Recently released data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor states that more than 48% of Brazilians intend to start a new business within the next 3 years. Additionally, two-thirds of the population trust their entrepreneurial abilities, and more than half (51%) believe that fear of failure is not a factor preventing them from starting a new business. The entrepreneurship specialist Reginaldo Boeira went through 3 major falls before achieving success. He is the owner of KNN, one of the five largest language franchise networks in Brazil, as well as several other companies in different sectors.
“If I could leave just one lesson for anyone thinking about starting a business, it would be: don’t be afraid to invest. Fear is a barrier that exists in all of our minds, but success only comes to those who decide to overcome it. I have faced great challenges, and at no time did I think about giving up. On the contrary, I learned the importance of resilience and persistence. Each failure taught me to ‘adjust the sails’, to understand the market and to seek new opportunities”, he states.
Before founding KNN Languages, Reginaldo Boeira had a journey marked by ups and downs. At 12 years old, he started entrepreneurship by selling sweets to help his humble family. With enthusiasm and dedication, he tried other businesses, such as a butcher shop and a semi-jewelry company, but without success. Reginaldo's third 'fall' happened at an IT company, and from that moment on, he understood that to be a successful entrepreneur, he needed to invest in what he truly loved and that money would be a consequence. In Reginaldo's case, he decided to invest in languages.
“I learned English when I was a child, through a battery-powered radio that I was given. And there, curious, I tried to learn with the help of a dictionary. This passion for the language led me to invest in the language teaching business. In addition, my passion for entrepreneurship also pushed me to teach other businesspeople how to make money and be successful, which is why the franchise model was successful. And working with what you love is, without a doubt, one of the most important pillars for lasting success. When we get involved in a project or business that we are truly passionate about, our dedication goes far beyond the physical effort or the hours invested. We are completely immersed, connected to the mission of what we do, and this gives us a unique strength,” explains Boeira.
“And, of course, during the journey, if things go wrong, the secret is to understand that failure is part of the process, and that, many times, it is a learning experience and a leap towards success. And Brazilians have this determination to ‘never give up’; it is even a motto that people carry with them and needs to be adopted in different areas of their lives, professional, personal, business and even health, as is my case, who recently beat cancer and continue to receive constant check-ups, valuing life and never giving up on having better health every day to continue with all the projects I have for myself and for my companies”, says Boeira.
In addition to KNN Idiomas, Reginaldo, with a strong entrepreneurial streak, has boosted his business by creating new companies, such as Phenom Idiomas, which has been operating in Brazil for 3 years and has more than 50 units open in the country, Boeira Construtora, focused on the construction industry in the Itajaí Valley region, in SC, and also companies in the marketing, foreign trade and tourism segments, such as Rancho Otto, in the Santa Catarina mountains, a destination highly sought after by tourists throughout the year.
Business scenario in Brazil
According to recent research, Brazil has already registered more than 60 million National Registry of Legal Entities (CNPJ) records throughout the country's history. Of this total, just over 21 million, 35%, are active. According to the survey, 94.5% of active companies are parent companies, followed by 5.5% of subsidiaries. Most active companies are parent companies, accounting for 94.50%, with only 5.50% being subsidiaries. It is worth noting that micro-enterprises (ME) make up more than 77% of the market, and most of them are individual companies (MEIs), which account for 75.62%.
