us a different approach to some aspects of the profession.The duration of the Erasmus program and the number of hours shared with her, have made it possible to create bonds of friendship between Emanuela and each of the workers and trainees who have enjoyed her presence. For all these reasons, I think that the Erasmus for young entrepreneurs program is very rewarding for both parties, and as the owner of the clinic, I will be delighted to host other new entrepreneurs.“