Oficialize: 21212 startup devoted to helping entrepreneurs incorporate their business in Brazil
With a rapidly growing economy and an eager domestic market, Brazil presents a dynamic environment with a range of valuable business opportunities for entrepreneurs. There is a growing focus on innovation and motivated entrepreneurs are seeing the potential that their business ideas have to push Brazil even further as a growing global and economic power. Over 500,000 new businesses have opened in 2013 already and this number shows no signs of slowing down. The thriving start-up ecosystem is growing at a breakneck pace and has recently been dubbed “Silicon Beach.”
This growing movement in entrepreneurship, however, is hindered by an extremely complex and bureaucratic business environment. While many motivated entrepreneurs are prepared to implement their business models, they hold back due to a lack of knowledge or time to maneuver their way through the complexities of the Brazilian bureaucracy. Legal restraints, the ever-changing legislative environment, and a complicated tax system are just some of the impeding factors. To show how complicated and confusing the system truly is, the World Bank’s Doing Business Index for 2013 ranked Brazil 121st among 183 countries in the ease of starting a business.
For these energetic entrepreneurs, there is a 21212 startup that guarantees a bureaucracy free experience when opening your company. That startup is named Oficialize and its purpose is to provide business consulting services to Brazilian startups, entrepreneurs, and small to medium size business owners. Founded by a team comprised of both Americans and Brazilians, Oficialize offers an online solution that aims to streamline the process of opening a business in Brazil. They turn a rather complicated problem into an easy online solution. First, the new business owner will go to http://oficialize.com.br and create a free account. The client will then proceed to an online questionnaire to answer a set of questions directed at helping the Oficialize team understand the objectives and best corporate route of the new company. After choosing the new company’s corporate form, the client will simply submit the necessary documents and payment, and Oficialize efficiently takes care of the rest! Their solution helps the client avoid the bureaucracy and expensive costs normally associated with incorporating a new company in Brazil.
The founders at Oficialize believe there is no better time for their solution. Benjamin Hoffman, one of the cofounders of Oficialize, stated, “our goal is to relieve the entrepreneur of the complexities and bureaucracies of incorporating in Brazil so that our clients can focus on what they do best — running their own business.” This point is further reinforced by Luiz Rodrigues, a Brazilian cofounder, “O empreendedor precisa abrir uma empresa e ficar concentrado nas estratégias de negócios. O mercado está competitivo e abrir uma empresa não pode ser mais um problema, mas sim uma solução.” In English, “when an entrepreneur opens a business he needs to stay concentrated on business strategy. The market is competitive and opening the business shouldn’t be the problem but the solution.” While Oficialize works with the bureaucratic procedures, business owners are able to focus on strategically structuring, operating, and managing their business for sustainable growth.
As mentioned, Oficialize is focusing on small to medium size businesses by helping them incorporate one of three types of companies. The first, a “Sociedade Limitada”, or LTDA, is the simplest and most popular form which requires at least two partners and economic activities organized around production or circulation of goods and services. The second, “Micro Empreendedor Individual”, or MEI, is a legalized small business with at most R$ 60,000 annual revenue. The third is a company registered with the corporation “Sociedade Anónima,” or S.A., which requires a minimum of at least two shareholders and can be categorized as either public-issue or closed corporation.
21212 is excited about Oficialize and their potential to foster business growth throughout Brazil. If you would like to learn more about the startup or get in touch with one of their co-founders, they can be found online at www.oficialize.com.br or www.facebook.com/Oficialize. You can also find them on 21212’s website at: 21212.com/companies/oficialize.