Seminar Planned for Small Business Owners

Cuenca Partners is an international movement of businesspeople and professionals that has as its goal the establishment and guidance of entrepreneurial ventures that provide employment. For this reason, it is currently planning a Business Plan seminar.

The Business Plan seminar is for small business owners and entrepreneurs in Cuenca, who will receive training over the course of several weeks in a practical guide for executing their business ideas.

“Different types of businesses are discussed, with essential lessons such as how to structure a business, identifying your target market, marketing strategies, finance, accounting, and others,” mentioned Carlos Serrano, director of Cuenca Partners. One of the participants in the seminars is Marcelo Serrano, who has a business called Diserval. Serrano said that during the classes he received guidance for his business, marketing strategies, and operational management, according to the needs of the business. Among the objectives that Diserval has identified and attained through this training is improvement in sales and the addition of new stores. Diserval has two showrooms in Cuenca and will be opening exhibition areas in Machala, Guayaquil, and Quito. (LVC)

Cuenca.

Translated into English from story run in El Tiempo newspaper in Cuenca, Ecuador on April 8, 2014. Original story in Spanish may be viewed here.

Se desarrolla seminario para microempresarios

Noticia publicado en el periodico El Tiempo de Cuenca, Azuay, Ecuador el 8 de Abril de 2014.

Cuenca Partners es un movimiento internacional de empresarios y profesionales que tiene como fin establecer y dar seguimiento a emprendimientos que generen fuentes de trabajo. Por ello actualmente se encuentra desarrollando el seminario Plan de negocios.

Plan de negocios está dirigido a microempresarios y emprendedores cuencanos, que durante varias semanas reciben capacitaciones en las que se les muestra una guía práctica para ejecutar sus ideas comerciales.

Leer la noticia en diario El Tiempo aqui.

Cuenca Partners Helps to Start New Ventures

Rediseguros Brokers and Pizza Nostra are two business ventures that were able to start on a strong footing thanks to the support of Cuenca Partners. “This non-profit organization with a social impact is supportd by a North American NGO called Partners Worldwide,” indicated Carlos Serrano, representative in Cuenca. It is a project that seeks to support entrepreneurs with business ideas that need guidance to put those ideas into practice. Rediseguros Brokers is a business run by the couple Brigitte Cordova and Ivan Coellar, who offer a variety of insurance options.

With a year and a half in the market, their goal is to offer clients a trusted insurance option, advising clients to see the best form of insuring their property, according to Cordova. Pizza Nostra began as the dream of its owner, Patricio Hurtado, who brought his idea to this organization, where Carlos Serrano helped him to crystallize the business. The training lasted two weeks, during which all involved learned to organized their various ideas and put them into practice. The contact for Patricio with Cuenca Partners came through the Verbo Christian Church. (COR)

Translation of story published in Spanish in El Mercurio newspaper on April 4, 2014 in Cuenca Ecuador. Read the original story in Spanish on El Mercurio’s website.

Cuenca Partners ayuda a iniciar emprendimientos

Noticia publicada en el periodico El Mercurio de Cuenca, Azuay, Ecuador el 4 de abril de 2014.

Rediseguros Brokers y la Pizza Nostra, son dos emprendimientos que lograron cincretarse gracias al apoyo de la Fundación Cuenca Partners. Este organismo, con función social y sin fines de lucro, es apadrinada por una ONG de Estados Unidos, llamada Partners Worldwide, indicó Carlos Serrano, representante en Cuenca. Este es un proyecto que busca apoyar a emprendedores con ideas de negocio, que requieren una guía para su aplicación. En el caso de Rediseguros Brokers es un negocio de los esposos Brigitte Córdova e Iván Coellar, que ofrecen una variedad de seguros.

Leer toda la historia en la pagina del diario El Mercurio.

Passion for Bread

Fernando was born in San Pedro Sula on June 20th of 1986 and currently resides in the city of Sabanagrande (45 minutes away from the capital). He is engaged to his girlfriend Carolina, with whom also shares a passion for bakery and pastries.

Fernando is part of an entrepreneurial family. His aunt started a bakery that today is one of the largest in the city of Sabanagrande. Fernando used to regularly help his Aunt with all sorts of tasks in the bakery.

However, he struggled when he decided to step out from the bakery and find a formal job. Concerned about not having an income, Fernando decided to rent a vehicle and talk to his aunt about managing the distribution for the bakery business. Originally, his aunt baked the bread and different families, small convenient stores, and customers would pick up their orders directly from the store. However, Fernando's vision opened the door for innovation that allowed them to compete with other bakeries by offering delivery services - especially to communities with remote access and little coverage from the competition.

