See how Bia Brazil became an internationally consolidated brand

Beatriz Willhelm Dockhorn was a teacher, administrator and gymnastics champion when she founded Bia Brazil, a label specializing in fitness apparel and a member of Texbrasil (Brazilian Fashion Industry Internationalization Program, developed by ABIT in partnership with Apex-Brasil). Her experience in such different areas of the market was certainly decisive in building a history of success, with a total of 20 years operating, points of sale in 56 countries and international recognition.

Faced with an unstable economy in Brazil in 1994, the year she opened her company, Beatriz decided to focus on the international as well as domestic markets. As is the case with many brands, her first experience exporting products was not what she expected. “With our first sale, we had to redo the entire order, because the seams began to fall apart on the way there. We learned our lesson, bought new machines and that buyer is still a client today,” says Beatriz.

Patience and hard work are qualities that every fashion entrepreneur that wants to export should have. “Everything takes a lot of time, especially when there isn’t any money to do significant marketing geared towards the foreign market. When working with our own brand, we have to convince the client to sell our product, and that takes time.” Nevertheless, Beatriz is an example that all the cultural baggage and networking she achieved during her career are crucial factors for the development of the company. The knowledge acquired over 13 years as an athlete helped her to make contacts at the Brazilian Embassy, guaranteeing that Bia Brazil entered the market in several countries.

Executives should appreciate the difference between the domestic and international markets and hardships in the export process. Beatriz says that the predominant lifestyle, culture and religion in a country change how consumers see the product, and all of this should be considered when presenting your collection. Also, bureaucracy, import tariffs and a lack of international agreements to facilitate the sale of products are some of the problems that a company has to face to win over the international public. The experience, however, is worth it. “Exporting is a major step in the trajectory of a company that wants to grow. And it has to be planned, since the return comes little by little,” she says in closing.