Rio or São Paulo? Why not Belo Horizonte?

've read a very interesting article on TheEconomist this week: a debate about the old dilemma of whether establishing your business in Rio or São Paulo when investing in Brazil.

They are both great places to invest and have their strengths, but the thing is: Brazil is much more than these two cities.

Belo Horizonte, capital city of Minas Gerais – where I currently live– is a great example.  It is located in one of the richest States, near to the mining giants like Vale and Arcelor Mittal, provides a far better life quality than most of the big cities –  we have traffic but nothing near Rio or São Paulo – and it does have a nice enterprise friendly landscape, both for industry and commerce.

We, after all, hosted an World Bank- IBRD simposium not so long ago. Also, Fiat's largest factory in the world is located within Belo Horizonte's metropolitan area.

Curitiba, in the south of Brazil but close enough to São Paulo, is another magnificent place. Fortaleza, very in the North, is growing a lot too.

So, Rio and São Paulo are great places but when looking to invest in Brazil, think twice. 

 Think more than twice. Get to know Brazil better.

Everybody seems to know all Chinese provinces nowadays, to the extent of discussing which one of them offers better food. Brazil is way easier to understand than China (I know. I have been to both), so, take a litle time to explore your options before opening your offices and signing your lease contract.

Did I mention that office rental is much cheaper in Belo Horizonte, by the way?