A Growth Engine for Europe

Antonio Bernárdez, whose mother lives with a physical disability, decided he wanted to help people with mobility problems, and so he set up Ortopedia Plus, an online retailer of orthopaedic products and sanitary ware for the disabled. He launched the site on his own without any financial support, but thanks to advertising through Google AdWords, his business has grown exponentially in recent years, and now has 22 employees. “We double the previous year’s sales every year,” Antonio says. “The first year, turnover was €100,000; the second, 200,000; the third, 400,000, and in 2014 turnover was close to €800,000.” What’s more, in 2013 Ortopedia Plus began an internationalisation process enabling it to export to countries such as Germany, the UK, Italy and Belgium. According to Antonio, Google has been an important ally in their growth because it has helped them to achieve their most difficult goal: promoting the business. “With Google’s support, we can help those in need. When a client tells you that a product has changed their life and that they can now walk to the park to see their grandchild, you feel a huge sense of pride.”