D-Day of MEI Week offers an opportunity to regularize small businesses

Sebrae held this Wednesday (22) D-Day of MEI Week. The in-person event took place throughout the country, to answer questions and regularize the situation of entrepreneurs who were working informally.

In the Federal District, a free Sebrae service stand was set up in the square next to the Ceilândia Central Fair, which remains open until Friday (24). The opening of the activities was attended by the president of Sebrae, Décio Lima; the superintendent of Sebrae DF, Rose Rainha; and the Minister of Entrepreneurship, Microenterprise and Small Businesses, Márcio França.

The action is part of the 15th edition of MEI Week which, this year, has the theme “Enough together with Sebrae”. Free of charge, the program continues until May 24th with in-person and online activities, such as lectures, practical workshops, courses, as well as networking and inspiring stories from successful entrepreneurs.

During the event in Ceilândia, the president of Sebrae, Décio Lima, highlighted the importance of formalizing the business and how MEI Week can help.

“MEI Week is precisely that door of dreams, of that entrepreneurial spirit, so that people can, in their workplace — with what they have learned in life —, organize their business. Coming to Sebrae is entering a door of dreams. And it is important to say, especially for those who already have a business, but are not formalized, that research reveals that 25% of those who are formalized increase their respective incomes.”

The superintendent of Sebrae DF, Rose Rainha, highlighted the partnership between the federal and district government with Sebrae to provide guidance and formalization to the MEI.

“We are here with our entire team at this opening, having the honor of welcoming the federal government, the local government and Sebrae Nacional. And our entire team is here to assist this MEI, provide all guidance and, if necessary, unwind this company. So this week is very important for Sebrae, for this entrepreneur, because it is a week that we are talking directly to MEI and telling them about their benefits, their obligations and how to improve this company.”

Present at the Sebrae stand in Ceilândia, individual microentrepreneur Simone Maria de Jesus, 45 years old, took the opportunity to sell delicious cassava cassava cookies fitness. The resident of Planaltina de Goiás, a region surrounding the Federal District, works with her own manufacturing and sells it as a street vendor. Today, the sale of petas — as the starch biscuit is known in the region — has become the main source of income for this MEI.

“I worked for nine years in a factory. The guy closed it and passed the ovens to me. I started doing it in the area fitness because I had a health problem. One day I was on the street, I planned this cookie, I tried it and it worked.”

To regularize the business and submit the Simples Nacional Annual Declaration, Simone counted on help. “All the people at Sebrae supported me.”

Advantages of regularizing as MEI

• Social security benefits (sickness benefit, maternity leave and retirement)
• Issuance of invoice
• Access to better credit line conditions
• Participation in government procurement processes

Access to credit for small businesses

Also present on D-Day in Ceilândia, the Minister of Entrepreneurship, Márcio França, highlighted the opportunity for MEIs to renegotiate bank debts through the program Develop Small Businesses. The federal government’s action is part of the Believe Program, in which Sebrae is a partner as a guarantor in taking out credit through the Micro and Small Business Guarantee Fund (FAMPE). The measure applies to companies with annual revenue of up to R$4.8 million, with unpaid debts until January 23, 2024.

“You will have a discount of 40% to 90% to pay off your debts. So it is very important that people know this, because (the program is for) non-individuals, many people ended up not using it. And from July onwards the Procred 360, which will lend up to a third of what the person earned last year, with a much lower interest rate. And at the same time, if the company is owned by women, it lends up to 50% of last year’s revenue.”

According to Minister Márcio França, small entrepreneurs have great difficulty accessing credit in Brazil.

“So the government has to act. In total, we will lend almost R$20 billion, plus R$30 billion from Sebrae to specifically stimulate small (entrepreneurs). And all of this coexists with this whole tragedy in Rio Grande do Sul, where there has to be something separate, because there, on top of everything else, it is subsidized. When a person takes money from Rio Grande do Sul, they will take R$100,000 and only pay R$60,000. So the government is giving R$40,000 so he can start his life over again.”

The president of Sebrae, Décio Lima, invites anyone who wants to open a MEI, formalize or boost their business to participate in MEI Week.

“Do not miss this opportunity. We are practically in every city in Brazil with events in this concept, to hug you, to give you affection, to give you what is the first obstacle in your life, which is obtaining credit. 88% of small businesses today do not have access to credit and with Crédito, built with Sebrae and the Federal Government, we are offering a guarantee fund and we will achieve the largest credit policy in the history of our country, aimed at micro and small entrepreneurs .”

The full schedule and other details are available on the page sebrae.com.br/semanadomei.

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