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the story of marã­a luisa jimenez started 14 years ago, when she lived in the united states one day she decided that she needed a business alternative that would provide her an additional income to help home. she began selling nail polish, reducing gels among other beauty products. until, by chance, she got to know some colombian girdles. and that product motivated her to have her own business. im fany stella pallares, and here starts colombian companies "hechas a pulso" she is consuelo hoyos, a designer that has been making girdles for over 2 decades a woman that started from scratch. only with effort and discipline it started with the basics, comercialization, getting to konw the market.

start to get to know the manufacturing process for the garment, personnel management, administrative processes. consuelo has been an example for other businessmen in colombia among them is maria luiza jimenez, that one day, by chance, got to know her proyect while living in u.s.a. and changed her life. when she lost her job, 14 years ago, she proposed her self a goal. i told my self, i can do something, that allows me to be closer to home, to my children and at the same time im able to bring home an additional income in my free time. marã­a luisa wanted to be involved with sales as this did not demanded too much time while attending to her small children so she started offering beatuy products my first thought was, what can i bring from colombia that i can sell here?

so i started selling door to door, i went to beauty salons i started adding other products, people saw me arrive with my bag, with a very positive attitude "take a look at what i bring, this nail polish will last you longer, people that comes here will return due to quality" each time, more people were asking for her products, so she started looking for a way to offer more to her clients i added some reduction gels and reaffirming gels, and kept selling this way, then some bodies i had to be very disciplined, that's the most difficult thing when you're self employed, the schedule discipline is very important so i organized my schedule with more discipline that when she was employed, marã­a luisa started to get a good reputation among clients

i started from the last floor, going door to door offering what i had, people asked where could they contact me for more till that momment she offered basic beauty products, those that standed out in colombia for their quality untill one day she got to know consuelo's girdles some one had a procedure here in colombia, and told me that the doctor gave her a very good girdle. so i told her i whanted one, since i had used girdles all my life. i got one delivered to me, i unwrapped the garment and loved it. that girdle bewitched that business woman, but it was a spell that taught her a business opportunity i don't whant to sell nail polish any more, i dont whant to keep selling that kind of stuff. i will dedicate myself only to sell this girdle

so i contacted the person that manufactured the grirdle here in colombia. ms consuelo hoyos girdles are costly garments, but they satisfy certain necessities and pampers vanity so marã­a luisa, decided to get in the business, with the idea that girdles would be widely accepted. i bought my first docen. they had not arrived yet but i already had them sold. because i was the mannequin. i was asked what had ive done to my self, that if i had a procedure made? i responded i had a girdle, "dont lie" they told me, i replied, its true i have a girdle. so they asked for one, and i knew this was a good business. it was so satisfying that first sale, that she started selling those garments. i kept contacting ms consuelo, because i needed more and more, and she only made for one doctor.

she was happy with whatever the doctor ordered 2 or 3 girdles, a day, but that did not work for me. her friends and fellow people she knew, started to give her feedback on the girdles. asking for other designs, colours and sizes. going back to colombia, marã­a luisa, started to learn about dressmaking and started working with consuelo. she was very kind, in that she wanted to support me as i was buying from her, and she would keep on selling. we got to a point we were buying so much from her, that we met to ask her for exclusiveness from that point on, a fidelity arose i kept tending to the doctors patients that already knew of the girdles, with their remission to buy from me. it was that way that selling for this girdles massified in the u.s.a. on the year 2001

it gained an important spot within its clientele , it was the word of mouth that permitted her to grow. doctors had my card, so i often got calls late at night, "i got a procedure, and i got an uncomfortable girdle, and the doctor told me you could sell me one and bring it to me" so i did, to keep my good image with those doctors, at 11 or 10 at night as a result, sells skyrocketed, then a new challenge arose, not only keep her clients, but gain new ones. for that she got the support of her husband ricardo. we went to shows, i almost intruded on them as we couldn't afford a stand at that time, as i would likely not recover the investment selling like this. still, i moved arrown and gave out cards, "call me i have this products". they were beauty and hairdresser shows with persistence and commercial strategies, the business slowly began to expand. expanding to more cities in the u.s.a. it was necessary at this point to make a decision.

