This year the European Commission is organizing the first ever European SME (Small and medium enterprises) week from the 6th to the 14th of May in Brussels. The week will promote entrepreneurial spirit and emphasize the contribution of entrepreneurs to the European economy. To mark the occasion, the EC has published a brochure with portraits of entrepreneurs from each of the 33 countries participating in SME week.

The goal of the brochure is to serve as a guideline to aspiring entrepeuneurs and to highlight the challenges and excitement of running one’s own business, and we are thrilled to anounce that our CEO, António Câmara, has been nominated by national and European experts to figure in the brochure for Portugal!

Opening day for the 1st European SME Week will kick off with an exhibition entitled “The SME experience – How it feels to be an entrepreneur” with all 33 successful entrepreneurs on hand to tell their stories, an art installation where visitors can experience a day in the life of an entrepreneur, and a ‘Portraits Hall of Fame’ complete with interactive touch screens for exploring each nominees’ portrait. Visitors to the event will range from journalists to groups of students interested in entrepreneurism.

This morning I gave one more invited talk, this time at Politécnico de Setúbal in the context of an entrepreneurship seminar. The theme of my presentation was “you dream. we make it”.

They have a nice auditorium at Escola Superior de Ciências Empresariais (ESCE) and the audience was around 50-70 people. I am sure most of them, especially students, are now thinking about starting their own businesses (or sending their CVs to us ). Besides being an important MKT/PR component, these kinds of seminars can be seen as part of our social responsibility, inspiring young people to take risks, be creative, aim for the stars and run away from a mediocre & dull life.

I also liked the talk of Machado Rodrigues, Doctor at Hospital Pulido Valente, presenting a set of humanitarian activities his team has been developing in Angola. Another form of entrepreneurship: saving lives, and bringing hope where misery and disbelief rule.