December 28, 2020 6 min read
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
- Hear.
- Evolve.
- Prepare.
2020 has been a challenging year in many ways, but full of opportunities for women entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs. At Victoria147 we look at entrepreneurship as a door that opens to face the reality of now or never and begin to believe in dreams.
Given this, we compiled three stories from members of Red Victoria , to inspire us on valuable lessons on how to configure the moment to dare to undertake and turn fear into the perfect emotion to do so.
LISTEN, the instant of feedback
The rapid and unforeseen changes such as the one that came with the crisis caused by COVID-19 put many entrepreneurs in check, since they had to close their business or suffered a tremendous lack of demand that quickly led them to the red; without a doubt, the greatest fear of anyone who invests their resources in entrepreneurship. One way to get ahead is by adapting.
Folklórika is a company that is passionate about textiles and gastronomy. For more than seven years he has been selling custom uniforms for the hospitality area. When the world of events and gastronomy was forced to retreat, consequently, so did its demand for inputs. What did this company led by Bianca Bejos do? He used his resources and saw the problem as an opportunity.
Hand in hand with professionals, they began to develop face masks with all the specifications that are required for greater protection, they listened to customer feedback and worked on a second edition to perfect various details and take care of health in the best way. So, they presented a 2.0 mask, made from breathable and fresh, anatomical fabrics and available in more than 3 colors. In addition, they are made with triple protection and a thermo sealed filter that when it wears out you can change it for a coffee maker or vacuum cleaner.
To date, they have sold close to one hundred thousand units and counting, while staying on the path to perfecting their processes and guarantees that allow them to certify the use of these accessories that began as an act of solidarity by manufacturing 500 units for medical personnel. of the Women’s Hospital.
Image: Depositphotos.com
EVOLVE, the step to go further
Even for those who already had a good section of the journey of entrepreneurship, the onslaught of the crisis put them in front of obstacles such as fixed customers who had to leave, projects that were canceled and a whole series of sudden and unexpected changes that forced them to evolve . How to bring your products or services to people who now consume more online? The feeling of closeness and interconnections were the key for many.
Cecilia Bernal y Sánchez, founder of Mercarte, the first Branding Art and Cultural Management agency created in 2015, found a way to get around the recession wall and discovered a new business unit that has now become an important edge in their future: online courses.
Although everything in Mercarte has to do with art, the end users were not in its main target, rather they had focused on developing projects for brands; However, practically experimentally, they began to teach courses with historians via ZOOM, aimed at those who were looking for a space for learning and recreation in the midst of confinement. Today, in the voice of its founder, this is another of the possible futures for Mercarte and to achieve it they needed to close ranks, join forces, get down to work and turn fear into gasoline, by throwing the correct match.
PREPARE, time to create
The success stories of those women entrepreneurs or businesswomen who try again and again, without stopping before the challenges, are more than inspiring. Above all, those that start small, but with effort succeed, become incentives for all those who seek inspiration.
Two years ago Hilda Haghenbeck had an idea while still in college. She began by offering cosmetic treatments, from home tanning, nails and haircuts, until eventually she ventured to set up a beauty salon: Studio9 Beauty Bar. Just when everything seemed to be heading, the state government ordered the closure of establishments non-essential.
For this enterprising woman, it meant the start towards a path, where preparation is the protagonist. After putting it off for several months, Hilda says she finally stopped seeing her own business training – such as budget management, human resources and communication strategies – as an expense to transform it as an investment; and acquire capitalizable knowledge in your business.
A couple of months later and even before the new notice of closure of activities until January 2021, Hilda has already developed a strategy to sell personal care products via Instagram, which allows her to maintain her current expenses, payroll, reinvestment and even savings. ; In addition, it is working on a business plan that allows it to be competitive with other sales channels in large beauty product stores.