Germany as a growth market

Germany as a Growth Market: Market Entry, Business Networks and Concrete Opportunities for Estonian Companies in Manufacturing, Software, Defence and Services

At this Business Breakfast, Birgit Linnamäe will share her experience from more than 25 years in international business development and management, spanning the industrial and service sectors. Over the course of her career, Birgit has led and advised numerous companies and organisations in Estonia, Germany and other international markets.

The Business Breakfast will be held in German.

The event is aimed at Estonian companies with German owners and management teams that are looking to take the next step in entering the German market.

1. Formal and informal networks
Let’s talk about networks – Germany is a country that operates through networks. Participating in networks gives you new contacts, both in your own field and in related areas. How do you find partners with whom you can connect and move forward together?

2. Valuable offer – how to find contacts
New suppliers are usually not found through advertising, but through networks and recommendations, for example. However, it is important to think about how to build and shape your company’s image. It is worthwhile to formulate your strengths in a few sentences in German and to communicate them internally.

3. Business model innovation in sales
Where does growth come from? Use sales agents or sell directly? Take part in public procurement processes, where each municipality has its own procurement platform – more than 450 in total? Which conferences and seminars should be attended?
The truth is that corporate purchasing departments are saturated with gifts, and no one is motivated by that to take on a new supplier. So how do you find clever, differentiating tricks to spark the buyer’s interest and stay in contact?
Reviewing your business model and making adjustments if necessary is part of daily management. That depends on your goals, resources, and also on the experiences you’ve had – or haven’t.

4. Social competence, culture, and networking
How can you make contact if emails go unanswered and calls are not welcome? Various professional associations, forums, and seminars are good ways to initiate contact. Don’t be discouraged by initial “no” responses.
To begin and build a relationship, you need to do some groundwork. You need to understand your partner’s profile, but also sharpen your own profile and value proposition – what is my business in one or two sentences, and who is the ideal customer?
You need to consider whether it is a family-run company or not, who makes the decisions and how, how new innovations are handled, etc.

5. Certification and business processes
We will also talk about certification as a means of structuring internal business processes and ensuring consistent quality.

How to find us:

By public transport:

From the train station (Balti jaam), it’s about a 10–15 minute walk.

By tram, get off at the Põhja pst stop – from there it’s about a 5-minute walk.

By car:

A paid parking lot is located nearby: Rannamäe tee 5, Zone P4 (access via Suurtüki Street), only a 4-minute walk away.