The Squirrels Emporium, Go Nuts at The Squirrels Emporium

Consultancy

The Company Of Squirrels Limited have been exporting handicrafts and giftware from Brazil during the last five years. We understand the difficulties involved and know how to deal with them.

Brazil is a vast country made up of 26 states covering an area that is larger than the United States of America (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). It would therefore be unrealistic to suggest that The Squirrels are capable of covering all of such a vast country!

We are actually based in the Southern region of Brazil where we tend to operate within 3 states: Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.

There is no reason why we cannot go to other areas of the country (in fact we have) but we concentrate our efforts in this part of Brazil for several reasons:

The climate is close to what we would expect to find in Southern Europe – albeit more humid than the Mediterranean countries normally are.
The history of this region is associated with Japanese and European immigration and therefore it resembles Italy, Greece, and Germany in some parts, with some Eastern European influences as well. There are communities of Bavarian beer- drinking Oktoberfest-type people here, Japanese farmers, surfers, Gauchos (cowboys - in the far South) and many places where there is an interesting mix of ethnicities showing African and indigenous South American Indian influences as well (although not as much as in places further North).
Where the South differs in many respects from the rest of the country is in its relative prosperity and safety (compared with the big cities like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro for example). It is always wise to be mindful of one’s environment and the potential risks involved but on the other hand we have travelled throughout the South and have not encountered reasons to be fearful of walking out at night for example or being unduly concerned about crime generally. Brazil has a reputation for violence but we know by experience that the areas associated with these activities are tiny compared to the country as a whole. To suggest that Brazil is a place to be fearful of would be like suggesting that all of Europe is dangerous based upon a few incidents in one or two cities!
The South has a well-developed infrastructure, with good roads and facilities for travellers. There are many businesses and small manufacturers here, some of them companies but many of them family-run businesses producing all manner of products - not necessarily just handicrafts or giftware. The difficulty is finding them and (with the language and to some extent the cultural barriers) then doing business with them! We have found that the Brazilians are often very creative, very talented people but they don’t always have the same sense of urgency that we have and their business models are oriented towards their own markets within the country. Brazil itself is vast enough but also remember that there are neighbouring countries with which Brazilians can trade very easily so clearly there is no particular reason why Europe should be on their radar!

So what can The Squirrels offer that other companies cannot?

Well, you will no doubt find that there are agency and consultancy services on offer that are costly and are concentrated in areas like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and they may be right for you – but ....

In the South, The Squirrels can:

Locate suppliers of finished goods and can organise the complete handling of your orders and all the logistics and associated paperwork involved.
Arrange partnerships with local manufacturers to make products under license in Brazil for the Brazilian market. Importing into Brazil is costly, bureaucratic and attracts high taxes (obviously to discourage the home market becoming flooded with cheap imports!) which is why we recommend this route instead.
Locate opportunities for investment in Real Estate – for example Santa Catarina has a beautiful coast that is 561 kilometers (348 miles) long. Its capital is Florianópolis. This city is (mostly) on an island and it is one of the Brazilian cities that receives the most foreign tourists. To the south, Garopaba is a preferred destination for the surfing community looking for good waves. In the mountain region, São Joaquin is an attraction during winter because of its low temperatures.
Create tourist itineraries and arrange transport, bookings and activities for anyone who wants an experience of the “real Brazil” (as opposed to the touristic images of Brazil that are almost now a cliché!) The South has canyons, waterfalls, horse riding, trekking, white water rafting, fishing, theme parks, many very affordable pousadas (guest houses), great food and live music venues and opportunities for anyone who wants to play golf, Rugby Football, or even practise Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu .... the list goes on and on!

How much would this cost? Well, it depends what you want us to do of course so we have to quote according to that but we do not charge excessive fees and if there are expenses to cover we are very reasonable and aim to cover the costs involved in as frugal a way as possible.

We are based in the UK and we are also based near Maringá in Paraná State.

The best way to find out what is possible in this region of the country is to contact us in the UK with your enquiry and we will advise you accordingly.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Best regards, The Squirrels!