It takes courage to open a business venture in Malta, let alone beyond our borders. Josianne Facchetti interviews three business people who are testing their business ideas in Sicily, China and Spain.
Given the distance, culture and language issues, running a business abroad can be more complex than managing one in Malta. It comes as no surprise that even neighbouring countries, let alone countries in other continents, are worlds apart from Malta – having their own laws, cultural differences and their own fair share of bureaucracy.
However, doing business beyond Maltese borders can also be an exciting journey that opens doors to new experiences and opportunities.
Mark Camilleri, Omar Calleja, and Alexia Medici have ventured to Europe and beyond to start their business. They give a brief insight on what they encountered along the way.
Mark Camilleri runs Pippa’s Paddock, a country house with four guest rooms and stables for 14 horses in the heart of Sicily.
We started our business at the beginning of the economic crisis but luckily, because we are small, it didn’t cripple us.- Mark Camilleri
“Our personalised holidays include horse-riding, excursions and meals at home and authentic restaurants.”
Six years ago Mark and his ex-partner decided to open a horse-riding country house. Sicily, with its traditional, unspoilt rural areas seemed the obvious choice. Together with their daughter they toured the various regions looking for the right property to start up their business. Their search was narrowed down to three regions. They eventually found a property that had an abundance of horse riding trails around it.
“The trails wind through the trees in the north while the south is drier and flatter. The countryside changes whichever way you go. We are four miles from the little village of Alia, not too far from the airport and there are farms scattered everywhere. There is an abundance of fresh produce and homemade wines while olive oil is pressed the traditional way. We now also produce our own olive oil.”
However, even though Mark and his family found a property relatively quickly, their business was only up and running three years later. Mark tells me that there is nothing like Sicilian bureaucracy.
“It is unique – what can be done in months, takes years. We started our business at the beginning of the economic crisis but luckily, because we are small, it didn’t cripple us.”
Mark says that year after year they have enjoyed an increase in the number of guests. Some guests return more than once a year, while others get to know of Pippa’s Paddock through word of mouth, agents or their website.
“Flexibility and personal attention are key to the success of what we do.”
Across two continents, Omar Calleja describes his business based in Guangzhou, the business hub of South China.
Guangzhou is a vibrant city with many foreigners and international restaurants. The market is open and mature since it was the first region to open to the West some two decades ago.- Omar Calleja
“Our business is importing and distributing wine and spirits under the name of Fenici (Fei ni si).”
Omar has long been involved in this kind of business as his family owns a successful pub in Malta.
“My father has been my mentor ever since I can remember.”
“Guangzhou is a vibrant city with many foreigners and international restaurants. The market is open and mature since it was the first region to open to the West some two decades ago.”
To know a culture, one has to know the language. Omar is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and also communicates in Cantonese.
“Most of the business deals are done out of the boardroom, mostly in restaurants and karaoke clubs. Business starts to move when one can understand how the locals think. I have a local business partner who is very helpful. In China, networking is key to doing business.”
Omar has been building a network of contacts since he moved to China nearly 10 years ago.
“Raising capital is difficult especially as a foreigner because there is no government support. Red tape also exists but contacts can work miracles.”
As expected Omar has stiff competition, yet the market is also very big. He explains that just as the Chinese society is shifting from farmers to middle and upper class, so is their taste for wine and other spirits.
“The consumption per capita for wine and spirits is still very low – one litre per capita per year – however the whole market has exceeded that of the UK, putting China in fifth place for wine consumption.”
Omar is confident that this upward trend will continue as imports are exploding year after year. Word of mouth through his contacts and trade fairs are what help his business grow.
Back in Europe, Alexia Medici relates how she went to Barcelona in 2006 for a friend’s wedding and has remained there since.
In 2009, when the financial crisis hit the company I worked in, I decided to pursue my own projects.- Alexia Medici
“I am happily married and settled in my work. I was originally attracted to Barcelona for its cosmopolitan vibe. I knew that to feel comfortable, I would need a city that has similar strengths to Malta with the advantages of life in a bigger city.”
Alexia works in graphic design, web and contemporary art amongst her other projects.
“In 2009, when the financial crisis hit the company I worked in, I decided to pursue my own projects. I kept an excellent rapport with my ex-colleagues – this was fundamental in setting up as a freelancer. My clients tend to be English-speaking professionals in Barcelona who recommend me through word of mouth. Due to the current economic situation, I’ve expanded my network to include clients from Holland, Mallorca, and Zurich.
“My latest project is ‘Art in Barcelona’ in collaboration with Christine X (Christine X Gallery) whereby we help Maltese artists and art lovers to come to Barcelona for contemporary art courses. Christine also helps these artists apply for up to 80 per cent funding from the Malta Arts Fund. This is a great initiative for artists to be part of the art scene in Barcelona where they take part in at least one exhibition in a gallery in Barcelona. I particularly like this project as it serves as a bridge between the art scenes in Malta and Barcelona.”
Alexia explains that since Barcelona is a city brimming with artists, designers, architects and entrepreneurs, competition is fierce.
“Creating a niche is therefore essential. I try to give my clients an honest, fast and creative service and they usually come back with more work. Learning Catalan as well as Spanish also helps.”
She explains how setting up a business requires time, patience and good planning. “It’s important to be committed and motivated by one’s work and understand the market and customers’ needs. After all, they are the engine propelling my enterprise.”
Starting a business overseas takes more courage and determination than starting one in the domestic market. The passion for the business has to go hand in hand with the passion for the foreign country and its inhabitants’ way of life. It is harder to integrate in a culture that is somewhat alien to ours in the language and mentality. All these aspects and more can be regarded as obstacles or an adventure to learn from and to find new opportunities that otherwise would not exist in the local market.