Ricardo Barana: "Anyone who has the entrepreneurial spirit must have this experience”

It’s been more than three months since Ricardo Barana started his Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs, in London, and the experience couldn’t be more positive. Data Analysis is his main area and also the filed in which his Host Entrepreneur works: Kalinax, based in the UK, works with large clients and gives Ricardo the opportunity of learning how all the work, at this level, is carried on. At the same time, he is in daily contact with professionals which have great experience in Data Analysis, as well as in business.

Ricardo contacted ANJE – Portuguese Association of Young Entrepreneurs, one of the program’s local points – and started his adventure in October. He soon started working on different projects with his Host Entrepreneur, Kolyo Kolev, and all the collaborators.

One of the aspects Ricardo found very interesting was the organization of an event with Kalinax’s biggest clients, which came from all over the world; he got to realize that most contacts between the company and the clients are managed through e-mail, online calls and multimedia presentations, while not forgetting the importance of meeting them in person a few times a year, in order to enhance the relationship and discuss future projects. In addition to the logistics, the organization of such an event requires the identification of which topics will be discussed and among whom – that’s why the meeting were arranged by working area and topic. Ricardo had the chance of participating in some of these technical and commercial meetings, so he could have an overview of the business of his Host Entrepreneur. This was a unique opportunity to learn how to manage important customers and, at the same time, enjoy the opportunity to expand the business.

After only three months, Ricardo feels that the benefit, both for him and his Host Entrepreneur, is very clear and positive. Thanks to Ricardo’s knowledge in the Online Marketing field, he is managing one of the company’s new project, which belongs to one of the biggest clients as well. This is likely to improve the business’s growth and all thanks to his collaboration.

From Ricardo’s perspective, the experience he is having would be very difficult to have in a normal job or another different program – the possibility of not having a specific role in the company, but meanwhile having an overall view of it, allows him to understand the business’s mechanisms. At the same time, this experience is providing Ricardo some new contacts that can sure help him a lot when he launches his own company.

There is still one month of exchange left, where Ricardo and his Host Entrepreneur plan to work more on the company’s online presence and keep on boosting that Kalinax is having with new costumers and diversified projects.

RICARDO’S WORDS ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE

“I advise anyone who has the entrepreneurial spirit to do this experience. I suggest to go to a country very different from your and well developed at business level. In this way you will be sure to have a high standard when you start your own company and also have interesting contacts.”