During the 18th Innovation Breakfast, e-commerce was presented to the hundred attendees as a complementary route that businesses can use to diversify their activities, increase business or maintain it in the current environment, and reach new markets and clients.   In other words, it is a business in itself within a company. 

The main presentation was given by the expert Jean-Paul Crenn, founding member and advisor for CIRVAD [1], an association that brings together e-commerce companies in the Midi-Pyrenees region. During his presentation he stressed that the creation of a virtual business must be treated as the creation of a real business and as such entrepreneurs must think about investment, a “realistic” business plan, a full time commitment, personnel, logistics and a specialised presence in the Internet. Creen stated that the results can be seen much more quickly than for traditional business. Finally, he went on to outline a series of errors made when launching an e-business. These can be seen in the presentation [2] and they include: wanting to be too innovative; using technologies that are too pioneering; and investing a lot in the website but little in e-marketing.  

Marketing. Jean-Paul Creen underlined this concept many times to the hundred attendees to make sure that the great importance to a virtual business of capturing clients in different markets was understood. As examples he cited, amongst others, AdSense from Google, direct marketing using email and search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies.

For his part, Raül Bartolí, Deputy Director of External Trade for Customs from the Andorran Government, explained the improvements in procedures such as simplified declaration through the Internet. In relation to the tax position for Internet sales, Bartolí stated that the Government returned 95% of the indirect goods tax (IMI) and the indirect tax on commercial activities (IAC) on merchandise that is exported as e-commerce products. For more information please consult the Customs Service website or call one of their offices.

Finally, Domènec Borra outlined the case of the e-commerce department of a company that sells accessories in the motorbike sector, Daytona 2000 SL. In four years the e-commerce division has contracted various companies, bills for twenty packages each day and represents an important sales channel for the company in terms of the volume sold. Borra explained his satisfaction with the annual growth of virtual business and the forecasts for the future of this business channel in Andorra. 

One of the companies in attendance has written an explanatory text about the Breakfast in its blog which we can recommend reading. http://blog.myp.ad [3]