be outside, inside the house or whatever, ricardo said "no", and he started to retire and started to work with me full time in the girdle business as time went by, orders started to grow to 100 girdles and even more, a wide window to the commercial world that brought a new panorama to the jimenez family but demand was to high for what consuelo could currently deliver, especially in price, so we decided to place the factory once the desicion to make their own garments was made, they made all the arrangements to beggin the first production for the factory idea, we decided to have associates, persons that already were commercializing the product and knew of its excellent quality and great winnings next: problems with the associates, made the jimenez family start its business in colombia from scratch. we decided to inject more capital again, mortgage the house again, sell the car again, all that was necessary to capitalize again the company. and start anew!

this marriage joined forces and started their own company, the product was manufactured in colombia and sold in u.s.a. as all new businesses started without the required knowledge and experience from the owners, it began with problems. it eventually got solved, until they opened a sales point in u.s.a. with a prosperous buisness selling girdles, ricardo and maria luisa decided to start a factory to be able to increase production, and be able to satisfy the more than 100 clients they already had in the north american market. we started to stablish all the process of being a c.i, an internatinal comercializator that allowed us to import supplies and then export them with tax benefits, and thus be able to develop more. once all documentation was up to date, they developed a production plan and establish the whole commercialization network and as it now was a self production, a new brand was implemented.

we established a new brand, the previous one was called slender touch, we named the new one lipo express nothing that could relate them or be a direct competitor to her, we kept selling both brands, consuelo did not leave us, well more like we never left her the factory began with a rudimentary process and the first problems were related to machinery and the cost of materials. we started importing cloth from china, but my husband said, "we cannot depend on china selling this volume of products" "i want to buy the machine and start producing our own cloth" its the base of the product, the succes is the cloth. because girdles are common, but the difference with others in the market lies in the cloth, in its high quality. we started this project and my husband and i made the investment and on our own and bought the machine to make the cloth

with the new technology and gaining even more acceptance in the market, the business blomed during the next 6 years. my husband dedicated to the factory, while i loved sales, so i dedicated to them, and it was great it all started moving wonderful until there were several misunderstandings with the associates for the year 2007 the panorama started to look bleak, and differences with the partnes started to worsen till the point that everything changed from night to day. it wasn't clear that the association was only in the production but not in commercialization and brand brand was already registered, and it's not the same opening a company and registering a brand those partners were only interested in the brand, and not in the whole development of the company it all pointed to the end of that partnership

one night it all ended, and next day everyone on their own then tell the staff that the company was practicaly divided in two they kept the location and the machine, we kept the brand and other things it was a very challenging moment that made the staff decide with which partner they wanted to stay working with. it is explained to them that the company will be liquidated, but that they wont lose their jobs that they have the power to decide with whom to keep on working, that they could stay with us. the jimenez family was left without machines and a place to manufacture, and had to find a way to start anew with the production of girdles a crisis that taught them a valuable lesson, to be persistent, even more because other families are dependent form that company project it's very important that when you have a dream, and you see it coming true, you keep on following it.

because there is really light at the end of the tunnel. and when you have a staff like ours, you'll also feel all the support you have, and you will always have it. with no easy task, the company came afloat the next year, with great efforts that even the second generation made part off starting a whole new fase. my son called me one day and told me, "mom, i dont wish to work on the bank any more" i want to work with you and my dad. that made me very happy we had a meeting with my son, my daughter in law, my daughter, my husband and me, the 5 of us we came to the conclusion that the way andres my son could work with us, was by opening direct point of sale for the company we still have distributors, doctors and now our points of sale.

new fresh and young minds arriving in the company marked a milestone when they opened their first point of sale in u.s.a. late in 2007 we gave him the tools to begin, and he opened in a very latino and cheap location this way he started, in atlanta georgia. afterwards, accompanied by our son, we expanded to other states, north carolina, california, texas, illinois this made sales skyrocket this was a satisfaction added to a client base still growing and good production in the factory. all of this created the right conditions so ricardo strengthened the business with another product in 2007 our first gels, that are produced here in colombia, manufactured for us. because you need to make alliances, you have to find out that you cant do it alone, no one makes it alone, you need to find allies. next, the following strategy for growth is the implementation of franchises

