Coworking, Community And The Startup Climate in Faro, Portugal:: Interview with our partner Faro Avenida Business Center

As the best known city in Portugal’s deservedly famous Algarve region, Faro enjoys almost all-year-round sun and good weather with over 200km of dramatic golden coastline, protected natural parkland and abundance of historical sights. During the last 5 years Portugal has drawn the attention of aspiring startups and international investments, making the country one of the preferred hubs for entrepreneurs with next big idea.
Our partner FARO AVENIDA BUSINESS CENTER located in Faro, can certainly confirm this trend. Accommodating the business and workspace needs of various local and international professionals, this vibrantly designed shared office provides tailored services from coworking, virtual office, full-time office and meeting and video conference rooms. To learn more about their successful practice, we sit down with the lovely Maria Inês Barra, CEO FARO AVENIDA BUSINESS CENTER, who shares about the special features of their centre, their expansion plans for 2016 and the startup climate in Faro.

eOffice: What makes FARO AVENIDA BUSINESS CENTER different from other workspaces in the area?

Maria Inês Barra: The basis of differentiation, based on size, with over 1000 m2 divided in 2 floors; being the first Center to work on a hybrid model – physical offices, coworking and virtual offices with reception and open 24hours/7 days a week.
In addition, training rooms, dining room, which also serves for workshops of showcooking.
We have the service of “turnkey”, that is, we take care of everything (furniture, internet, cleaning, water, electricity, etc.), the client doesn’t need to worry about anything, directing his full attention for your business.
We must not forget that the Faro Avenida offers, exclusively in the Algarve, myOffice application – unique in the world – which allows any professional monitor, in real time and regardless of where you are, everything that goes on in the Office: contacts, arrival of correspondence, etc. MyOffice also allows access to an international network of Business Centres that have in common the quality standard of the services provided.

eOffice: Can you tell us more about your recent expansion plans and any goals you have set for 2016?

Maria Inês Barra: Fortunately, there has been a growing demand for spaces in the FABC, especially for offices, so when the opportunity arose to take over a floor, not accepted without hesitation. With this expansion increased the available space to work, offering now more 1000 m2 of useful area. In addition, the visibility of the business center improves considerably, since one of the fronts, is directly facing the 5 October Avenue, one of the central avenues in the Algarve capital.
In the business and now with more space available, we plan to have more businesses and in various areas. In the area of training, we teach workshops unpublished, Algarve and formations, both at the level of personal development, business and showcooking.
In the very short term, we will launch a campaign to promote the area of coworking, in order to attract more professionals (national and foreign), and coaxing them to this way of living and exert their activity, which is no longer a trend and that has gained more and more adherents worldwide. Currently, we plan to continue to promote, through other communication channels, the whole range of services that we offer, so that all areas are equally and increasingly dynamic.  In General, the balance of this first year is very positive, however, we want to grow even more, in a way.

eOffice: What can you tell us about Faro’s Startup Ecosystem?

Maria Inês Barra: Faro is becoming increasingly dynamic, not only in the economy of tourism (main revenue source of our region), as well as in the area of research of marine science, so much for “fault” of the University of the Algarve, which lately has been saying in this area.

eOffice: What type of clients does your centre attract?

 Maria Inês Barra: We have so much corporate clients as professionals (national and foreign), in many areas, which forces us to permanent attention and dedication to the specificities of each of them in order to meet their needs and expectations.