Today a Coffee Break took place (#CBreakMAD) in it Vivero de Empresas of San Blas with Aitor Zabala Ibanez. Aitor is an agricultural engineer from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, and an entrepreneur and creator of several companies in the ICT and Internet sector. He is a founding partner of Zyl, Leacci and Multivent, and participated in the creation of Imaste IPS. With experience in Internationalization, Aitor has managed to manage more than 40 people.
The essence of entrepreneurship, change
Aitor Zabala is clear that \"to undertake is to change\", and clarifies that \"the happy idea does not exist. There are people who focus too much on one idea and end up failing because they are not flexible\".
In this sense, Aitor considers that \"the market is going to change your product, you have to be attentive to the feedback that the market gives you\".
The crisis and internationalization. Lose the fear
Aitor explains that after several years of difficulties, they began to earn abundant money and "we believed that people could not stop buying our product. But the crisis came and it happened\”.
"We went from making a lot of money to being on the brink of bankruptcy." And they found the solution: \"Spain was very bad, and we realized that we had to export\".
Asked what in his opinion is the main key to internationalizing a business, Aitor Zabala is clear: \"lose your fear\". Regarding whether preparation or attitude is more important, Aitor answers that \"it depends on the type of internationalization, in our case, since it was software, it was easier for us".
In Aitor's opinion, the American business culture is very different, but although it was hard to adapt, he learned a lot in the United States.
When you have to close or sell your company
Aitor had another opportunity to learn when he was forced to close one of the companies he created. In addition to dealing with fear, the closing process taught him how the organization should have been built.
On the other hand, \»if you are going to sell your company, look for someone to advise you on legal matters. It is a language in which you are not normally going to manage\", considers Aitor Zabala.
Your company's money
\"If you want to grow, you have to spend money, but with a head,\" says Aitor Zabala. And he adds that \"you have to think that the money that the company earns is not yours, it belongs to the company and you have to invest it in growing\".
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