i opened a point of sale, and one of the saleswoman fell in love with the proyect. of the quality, of the design of the point of sale it self and she asked me to sell her a franchise so we direct our focus also into that, and today she has 5 shops, 5 points of sales. design, innovation and quality is what distinguish this product manufactured by this colombian entrepreneurs precisely with this 3 characteristics, they won over thousands of over-seas customers. they are girdles worn by women and men alike. once the girdles won over the u.s.a market, the jimenez family dedicated to increase the growth of their business, this time colombia included. i saw that opportunity, and i knew in colombia can also be done, so we started the colombian project. we started with one in the "americas", and now we have 4, 3 in bogotã¡ and 1 in villavicencio and although they gave it all for the colombian market, they found an unexpected complication they were not prepared to handle

it's not easy, the colombian market, has the problem that it tends to compete with the prize and quality goes to a secondary level, we believe we need to work with quality, that will differentiate us. even with this complication, ricardo and marã­a luisa did not sacrifice quality for prices. and carried on, because apart from the point of sales, they began to participate in shows. we participate in events, country fairs, were working in fairs like "beauty and health", we make present and develop that area. point of sale had been good, tho we need to support them even more, grow in even more cities. it's an interesting market. precisely one of the secrets to its success was the wide quantity of models and design, that they offered not only to women, but to men. girdles as you have seen, its our strong point we manage several girdles references, with different top styles, strapless, thin strap, and classical like the one im holding.

the bottom of the garment varies in short, half leg and 3/4 in a straight forward production line, each garment is unique, and carries a strict quality control any garment we manufacture in this company, must come out with optimal quality conditions not only because we're exporters, but all our garments must fulfill our quality specifications the cloth is made by us. this bag, carried in the back a barcode and a serial number, this number is also carried in the garment this is for a better control, the garment and the bag number must coincide with this we know when the garment was cut, manufactured, who made the operations that day quality, design and innovation are the 3 keys this entrepreneurs have had in mind the last 5 years to achieve a position as one of the main girdle manufacturers

plus the good reception the garments received overseas allowed them to have 11 own stores a system that still keeps on winning clients over and has started to evolve. today, consuelo, the woman that inspired marã­a luisa to have this business, is her right hand in the company. at this time, im here giving them consultation in all aspects, im involved in all, all that im permited to be in. with a 14 year experience the jimenez family projects don't stop were always focused on bringing all years at least one new product at the moment, we have planned, in a near future, to transfer to a new headquarter, where we will be able to develop and expand more, in fontibon a more industrial zone. were working on launching swimsuits, more sport like garments, stretch pants that have high commercialization we want to add products that allow us to keep an active production line.

ricardo's desire is that their girdles sell in other countries. were going to make some trips to germany, exploring new contacts and surveying how commercialization would work. we also have partnerships in central america, in panamã¡ we have some solid market initiatives also take the opportunities opened by the new colombian ftas that will soon be signed. we haven't gone to europe, and its a very interesting market, we have to we'll plan our commercialization investments it is not easy to invest in promoting a product, in export it, commercialize it, present it. the jimenez marriage knows that it will not be easy to win over those markets, but they hope that they will soon open their doors to them. due to the quality of their girdles and all the effort their staff puts on manufacturing them we depend a lot of our staff, we get so much support from our administrative and production staff, that is very important

markets exist, we have the drive to expand the commercialization but i depend of 2 things. first, expand my headquarters to be able to expand my production line and also, to have a market that will be able to buy the excess production i will have. this is fundamental, keeping both together this team of almost 50 employees, is part of a project with a clear view: keep on growing a textile business in which the jimenez second generation is already making history that is the biggest happiness, there are two families in this company. the c.i. premier family composed of all my collaborators, that is as important as the vinculation of my sons and my wife. those groups make one put all its heart to the company achievement of any staff member, or a call of my son that found a new business opportunity

or any of these events that fill you with motivation to keep on going, take a new breath and keep the fight. it's not easy, but it can be done!. after all those years of effort, ricardo and marã­a luisa, feel very proud of their project also doing their part as entrepenours, and in job creation. they are a leading manufacturer of girdles with over 8000 products a month their main means of selling is trhu internet, altho they allready have 4 stores here in colombia. i remind you that this show can be also seen in internet. the url is www.noticiascaracol.com you can find us in the section "informativos". you can follow us on twitter, @signopesos see you next thursday with all the current economic news in "signo pesos"