18 Best Small Business Ideas for Portugal 2023

18 Best Small Business Ideas for Portugal 2023;-  Are you a foreigner looking to set up a business in Portugal? Here are 20 top small business ideas and investment opportunities in Portugal if this is you. what are all the best businesses i can do in Portugal

Best Small Business Ideas in Portugal

Portugal, also known as the Portuguese Republic is a country in southwest Europe. It is located primarily on the Iberian Peninsula. As of 2017, it has a population 10,291,027.

Portugal is a country with high income and a high level of development. It has a GDP per head of 77%, which is up from 75% in 2012. And an HDI of 0.8443 (the 41st-highest) in 2016.

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, Portugal was ranked 19th on the global quality of life index in 2005. This is ahead of other technologically and economically advanced countries like France, Germany, South Korea and the United Kingdom. However, it is 9 places behind its closest neighbor, Spain.

Portugal is still one of the West European countries with the lowest per-capita GDP. According to World Bank ratings Portugal is ranked 34th among 190 economies for ease of doing business.

Notable is the fact that the International Monetary Fund published a report on the Portuguese economy late June 2017. It included a positive near-term outlook and an increase in investment and exports over previous years.

Here are 18 business ideas for those who want to start a business in Portugal;-

18 Best Small Business Investment Ideas In Portugal

1. Start a Paper Prototyping Business

Portugal will be a great place to start a paper prototyping business.

In the user-centered design process paper prototyping is an often used method that helps developers create software that meets the users’ expectations.

This is called impromptu prototyping, in which hand-drawn, even crude, interface drawings are made to be used as prototypes or models of a design.

Although paper prototyping may seem to be a simple method of usability testing and design, it can provide valuable input that could lead to better products.

2. Tomato Processing Plant

Building your own tomato processing plant is a great business idea if you live in Portugal. You will need to have a lot of capital to start your tomato processing plant. However, the good news is that there is a huge market for tomato products.

A tomato processing plant is a great way to export your products all over the globe.

A great tomato processing facility produces the popular tomato products such as tomato juice, tomato powder, tomato powder, tomato sauce, tomato paste, tomato paste, tomato paste, tomato extract, tomato pulp, partially dehydrated tomatoes, and tomato juice.

3. Start a fruit processing business

You should think about starting your own fruit processing business in Portugal if you’re an ambitious entrepreneur who has the cash and perhaps the expertise.

It is important to remember that the fruit processing business will not go out of fashion because people eat and drink processed fruits in many different ways every day.

Depending on your business scale, the amount of capital required to begin a business in this sector can vary from modest to substantial.

You should run a fruit farm or plantation in addition to your fruit processing facility if you want your business to maximize earnings.

4. Start a Feed Mill

Portugal’s poultry farming sector offers many business opportunities. One of these is a poultry feed factory.

A poultry mill is an establishment that makes various types of poultry mashes, such as layers, pre-layers, mash and growers mash. It also produces broilers starter, finisher and broilers starter. This business is open to ambitious entrepreneurs, especially those who live in villages of poultry farms.

You only need a government-approved, well-located facility, consistent grain supply, and knowledge about the intricacies of running a business to get you started.

5. Start your own essential oil extraction business

Portugal is an ideal location to start an essential oil extraction company due to the large amount of raw materials required for the production of essential oils.

This is a new business venture so you need to be prepared for extensive market research and feasibility studies.

If it is well-placed and has a strong distribution network, it can be a profitable business. A concentrated hydrophobic oil that contains explosive plant components is an essential oil.

Essential oils can also be called volatile oils, essential oils, ethereal oils or aetherolea.

6. Start a Cooking Oil Manufacturing Business

Portugal is well-known for its wide range of olives and oilseeds, almonds and other products used in the production of cooking oil.

If you are looking for a business that will be profitable in Portugal, you might consider starting a cooking oil production business.

Although it requires capital, starting a company to produce cooking oil is very profitable. This business is one that will always sell, regardless of the season.

Cooking oil is used in many households, restaurants, hotels, and other establishments.

7. Get started on the production of an exercise book

An aspiring entrepreneur could also start a business producing exercise books. All over the world, schoolchildren use exercise books to write in class.

It is easy to start a business producing exercise books.

Standard exercise book production companies rely on strong distribution networks within their geographic areas to increase sales and create income.

8. Start a Papercraft Business

Paper craft refers to a variety of art forms that make use of paper or card as their primary artistic medium to create three-dimensional objects.

  • It is used most often in arts and crafts.
  • It can be folded, sliced and glued to, molded, embossed, or stacked in a multitude of ways.
  • Another important paper craft is handcrafted paper.

Many communities who use paper are familiarized with paper crafts. Some types of paper crafts are particularly linked to specific countries or cultures.

9. Furniture Manufacturing Business

The economic impact of forestry on rural communities has been significant. You can also establish a furniture manufacturing plant to capitalize on the opportunity.

Your primary responsibility is to create or manufacture household furniture (living room, dining area, and bedroom furniture), upholstered, sofa tables and end tables as well as love seats, loveseats, chairs, ottomans and display cabinets.

The rest of the sales are made up of outdoor, office, and furniture (Desks, home office goods, lamps and recliners, outdoor and outdoor furniture, rugs, and outdoor furniture).