In addition to creating a source of income for Fernando, his vision made it possible  for communities to have access to products for which people previously had to walk long walking-distances to purchase. He also employs an additional person within this business.

As demand was increasing in other communities, Fernando invested a lot of time in analyzing the implications of his income and expense accounting.  As a result, he realized the importance of acquiring his own vehicle to be able to deliver the merchandise.  because his profit margin was very low due to the high costs of renting a vehicle.

Upon noticing the same thing, his fiancé Carolina, who helps him with the accounting and the distribution encouraged him to take the step of doing something different in his business. Being members of a Christian Reformed Church, they heard about Diaconia Nacional, and the loan program for small business owners.

Through this, Fernando was able to get a L. 100,000 ($5,000) loan to buy his own vehicle that has allowed him to grow his business and reach to other communities. Not only that, Carolina, who comes with him during the delivery routes, has been able to promote her business of pastries specialties to the bread customers.

Together they are not only bringing bread to remote communities but also pastry services such as cakes for birthdays, weddings, and other special events.

Fernando concludes that without Diaconía he would not had been able to grow his business.

Diaconía Nacional, a local business affiliate of Partners Worldwide in Honduras, works with more than 50 entrepreneurs in Tegucigalpa, sabanagrande and Olancho. The work of Diaconia Nacional has been supported by its global business affiliate, the Honduras Pella team.

Fernando delivering bread to the communities in Sabanagrande.

Fernando with his fiance Carolina.

This is the vehicle Fernando was able to purchase with the loan.

Pasion por el Pan

Fernando nació en la ciudad de San Pedro Sula el 20 de Junio de 1986 y actualmente reside en la ciudad de Sabanagrande (a  45 minutos de la capital). Esta comprometido con su novia Carolina, con quien además comparte la pasión por la repostería y la panadería.

Fernando es parte de una familia de gente emprendedora. Su tía inició una panadería, la cual es ahora la más grande de la ciudad de Sabana grande. Fernando siempre colaboraba en la panadería con las tareas que su tía requiriera de él.

Sin embargo, cuando él ya decide salir de la panadería para formalmente obtener un empleo, le fue imposible hacerlo. Con la preocupación de obtener una fuente de ingreso, Fernando decidió alquilar un carro/flete y habló con su tía para manejar la distribución de la panadería. Originalmente, su tía elaboraba el pan y diferentes familias, pulperías y clientes llegaban a recogerlo. Sin embargo, la visión de Fernando dio lugar a innovación que les permitió competir con las otras panaderías ofreciendo el servicio a domicilio, especialmente a comunidades donde las rutas más comunes no transitaban.

Además de crear una nueva fuente de ingreso para Fernando, su visión hizo posible que comunidades tuvieran acceso a un producto por lo cual antes era necesario hacer largos recorridos para obtenerlo. Además, emplea a una persona adicional.

A medida que la demanda crecía en otras comunidades, Fernando invirtió mucho tiempo en analizar las implicaciones de su contabilidad de sus ingresos y gastos.  Como resultado, se dio cuenta de la importancia de obtener un automóvil propio para poder llevar la mercadería ya que su margen de ganancia era muy bajo debido a los altos costos de alquiler de automóvil.

Al darse cuenta de lo mismo, su prometida Carolina, quien le apoya en la parte de contabilidad y con la distribución, le animó a tomar un paso diferente en su negocio. Siendo ambos miembros de la iglesia Reformada en Sabanagrande, escucharon de Diaconía Nacional, y de la opción de préstamos que ellos ofrecían para pequeños empresarios.

Fue así como a través de un préstamo de L. 100,000 (approx $5,000), Fernando  pudo comprar un vehículo propio que ahora le ha permitido crecer su negocio y llegar a otras comunidades. No solo eso, pero Carolina, quien también elabora pasteles y repostería para eventos, le acompaña durante los envíos logrando promocionar su negocio.

Juntos desean poder no solo acceder a comunidades donde hay pocos centros de distribución de pan pero también ofrecer servicios de repostería para fiestas de cumpleaños, bodas, quince años, y otros eventos especiales en lugares remotos.

Fernando concluye que sin el apoyo de Diaconía, él no hubiera podido crecer su negocio!

Diaconia Nacional - un afiliado local de Partners Worldwide en Honduras - trabaja con mas de 50 pequeños emprendedores en Tegucigalpa, Sabanagrande, y Olancho. El trabajo de Diaconia Nacional ha sido impulsado y apoyado por su socio global, un equipo de líderes empresariales de Pella, Iowa.

Fernando haciendo entrega del pan a comunidades en Sabanagrande.

Fernando con su prometida Carolina.

Este es el nuevo automovil que Fernando pudo comprar con el prestamo.