João Custódio, Executive Director

GCE GLOBAL:
Hello, João, we welcome you to this webinar space so that you can teach us about your company and business in Brazil, it is an honor to have you here. João Custódio: Thank you very much for inviting me, I want to tell you that we are already going to be sixteen years old, since the company was born, in our first years we started selling accounting services over the phone, and we have always been positioned in Porto Alegre is a great Geographical advantage in these times, as Porto Alegre is also one of the most climatically friendly cities, it becomes a strategic point of access to foreign companies.

GCE GLOBAL:
Tell us a little about the business lines that Fortus Group manages.

João Custódio:
Initially we sought to be the solution for our local clients as well as for foreign clients. Now Fortus Group is a company which has several areas and services such as Accounting, Taxes, Offices, Human Resources, Audit, Legal, Finance. At Fortus we do the work efficiently and quickly, we have completely secure databases. We can handle all our business lines locally and internationally, we constantly ask ourselves what the client is going to want before he asks for it. (More of this information in the video.)

GCE GLOBAL:
Do you have agreements with a bank to be able to generate economic strategies?

João Custódio:
Yes, in fact we have agreements with three private banks and two other digital banks, these banks help us in the monetary aspect of the market and in this agreement allows us to offer digital bank accounts with face-to-face establishments.

GCE GLOBAL:
Joao, tell us a little about the new line of business Fortus group capital is going to cover.

João Custódio:
Fortus group capital is a digital financial hotline and comprehensive advice.
It focuses on what kind of products are most appropriate for our different clients.

GCE GLOBAL: ​
Very well, could you tell us a little about the structure of your company?

João Custódio: ​
Fortus group has three offices scattered around Puerto Alegre and a few meeting desks and technology offices in São Paulo and other parts of Brazil, in addition to offices we have partners who help in our different operations. ​

GCE GLOBAL:
Tell us a little of the awards that Fortus group has received.

João Custódio:
One of the most notable is MEP Brasil, this is due to my experience working at the Ambev company that gave us guaranteed the prize. Brazil’s growing company is given awards for service effectiveness and strategy and for some of the best internal audits. Due to the great dedication that our employees have for the audit and effectiveness of this annual audit, that is why we are certified in iso 9001 ( more awards in the video.)

GCE GLOBAL:
We are talking about the communications aspect of Fortus.

João Custódio:
We have several communication channels on various topics of public interest. These are published in consumer em pauta is being a television and radio program, like a magazine Corporate Fortus group that talks about economy and business.

GCE GLOBAL:
What could be the international business opportunities that have arisen in Brazil as a result of the pandemic.

João Custódio:
A very good question, today there has been a depreciation of exchange rates, this creates opportunities for some companies. These moments are good and/or opportune times to invest in companies. The internal market of Brazil has always had competition with that of Argentina, for example, fashion compared to Brazil has made adaptations to grow in this highly competitive market.
Now business opportunities were generated in the tax, technological and information fields. (More opportunities and how to use them in the video.)

GCE GLOBAL:
Let’s talk a bit about the impact that starting to work from home generated for many companies.

João Custódio:
In several companies, the administrative sphere now that it is forced to be exercised from home and try to keep the company open. For example, now Fortus is ready to be able to maintain this new work system, which we compensate with a great technology team. Our professionals have desks and chairs adapting their homes to a work space, work now also becomes more than just working on a computer or laptop. Now it is from the cell phone I work using WhatsApp, the impact has been in general the reform of the company in the administrative and technological way.

​GCE GLOBAL:
What was your strategy to be able to prosper in the face of this pandemic.

João Custódio:
As Fortus we are proud to have a positive team and good clients. In terms of payments we are somewhat flexible , our advantage is that those we work with are always honest, we have focused on keeping our clients and generating new proposals for possible new companies.

GCE GLOBAL:
Thanks to the pandemic, some of your businesses fell or Did this time only generate opportunities for you?

João Custodio:
We have not lost any business, the opportunities we have obtained have been to be able to get closer to our clients and to prosper our relationships, we maintain contact with all our clients by video call. We are a company that is more prepared for the storm than others, that has been part of what has given us opportunities in these times and being able to invest in our clients.

​GCE GLOBAL:
Tell us how you have dealt with layoffs and a bit of the learning curve they had in these times?

João Custódio:
We have not had to lay off anyone due to the pandemic, thanks to our preparation for any weather we only laid off one person but this was already planned before the pandemic.
We think that this has been a great learning curve for all of us as a company and even as people, this situation has taught us a lot about how to adapt to situations and the new style of business that is carried out virtually.

GCE GLOBAL:
Tell us a little about some less important strategies for companies in terms of selling services.

João Custódio:
There are several companies and these different companies find the sales aspect difficult, whether it be service or products. One strategy is to make sales online, this strategy lightens that weight a bit. By acquiring an online sales portal, it gives companies an efficient alternative to make digitized sales .

GCE GLOBAL:
To conclude, we thank you for your great contribution to so many important issues and for being with us today , before letting you go, we want to receive a final message from you.

João Custódio:
We are all going through a very unique moment,so I want to advise you to handle this whole situation with serenity, and remember that we have to act, make decisions and know that this storm is going to pass. Take advantage of this time to be creative and create new things and finally a very important word “Adaptation.”
Thank you very much for inviting me and allowing me to be part of this incredible space in which many people allow me to share a little of my experience in search of good for all.

And if you wish, you can contact us at:
Facebook: fortusgroup
Instagram: @fortusgroup
www .​fortus.net