EXPORT OF MICROENTERPRISES.
He worked in a consultancy and a financial. He learned everything he needed and launched on his own. Con 27 6 years, Sandra Felsenstein, she saw a niche that landed her in the pages of the prestigious Financial Times.
During years, An athlete embraced recognition not only when he hung a medal around his neck but also when his face became the cover of El Grafico magazine.. A milestone that, In addition to resembling a caress to the ego, It was almost a confirmation of a path well taken.. This same, although in the business world, It happened – and it happens- for those entrepreneurs who manage to bring their name and story to the pages of the Financial Times, one of the most important and influential economic newspapers in the world. That's what Sandra Felsenstein can boast about., an industrial engineer from 27 years that Dinka created, a firm that is responsible for nurturing a small group of designers and artisans to achieve, in exchange for a commission on sales, that can open markets abroad for their contemporary jewelry products, accessories and clothing.
“This was a niche, something that no one was doing. Exporters are interested in other types of products, with high returns and large quantities. And designers want their products to be outside, but they want to avoid - for fear of getting involved in a tax or legal problem or for promising something that they cannot later fulfill- all that part that involves export and marketing. The idea, from Dinka, is to deal with that stage of the chain”, explains Felsenstein to Clarín.com.
It happens that the 30 The suppliers that Dinka works with up to now are one-person businesses or those of two and three people., at most. And aren't there government entities that also take care of that?? “There are, but they don't do all the work for you. The quote, the shipment, searching for clients, the craftsman has to make them. That's a bit why the company arose.”, responds the former employee of the financial company Johnson & Johnson.
Since its creation, a year ago, The firm achieved sales of 20 thousand dollars and that the pool of artisans would penetrate Peru, Ecuador and Chile. “Now we are starting to work more with the United States, where we reached an agreement with a retail distributor in Texas. The goal for this year is to reach Europe”, add, while ensuring that “Argentina is considered a country with very good design, of original creations”.
Regarding the obstacles you face, Sandra Felsenstein states that “a lot of investment in marketing is necessary. Advertising a brand in Europe has other costs. It also involves travel, stays and parades to meet clients. Like any investment, at first it's complicated”. Weigh in all, The young businesswoman dreams that in the coming years her turnover will reach one hundred thousand dollars.
To your suppliers, Do you encourage them to produce what they ask of you or what you think might work better??
The important thing is to maintain the essence of each designer. How are they works of art?, They have to come from whoever is making them. Sometimes we advise them, if they ask for a variation of a piece or if they really like a material somewhere, they do. But we do not change the style of each jeweler or designer. Yes we search, within the artisanal nature of everything, standardize them a little to simplify the order and so that it can be repeated.
What makes you think that thirty is the ideal number of suppliers??
I don't know if it is the ideal number, But for now, It's a good number and it's what we can handle.. The idea is not to create a mega company overnight because that is when problems arise.. It seems to me that we are at a number that allows us to have a wide offer, without overflowing. Are 4 personas: a capitalist partner and two other people who work but are not associated.
Is the cost of production lower here than in other countries??
Definitely. In Europe they look for us for having a good design and at an affordable price. In Latin America we are not so accessible, but there are clients who can handle it because they see us as an extraordinary design site.
Weren't you calmer, with less problems, in the financial company or in the consulting firm where you worked?
I was always interested in having my own business.. When thinking about the industries I like, like design and fashion, I realized that there was a niche and it seemed good to join without me designing.. And so I began to coordinate a whole group of designers from the commercial and financial side., which is the one I know the most.
