Luís Caldeira got his lessons during the experience in Italy and then PhonePlace was born

Period of Exchange: 4.07.2018 – 3.08.2018

Duration of Exchange: 1 month

Country: Italy

Living in an ultra-peripheral region – in this case, Madeira Island - cannot be considered as an impediment to business and personal development. Luís Caldeira is 23 years old and thought that the opportunities only arose in large metropolises until he got to know Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs - a program that allows anyone to develop their business idea in external markets, having the opportunity to learn from older and more experienced foreign entrepreneurs, whilst getting to know different places and cultures.

Like so many young entrepreneurs, Luís was looking for a company that could help him develop this idea until he found GEMAST Consulting, a startup based in the city of Brescia, in Italy. Having ANJE – Portuguese Association of Young Entrepreneurs as one of the local contact points of the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs program, Luís was able to contact GEMAST; the match was mutual and his adventure in Italy finally began.

During his one month stay at GEMAST Luís had the opportunity to change his strategy and vision of PhonePlace - a project based on the concept of commercializing perfectly good second-handed smartphones, tablets and accessories - which were no longer appropriate for the moment. He also had the opportunity to develop an Investor Guide, as well as meet some of the biggest Venture Capital that, in the near future, will be able to embrace his own project. In order to compete in such a competitive market, Luís developed an online sales website for PhonePlace, which can be visited at www.phoneplace.pt.

Aiming to gain more knowledge in the startups and consulting area, GEMAST has given Luís the possibility to visualize other ideas and business plans that can be very successful in the future. Furthermore, Luís was able to accomplish one his main goals – to establish partnerships in Italy – and now he can send mobile phones to Italy in just two days, reducing the customer’s waiting time between purchasing at PhonePlace’s website and receiving their phones safe and sound in their hands.

In the end, what did Luís learn from his experience with the Erasmus for Young Entrepeneurs program? The experience of visualizing other business ideas and being able to compare all the details of a business plan was a very significant advantage, allowing him to not only focus on his own project, but also on a more global vision. Luís’ presence in GEMAST made the company’s always open for him, which can be a useful benefit if he ever needs support in the future. What about the perks of living in Madeira Island? The provision of a Free Trade Zone that fosters the emptiness of companies in need of access to necessary, quick and useful information for their purposes, to which Luís can perfectly respond as a local.

ANJE is one of the local contact points of Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs. If you are a Portuguese young entrepreneur aiming to evolve with a mobility experience out of the country or a host entrepreneur open to receive young talents in order to develop your business, check all the info about the program here.

Luís Caldeira

LUÍS CALDEIRA VISION ABOUT THE PROGRAM

“I think it was one of the best experiences of my life. The European Union has been tireless in developing these programs that provide for exchange and development. I was at GEMAST Consulting during the month of July and the results are in sight: August was the best sales month of PhonePlace! I hope one day to return to Italy, a country full of energy and I hope to develop my company and become a host.”