An analysis of Portugal's business landscape quickly reveals that it's almost entirely made up of small and micro-enterprises. According to the PORDATA database, in 2020, 96.1% of companies were micro-enterprises (fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover or balance sheet total of less than 2 million euros) and 3.3% were small companies (fewer than 50 employees and an annual turnover or balance sheet total of less than 10 million euros, and not a micro-enterprise). This scenario is similar to most European countries, especially in Southern Europe where, as in Portugal, micro and small businesses play an extremely important role. Economically, it's crucial to invest in high innovation and technology sectors and to strengthen large and exporting companies. However, we cannot ignore that increasing the competitiveness and turnover of micro and small companies can be just as impactful for the national economy. This latter group of companies, when compared to large companies, faces a number of obstacles that lead to business "bottlenecks". These obstacles include greater difficulty in achieving economies of scale, tight cash flow, difficulties in accessing finance, challenges in navigating an inflexible labor market, and complex, constantly changing tax legislation. Furthermore, a large percentage of micro and small businesses are characterized by a lack of management and leadership skills, insufficient support networks, and difficulty accessing quality suppliers at affordable prices¿being small makes almost everything harder, including negotiation power.

Holders of a national or foreign higher education degree, or individuals with academic, scientific, or professional experience demonstrating their ability to pursue these studies.

Entrepreneurs of business ideas whose management training is minimal or incipient and who wish to improve their management skills; Individual entrepreneurs and self-employed workers who have recently set up a business or are in the process of doing so; Managers and professionals with diverse backgrounds who take on or intend to take on management roles in small and micro-enterprises; Entrepreneurs of small and micro-enterprises who, despite their extensive experience in doing business, want to upgrade their management skills; Others interested in topics related to the management of small and micro-enterprises.

This postgraduate course aims to equip small and micro-entrepreneurs, who often have limited management training, with the skills, know-how, and management tools necessary to overcome the identified obstacles. This is a fundamentally practical course, and its comprehensive scope is designed to address not only the operational but also the tactical and strategic realities of small and micro-enterprises. Through this training, participants should gain the knowledge to manage and oversee management processes, from preparing a business model to the establishment and administration of a small or micro-enterprise.

Discounts:

• 15% of the tuition fee for former ISLA Gaia students
• 10% for students from other Lusófona Group institutions and entities with a protocol
• 5% cash payment (can be combined with previous discounts)