Knowing how to import is key: more than 50 entrepreneurs were trained to boost their businesses in Biobío
More than 50 entrepreneurs from the areas of Coronel, Lota and San Pedro de la Paz have been trained in import courses organized by the Colbún Coronel Entrepreneurship Center and Logistec.
With the aim of developing import skills of entrepreneurs and small business owners in the Biobío Region, the Colbún Entrepreneurship Center (CEC) and Logistec have developed a series of training courses to enhance the import development of entrepreneurs.
This is how Claudio Inzunza, director of the Colbún Coronel Entrepreneurship Center: “The purpose of the courses, although introductory, is to be very practical in relation to the process of imports, to resolve doubts and demystify the process of importing, which often frightens entrepreneurs and they see their possibilities as far away.”
The objective of this initiative is to provide entrepreneurs with the necessary tools for optimal performance in the international arena, so that they know the import processes so that they are not affected due to the technical nature of the methodology, or if they are poorly advised, they can suffer serious losses or make the process more expensive.
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“During the pandemic, many people began to visualize the creation of ventures associated with the commercialization of products that they bought, mainly, in China through portals such as AliExpress, and today these entrepreneurs are seeking to professionalize their import process,” adds Inzunza.
Meanwhile, for Germán Alarcón, General Manager of Logistec, “teaching foreign trade tools, stoking the entrepreneurial fire and focusing a new generation of entrepreneurs so that they see the world as a compilation of business opportunities, is another of the objectives we seek.”
PRACTICAL OBJECTIVES FOR IMPORTING
Among the topics that are addressed are basic concepts or terminology, main errors when importing, overprices that are paid due to lack of information, possibility of disembarking in Coronel, customs forms, associated taxes, minimum amounts to import, among other topics.
“The workshops consist of talks – workshops, we take a tour of the history of our company and mix of services and then move on to practical exercises of foreign trade, focused on imports and valorization of products in the national market, something like “Learn by doing.” At the end of the talk, spreadsheets and formats used, tips and summaries, as well as a glossary, are shared,” explains Germán Alarcón, Commercial Manager at Logistec.
An important part of the workshop takes place in the questions section where it is possible to work on the common thread and traceability of the import process. According to Alarcón, the number of attendees has been adequate to discuss in depth how to raise foreign trade projects from the point of view of the buyer and not the seller in the local market.
“During the workshops, the participation and interest of the entrepreneurs has been very good, their attendance has been wonderful, a pleasant atmosphere full of positive energy has been generated, people who arrive afraid to ask, are transformed into a compilation of questions,” says the Commercial Manager of Logistec.