10. Start a paper bag manufacturing business

An investor might also consider starting a paper bag manufacturing company in Portugal’s growing forest industry.

It’s well-known that paper bags are mainly used in retail. Nylon and plastic bags are used often, but most people prefer paper bags.

This shows that paper bags are in high demand in society. As a result, many investors have opened their doors to the paper bag manufacturing sector.

11. Initiate a Science Park

Science parks are becoming increasingly popular in Portugal. You should think about starting one.

Portugal started the development of science parks in several countries after the establishment and expansions of many science parks around the globe. These parks have helped to establish thousands of knowledge-based, scientific and technical enterprises.

Other examples include the Taguspark (in Oeiras), Coimbra iParque, in Coimbra, the biocant [in Cantanhede], the Madeira Tecnopolo (“in Funchal”) and the Sines Tecnopolo (“in Sines”), the Tecmaia—in Maia) and the Parkurbis “in Covilh.”

Companies who set up in Portuguese scientific parks have access to a wide range of services. These services include legal and financial guidance, marketing, and technical support.

12. Start a Logging Company

Portugal’s strong forestry sector means that a logging company is almost certain success in Portugal.

The timber harvesting industry is involved in many activities, including tree cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading trees and logs into trucks and skeletal cars.

These saw logs are then sold to small businesses like sawmills or pulp factories, among others.

It is important to remember that although it can be very lucrative, starting a logging company requires significant startup capital.

It is a capital-intensive industry due to the cost of equipment acquisition and the costs of getting permits and licenses.

13. Create an Advertising Agency

Another profitable business is an advertising company that can be established in Portugal.

A typical advertising agency creates advertising campaigns for publication in magazines, newspapers and radio.

Ad agencies offer guidance, creative services and account management. They also create advertising campaign materials and media planning and buying services like ad placement.

Your customer will be assisted with placing advertising in magazines, newspapers and radio.

14. Start Equipment Leasing Business

A company that leases equipment is one type of business that can be established and grown in Portugal.

People can rent a variety tools and equipment to help them complete their work.

Mower, hand drillers, and heavy-duty drillers; welders machines; forklifts, light construction equipment; medical, audiovisual, industrial energy, and theatrical and motion pictures equipment; power saw; filling machinery; scaffolding, amongst others.

It is your responsibility to search for this equipment and ensure that it is available in your business.

15. Start a Sales Consulting and Lead Generation business

A lead-generating business is a business that allows you to sell in Portugal.

This is a viable and lucrative business line that anyone can get involved in, since everyone has a product to offer.

Prospecting for new customers is known as lead generation in the marketing industry. It refers to the act of finding potential clients and implementing strategies that will help you do this.

Simply put, lead generation refers to the process of generating interest from customers or inquiries about the products and services of a company.

There are many reasons to generate leads, such as list building, list acquisition and sales lead generation.

16. Start a Battery Manufacturing Facility

Portugal is rich in lithium subsoil. It is concentrated in the areas of Guarda, Viseu and Vila Real. The Goncalo area is home to the majority of Portugal’s lithium.

Grupo Mota is the operator of Felmica in Guarda, the largest lithium mine in Europe. It is estimated to have reserves for up to 30 years.

In anticipation of an increased demand for lithium, prices for lithium have risen. Lithium is used to make batteries for electric cars and store electricity from the grid.

This shows that the lithium market has business opportunities, which potential entrepreneurs may take advantage of by setting up a battery factor.

In fact, Europe uses more than 20% of the global supply of lithium-ion battery batteries and imports all its remaining supplies.

17. Copper Wire Manufacturing Business

Portugal can launch copper wire manufacturing as a viable and profitable business.

Portugal is a major European producer of minerals, and it is also one of Europe’s largest copper producers.

Copper wire manufacturing can be started by any business.

This type of business can maximize earnings by locating your factory near a copper mine. You should also target foreign marketers to help you export your products to other countries.

18. Fishing business

One option to build a profitable business in Portugal is to open a fishing company.

When I refer to “fishing business”, I am referring to fishing on the high seas.

Portugal, a maritime power in the past, is the country with the highest per capita fish consumption.

Based on total landings by weight per year, the most popular landing spots in Portugal (including Azores and Madeira), are Matosinhos and Peniche.

Fish is available in a worldwide market, which you can use to generate foreign currency for your business.

19. Establish a Fish Processing Plant

A seafood processing plant is another great business opportunity in Portugal, particularly if you are looking to capitalize on the fishing industry.

Fish processing includes drying, canning, and putting preservatives onto fish to make them last longer.

It is interesting to note that Portuguese-processed fish products can be exported via a variety companies, including Ramirez which is the oldest operating canned fish factory in the world.

20. Start a commercial farming business

Portugal’s agricultural sector offers many business opportunities. One advantage is that all its products are available for sale.

Commercial farming is about mass production. It involves raising large numbers of animals and fish for profit and growing crops in large quantities. This is often called mechanical farming.

Portugal produces plenty of tomatoes, citrus, green veggies, rice, wheat, barley and oilseeds. There are also enough bilberry, table grapes and edible mushrooms.