Feira do Empreendedorismo 2026: a marketing agency in Madeira among local entrepreneurs
For three days, Pulso Social Marketing had a stand at the first Feira do Empreendedorismo da Madeira, as part of the Startup Madeira StartNow programme. It was an opportunity to discover local businesses, hear about the challenges entrepreneurs face and show how marketing can help a business grow.
| Date | Time | Place | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14–16 October 2026 | 10:00 – 18:00 | Praça do Povo, Funchal | Free |
From idea to business
The Feira do Empreendedorismo da Madeira was organised by the Instituto de Emprego da Madeira (IEM), under the Regional Secretariat for Inclusion, Labour and Youth, with support from the Madeira 2030 programme. Around 1,500 people visited over the three days.
The fair followed a business from its first idea to a working company. Each day had its own theme: Inspire, Create and Build. The programme combined talks, workshops and testimonies from local entrepreneurs. Carlos Soares Lopes, from Startup Madeira, spoke about the challenges and trends shaping entrepreneurship and innovation. Digital communicator Laura Flores looked at how a personal brand can become a business opportunity. Nancy Brito, General Partner at Ground Capital, closed the programme by asking who is going to build the future.
At the opening, Regional Secretary Paula Margarido made a point worth repeating: supporting entrepreneurs goes beyond financial incentives. It means helping people prepare, test whether their project is viable and stay with them once they start. That is the idea behind the IEM’s business and job creation programme, CRIEE. It has supported the creation of 625 companies and 1,036 jobs, with more than €11.7 million in public investment, and more than 80% of the businesses supported are still operating. The Secretary of State for Labour, Adriano Rafael Moreira, described the fair as an example other regions of Portugal could follow.
Why our marketing agency took part
We were at the fair as part of the Startup Madeira’s StartNow programme, which supports new companies in their first stages to help them grow.
Our background is international B2B marketing. Our founder has led marketing for Manufacturing, SaaS, Defense, Automotive and Technology and Simulation companies in France, the UK, Australia and Portugal, and that experience shapes how we work: a clear strategy first, then execution that can be measured. Most companies in Madeira are small businesses, and the fair was a good opportunity to understand what they need and where that experience can help them grow.
What entrepreneurs told us
Everyone who entered our raffle answered one question: what is your biggest challenge on social media?
The answers came from businesses in tourism, hospitality, real estate, engineering and retail, as well as several projects that are still at the idea stage. Very different sectors. The same few answers.
Low engagement came up again and again. So did consistency, and not knowing where to start. Several people were more direct and said they want social media to bring in real leads. One person simply wrote that they want to be able to show what they love doing.
Reading them together, our view is that the main problem is time. People running a business spend the whole day on the business itself. Social media gets whatever is left at the end of the day, which is usually not much. Engagement and consistency both suffer from that before anything else, including the algorithm.
The entrepreneurs who asked for leads are right to expect them. For any business, social media is only worth the effort if it leads to something concrete: a booking, a message, a request for a quote.
And the winner is…
The prize was one month of free social media management, a service usually worth €200. The winner is Juan Carlos, from JC MicroPintura - come back to check his instagram soon to see our progress.
JC MicroPintura is a new company, and Juan Carlos’s challenge is one many businesses in Madeira will recognise: growing on social media when most people do not know the company exists yet. We are looking forward to working with him.
Thank you to everyone who visited our stand and took part.
How Pulso Social Marketing supports new businesses
From the first post to the first client We help businesses plan their marketing, show what makes them different and turn their online presence into real contacts. Our mindset: strategy first, no intermediaries, top quality, in English, French and Portuguese.
01 Social media Consistent content, planned in advance so it does not depend on finding free time.
- Content plans and calendars
- Posts, visuals and video
- Account management on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
02 Visibility Making sure customers find you when they search.
- Website and e-commerce, optimised for mobile
- SEO for local and international searches
- Google Ads and Meta Ads campaigns
03 Leads and sales A clear process so that no contact gets lost.
- CRM and automation with HubSpot
- Digital sales pipeline
- Email and SMS campaigns
04 Brand A consistent image across every channel.
- Brand identity and logo
- Brand guidelines
- Tone of voice
Let’s get your business seen. Were you at the fair? All raffle participants received an offer of 30% off our services for 30 days, together with a free initial consultation. If you missed our stand, tell us about your business anyway. We reply within one business day.
Get in touch
(+351) 915 786 022